Campaigns in metaphorical motion

POSTED BY michael roston, 12 February 2008

Sometimes, the metaphors just invent themselves. From CNN's Political Ticker:

Thirteen miles from Dulles International Airport, the Huckabee press van carrying reporters from Washington D.C. to the airport for a flight to Little Rock, Arkansas ground to a halt on the side of the highway, out of gas.

The driver turned the key over and over, desperately hoping that the gas needle firmly set on ‘E’ was wrong. The staffer in charge of wrangling the press called ahead to let the campaign know what had happened, as the press in the back of the van pondered whether there were any metaphorical implications.

Other times, they're a bit more complicated, from the Baltimore Sun:

About 20 people who drove to downtown Baltimore to attend a campaign rally for Sen. Barack Obama at 1st Mariner Arena ended up getting their cars towed and having a postrally gathering behind the barbed-wire fences at the city's vehicle impoundment lot.

Because Obama, a Democratic candidate for president, was 2 1/2 hours late to the 2:45 p.m. rally, several of his supporters who parked at meters were ticketed by police. And then they got a big Baltimore welcome: a $237 fee from the city, which includes $105 for towing, $50 storage, $42 ticket and $40 administrative fee.

When the Obama supporters asked the impound officer if they could have their cars back after they paid the fine, I heard that the officer answered, "Yes you can." Mike Huckabee, Barak Obama, metaphors