My post is inspired by a blog entry written by Dan Schnur, GOP political communications consultant / Annenberg adjunct faculty member:
http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/why-im-afraid-of-the-clintons/?em&ex=1204434000&en=8141ddc003071ab1&ei=5070.
In his post, titled “Why I’m Afraid of the Clintons,” Schnur warns that Hillary can’t be counted out yet, especially considering her family’s history of rebounding from seemingly insurmountable setbacks. He claims that he would rather face Obama than Clinton in a general election—contrary to many Republicans’ leanings—simply because the Clintons’ well-documented will to win and political shrewdness always presents a daunting challenge.
One thing that strikes me in this entry is Schnur’s use of sports comparisons; as a Packers fan, he likens the Clintons to the Cowboys—a team he never wants to go up against. He hopes that another team (Obama) can take out this formidable opponent (Clinton) in the playoffs (primaries) so his team (McCain) won’t have to face them in the championship (general election). It’s a solid metaphor, though sometimes I question the value of such comparisons—are they just for fun or do they demonstrate something significant?
Either way, sports terminology abounds in coverage of this campaign: horseracing, boxing, football…it’s just too easy. Today on CNN’s “Ballot Bowl” (the program’s name itself a reference to athletics), I heard one commentator liken Hillary Clinton to Eli Manning, New York’s heroic quarterback who pulled off a very unlikely Super Bowl win in a do-or-die drive in the game's final minutes. Appearing on Letterman the night after the Super Bowl, Clinton herself said she took a lot of heart from the Giants’ fourth quarter performance. Can Hillary summon a highlight-reel showing this Tuesday and keep her Presidential hopes alive? Or will the rookie’s Cinderella story go the distance?
The way I see it, the clock is about to expire and Hillary is trusting Ohio and Texas with the ball; they must score in order to send the race into overtime—otherwise, game over.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment