pandering

[ pan-der-ing ]

noun

the act of catering to or profiting from the weaknesses, vices, or unreasonable desires of others: Pandering and fear-mongering are the main ingredients of his appeal to anxious voters.
the act or practice of furnishing clients for a prostitute or supplying persons for illicit sex acts: Human trafficking violates many other laws as well, including those against kidnapping, slavery, false imprisonment, and pandering.

adjective

catering to or profiting from the weaknesses, vices, or unreasonable desires of others: He’s the epitome of the pandering politician, ready to say yes to everyone.

Origin of pandering

First recorded in 1600–10; pander + -ing¹ for the noun senses; pander + -ing² for the adjective sense

If actors are taught to play to the back of the house, these lawmakers are playing to the audience back home in their states, which means a whole lot of parochial pandering and plenty of home-state priorities are being written into the wish lists.
Why Congress Deserves Its Own Emmy Category | Philip Elliott | July 15, 2021 | Time
If you’re showing up 90 days before an election, that’s called pandering.
A Republican Congressman Who Might Not Vote For Trump | Galen Druke | July 30, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
How does one support gender equality without coming across as disingenuous or, even worse, as pandering?
Tech’s Male ‘Feminists’ Aren’t Helping | Cate Huston, Karen Catlin | December 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
His charges include pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, rape, and sexual battery.
Ohio Elementary School Teacher Charged With Raping Her Son | Nina Strochlic | November 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
By pandering for the laziest voters Colorado actually compounds the problem.
Baseball’s Problem Is Politics’ Problem | Doug McIntyre | November 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

Lowest common denominator campaigning and dumb pandering in this country dates back to at least the presidential election of 1800.
Wanted: More Devious Politicians | Nancy Kaffer | October 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Still, conservatives argue that Obama is pandering to women voters by using an intentionally deceptive statistic.
Obama Is Nudging the White House Toward Gender Pay Equity | Brandy Zadrozny | April 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
A woman, instead of pandering to it by service and silence, ought to lift up her voice and repress it in its earliest stages.
A New Atmosphere | Gail Hamilton
By pandering to self, this man has acquired a small empire, which he has cut off from the great one of God.
A Son of Perdition | Fergus Hume
The false prophets won and kept their popularity by pandering to the opinions and prejudices of the people.
The Preacher and His Models | James Stalker
It is simply pandering to the low animal craving for cruelty.
Daisy | Miranda Eliot Swan
Woman becomes a base creature by thus pandering to earthly ends.
Aims and Aids for Girls and Young Women | George Sumner Weaver

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