shibboleth issues?

[thedaffodils]

The fight between Mr Obama and Mr McCain will, in part, be over their respective appeal to independent voters. Mr McCain has bucked his party on taxes, campaign finance, immigration and other shibboleth issues, so much so that he was a hate-figure in certain Republican circles during the primaries. Mr Obama, by contrast, has a fairly orthodox Democratic voting record.

Hi!

Could you please illustrate what shibboleth issues are? I don't really understand the word of " shibboleth" though I have thumbed through a dictionary. Which entry as belows is suitable for this context? Thanks in advance!

shibboleth
noun [C]
1 FORMAL a belief or custom that is not now considered as important and correct as it was in the past:

2 a word, phrase, custom, etc. only known to a particular group of people, which you can use to prove to them that you are a real member of that group

[poorboy_9]

Just giving my two cents: The last line says"....by contrast, has a fairly orthodox Democratic voting record."- this would elicit that mr. McCain has an "un-orthodox" voting record. This may deal with the second definition. By NOT using the customary Republican retoric in his voting, he may not "....prove to them that you are a real member of that group". He doesn't sound Republican.
This is just my take on this quote.
B.

[Anglika]

Originally Posted by thedaffodils

Hi!

Could you please illustrate what shibboleth issues are? I don't really understand the word of " shibboleth" though I have thumbed through a dictionary. Which entry as belows is suitable for this context? Thanks in advance!

A shibboleth is a belief or custom that is not now considered as important and correct as it was in the past — ORIGIN originally in the sense a word or sound which a foreigner is unable to pronounce

Someone who has shibboleths holds onto their beliefs whether they are valid or not valid.

It is a shibboleth that all Englishmen are unemotional.

The politicians hold to the shibboleth that they are hard-working and honest people doing a good day's work for a fair wage.

The town dweller has a shibboleth that all countrymen are stupid.

The passage you quote is suggesting that McCain is somewhat out of date in the issues that he is concerned with.

[thedaffodils]

Poor_boy: thank you for your response.

Anglika: thank you for your answer. I got it.