What is Sympathy Vote?
1.
gaining support by appealing to people's love of a sob story. This could include running for public office after a recent personal or family tragedy, or turning up to an X-Factor audition in a wheelchair, hoping that doing so will gloss over any discernible lack of talent.
Dave: "Here Bob, this man on the X-Factor lost all his family in a plane crash and had is legs amputated after a tragic gardening accident."
Bob: "He may be crap, but he will win on the sympathy vote."
See
