Skip to content

HOH Word of the Week: Optics

Optics : How voters and the media perceive something. In politics, it often is an event, phrase, or policy that is pushed front and center because of the belief that it will help win the politician more votes.”  

— From “Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs & Washington Handshakes” by Chuck McCutcheon and David Mark.  

Related:

HOH Word of the Week: Slop-over


HOH Word of the Week: Window Dressing


HOH Word of the Week: Politician


The 114th: CQ Roll Call’s Guide to the New Congress


Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call in your inbox or on your iPhone.

Recent Stories

Trump told MAGA supporters that ‘we won’ in Iran. They were silent

Capitol Ink | Dire strait

Photos of the week | March 5-12, 2026

SPR drawdown might not be enough for consumers, Democrats say

Armed Services members in the dark on details of war costs

One’s a Republican, one’s a Democrat. They captain the same team