General Discussion

babylonsister

(172,671 posts) Thu Feb 12, 2026, 08:43 PM 10 hrs ago

She done wagged that dog...

Wag the dog is a political term for the act of creating a diversion from a damaging issue usually through military force.

It stems from the generic use of the term to mean a small and seemingly unimportant entity (the tail) controls a bigger, more important one (the dog). It is usually used by a politician when they are in a scandal, in hopes that people forget about the scandal and focus on the more important issue.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wag_the_dog

Classic example.

Edit to add: Pam Bondi

Click here to purchase valentine hearts!

3 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

She done wagged that dog... (Original Post) babylonsister 10 hrs ago OP

YUP, when she started talking about the DOW and how 47 vapor2 10 hrs ago #1

No. Halting air traffic in El Paso. Dog wagged. nt babylonsister 10 hrs ago #2

Who else saw the movie "Wag The Dog"? 1997 usonian 9 hrs ago #3

vapor2

(4,147 posts)

1. YUP, when she started talking about the DOW and how 47

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Thu Feb 12, 2026, 08:54 PM

10 hrs ago

IS the MOST transparent president ever blah blah blah

Click here to purchase valentine hearts!

babylonsister

(172,671 posts)

2. No. Halting air traffic in El Paso. Dog wagged. nt

Reply to vapor2 (Reply #1)

Thu Feb 12, 2026, 08:57 PM

10 hrs ago

Click here to purchase valentine hearts!

usonian

(24,203 posts)

3. Who else saw the movie "Wag The Dog"? 1997

Reply to babylonsister (Original post)

Thu Feb 12, 2026, 09:35 PM

9 hrs ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wag_the_Dog

Same plot!

Non-spoiler (go see it)

The President of the United States is caught making advances on an underage girl inside the Oval Office less than two weeks before the election. Conrad Brean, (Robert DeNiro) a top spin doctor, is brought in by presidential aide Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) to take the public's attention away from the scandal. He decides to construct a fictional war in Albania, hoping that the media will concentrate on this instead. Brean contacts Hollywood producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to create the war, complete with a theme song and fake film footage of a fleeing orphan to arouse sympathy. The hoax is initially successful, with the president quickly gaining ground in the polls.

And then .......

Click here to purchase valentine hearts!

Reply to this discussion