A British colleague at work has recently filled me in about a political maneuver known as the 'Dead Cat Tactic'. Originally attributed to Lynton Crosby of Australia, it involves making a deliberate insult or outrageously false diversion during a political campaign. It's the verbal equivalent of throwing a dead cat on the table. People will be outraged, disgusted, or amused, but the key point is that everyone will shout, "Look, there's a dead cat on the table!" Any other subject is forgotten.
Perhaps Boris Johnson will prove adept at something other than throwing Deceased Felines (with a nod to John Cleese and the Dead Parrot bit
).
An American political candidate (whose name is a 4-letter word) has adopted this practice from the Australians and British.