Seeing Pink Elephants

Meet Maxine. Maxine is the latest fund-raising tool for the Republican National Committee, and she is, of course, a pink elephant. The stuffed animal is free when you donate $35 to the RNC.

"With Valentine's Day right around the corner, Maxine makes a great gift for that special Republican in your life," says the RNC's fund-raising pitch. Indeed, a pink elephant seems like a great gift, especially for your chronically drunk loved ones or perhaps that special Log Cabin Republican in your life.

"Seeing pink elephants" is a euphemism for hallucinations, especially those caused by delirium tremens.

"Seriously, it’s a cute idea, but doesn’t a pink elephant open you up to more than just a few jokes," wrote a blogger at epolitics.com. "[T]he Republicans must be seeing pink elephants if they think they can win in November?"

The Simpsons have toyed with the idea of a pink elephant in a different way. In one episode of the TV cartoon series, a pink, elephant-shaped balloon floats into a Log Cabin Republicans meeting just as they are trying to decide on a new logo. "Something that says gay AND Republican?" asks an LCR member. The response? "A little on the nose, don't you think?"

Pink is a color associated with the gay rights movement, stemming from the pink triangles that gay Holocaust victims were forced to wear. And of course the elephant represents the GOP. Maxine would seem to be a perfect fit.