ative ▁in ▁choosing ▁a ▁candidate ▁than ▁would ▁normally ▁be ▁considered ▁acceptable ▁in ▁a ▁closely ▁cont ested ▁race . ▁Alan ▁Key es ▁and ▁Ger ald ine ▁A . ▁Ferr aro ▁are ▁examples ▁in ▁American ▁politics . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁Ad la i ▁Stevens on ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁sacrific ial ▁l amb ▁candidate ▁for ▁president ▁against ▁D w ight ▁Eisen h ower . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Howard ▁M ills ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁sacrific ial ▁l amb ▁candidate ▁for ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁against ▁Ch uck ▁Sch umer . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁arts ▁In ▁cinema ▁and ▁literature , ▁the ▁term ▁sacrific ial ▁l amb ▁refers ▁to ▁a ▁supporting ▁character ▁whose ▁sole ▁dram atic ▁purpose ▁is ▁to ▁die , ▁thus ▁gal van izing ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁to ▁action ▁and ▁simultaneously ▁demonstr ating ▁how ▁evil ▁the ▁villa in ▁is . ▁Very ▁often , ▁the ▁sacrific ial ▁l amb ▁is ▁a ▁family ▁member , ▁partner , ▁or ▁" old ▁bud dy " ▁of ▁the ▁protagon ist , ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁or ▁she ▁has ▁an ▁assumed ▁int im acy , ▁thus ▁requiring ▁no ▁real ▁character ▁development . ▁The ▁term ▁is ▁almost ▁always ▁used ▁crit ically , ▁with ▁the ▁imp lication ▁that ▁the ▁character ▁was ▁used ▁trans par ently ▁as ▁a ▁plot ▁device . ▁ ▁An ▁example ▁of ▁this ▁in ▁early ▁literature ▁is ▁Mac aria ▁in ▁Her acle idae ▁by ▁Eur ip ides . ▁A ▁more ▁modern ▁example ▁is ▁Anthony ▁Edwards ' ▁character , ▁" Go ose