1. a person or thing that ruins or spoils: Gambling was the bane of his existence.
2. a deadly poison (often used in combination, as in the names of poisonous plants): wolfsbane; henbane.
3. death; destruction; ruin.
4. Obsolete . that which causes death or destroys life: entrapped and drowned beneath the watery bane.

Hi,

Just in case the Republicans use the Bane thing against those Liberal Hollywood & Literary types, The character Bane made his first appearance in The Batman comics in 1993. This was long before any of us, except those poor souls in Michigan and Massachusetts;
had heard the name of the current Republican candidate.

Welcome to DU, johnsolaris! Good info.