Vocabulary Heard at the 2016 Democratic National Convention

The Democratic National Convention was held in Philadelphia from July 25-28, 2016. The vocabulary ranged from lofty descriptions of hope for the future and prayers for togetherness in confronting the Republican opponent with polite name calling, less-than-polite name calling, and plain name calling. A highlight was The Vice President of the United States using the word "malarkey" with a vitality not seen since people actually said "malarkey." Here are twenty words heard at the Democratic National Convention.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. malarkey
    empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk
    How can there be pleasure in saying, you’re fired? He’s trying to tell us, he cares about the middle class, give me a break. That’s a bunch of malarkey.
    - Vice President Joe Biden
  2. ambit
    an area in which something operates or has power or control
    She became the de facto economic development officer for the area of New York outside the ambit of New York City.
    - President Bill Clinton
  3. divisive
    causing or characterized by disagreement or disunity
    We’ve watched him, with a broad and divisive brush, say that Mexican immigrants who came to America to build a better life are “bringing crime, they’re bringing drugs.”
    - Senator Cory Booker
  4. rambunctious
    noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
    Her crusty, conservative father, her rambunctious brothers, all extolling the virtues of rooting for the Bears and the Cubs
    - President Bill Clinton
  5. cynicism
    a pessimistic feeling of distrust
    My fellow Americans, we cannot be seduced into cynicism about our politics, because cynicism is a refuge for cowards and this nation is and must always be the home of the brave.
    - Senator Cory Booker
  6. empathy
    understanding and entering into another's feelings
    She knows that we can be a nation that both believes that our police officers deserve more respect, support, cooperation, and love – and believes that a young twenty-something black protestor deserves to be valued, that they should be listened to with a more courageous empathy, and that change is needed in our system.
    - Senator Cory Booker
  7. bigotry
    intolerance and prejudice
    So enough with the bigotry and bombast. Donald Trump's not offering real change. He's offering empty promises.
    - Secretary Hillary Clinton
  8. bombast
    pompous or pretentious talk or writing
    This election is about which candidate understands the real problems facing this country and has offered real solutions – not just bombast, fear-mongering, name-calling and divisiveness.
    - Senator Bernie Sanders
  9. quintessential
    representing the perfect example of a class or quality
    She knows their dream is quintessentially American, and the American Dream is something no wall will ever contain.
    -President Barack Obama
  10. infrastructure
    the basic features of a system or organization
    And she is determined to create millions of new jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure – our roads, bridges, water systems and wastewater plants.
    - Senator Bernie Sanders
  11. savior
    a person who rescues you from harm or danger
    Our power doesn’t come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order. 
    - President Barack Obama
  12. entrepreneur
    someone who organizes a business venture
    I had the chance to run America's largest city for 12 years, governing in the wake of its greatest tragedy. Today, as an Independent, an entrepreneur, and a former mayor, I believe we need a president who is a problem-solver, not a bomb-thrower; someone who can bring members of Congress together...
    -Mayor Mike Bloomberg
  13. demagogue
    a leader who seeks support by appealing to popular passions
    I've come here to say: We must put them aside for the good of our country. And we must unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue. I believe it's the duty of all American citizens to make our voices heard by voting in this election.
    - Mayor Mike Bloomberg
  14. fester
    generate pus
    She knows that acknowledging problems that have festered for decades isn’t making race relations worse – it’s creating the possibility for people of good will to join and make things better.
    - President Barack Obama
  15. turbulence
    instability in the atmosphere
    Anyone reading the news can see the threats and turbulence we face.
    - Secretary Hillary Clinton
  16. oligarchy
    a political system governed by a few people
    Hillary Clinton will nominate justices to the Supreme Court who are prepared to overturn Citizens United and end the movement toward oligarchy in this country.
    - Senator Bernie Sanders
  17. disparity
    inequality or difference in some respect
    We have a Presidential nominee in Hillary Clinton who knows that, in a time of stunningly wide disparities of wealth in our nation, America’s greatness must not be measured by how many millionaires and billionaires we have, but by how few people we have living in poverty.
    - Senator Cory Booker
  18. stoke
    (of a fire) stir up or tend
    She knows that true security doesn’t come from scapegoating people because of their religion, alienating our allies, stoking fear and pointing fingers.
    - Senator Cory Booker
  19. thrive
    make steady progress
    And there is only one candidate in this race who believes in that future, and has devoted her life to it; a mother and grandmother who’d do anything to help our children thrive; a leader with real plans to break down barriers, blast through glass ceilings, and widen the circle of opportunity to every single American – the next President of the United States, Hillary Clinton.
    - President Barack Obama
  20. ravaged
    having been robbed and destroyed by force and violence
    From communities ravaged by addiction to regions hollowed out by plant closures.
    - Secretary Hillary Clinton
Created on Thu Jul 28 23:47:02 EDT 2016 (updated Fri Jul 29 11:00:31 EDT 2016)

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