Vocab, NYT articles

Here is some vocab from the articles I discussed just before: (explanations out of LDOCE)

to prune - to make something smaller by removing parts that you do not need or want (or cut branches of a tree to make them grow better)
sluggish – moving or reacting more slowly than normal
to feel smug – showing too much satisfaction with your own cleverness or success
What are you so smug about? To be smug about smth.
incremental – increasing, happening gradually over time
Cumbersome – a slow or difficult system, heavy and difficult to move
To shudder at something – to think that something is very bad or unpleasant
the runoff election
rocking on the toes – move up and down on the toes
to be a whirling dervish of ideas –
to whirl - if your head is whirling, or if thoughts are whirling in your head, your mind is full of thoughts and ideas, and you feel very confused or excited
dervish - a member of a Muslim religious group, some of whom dance fast and spin around as part of a religious ceremony
to have a strained relationship – with many problems
"...who may still have harbored ambitions" – to harbor  to hide/hidden Here: to have hidden, untold ambitions
Arson - the crime of deliberately making something burn, especially a buildin
to quell - to end a situation in which people are behaving violently or protesting, especially by using force (Synonym – to put down)
to dither (a ditherer) – to keep being unable to make a final decision on something
to have strong oratory skills – the skill of making powerful speeches