Political campaigns are typically covered as a "horse race." This construction is used to describe how the media typically reports on the "who's ahead, who's behind" of politics, more than the meat of policies and outcomes. In this political season, however, I think the horse race is the wrong metaphor for the race for President.
It's not a horse race, it's a pennant race.
Before explaining this idea in detail, it should be noted that the important things are ideas and leadership not sports metaphors. Ultimately, our President is responsible for stewardship of our future and leadership in times of opportunity and crisis. Metaphors are gateways to deeper understanding, not substitutions for the understanding itself. We must be cautious and clear in the use of any metaphor lest we add to the confusion that is political debate in America. With that, here is how the race for President is like the baseball season.
First, the campaign may seem to be between individuals ("horses") but in reality, it is a competition between entire organizations ("teams"). It is irrelevant how bright a candidate's ideas may shine, without a strong and dedicated organization behind them, there is no chance to win the nomination. It is more accurate to say that organizations, lined up behind the vision and personality of their candidates, are competing. They are teams, not horses.
Second, the contest is more reminiscent of the baseball season than the horse racing season. The racing season is defined by three major events, each of which lasts only a few minutes. The baseball season is defined by one hundred and sixty two games, then the playoffs, before a winner is decided. The race for the White House includes over one hundred separate contests (a primary or caucus in each state and the District of Columbia, not to mention the "money primary" before election year even begins) before the actual race between the candidates themselves even begins. The primaries and caucuses are like the regular season, and the post-nomination race the playoffs. A horse racing season can have three equivalent winners, the political, and baseball season, only one.
Third, horse races, ultimately, are about speed. Yes, there is strategy and tactics in the race, but fundamentally, the fastest horse wins. Political campaigns are about strategy and depth, just like baseball. The team must have a plan, a good manager and have the depth to handle injuries and other unforeseen events. Like baseball, a well executed plan, good management and the organizational depth to handle adversity is what it takes to become President.
Finally, in baseball and politics, but not in horse racing, there is a score. There are runs in baseball and delegates in the nomination race. In both baseball and the nomination battle, a team can be mathematically eliminated. That is not possible in a horse race.
The interesting thing about the metaphor of baseball for the political season is the fact that it can be taken fairly far. And extending the metaphor can actually extend the explanation and understanding of the process. We could talk about each nomination being a pennant, each party being a League, with their own biases and history. Different positions on the baseball field could be analogous to different roles in a campaign. Heck, one could even call the moving of advisors and consultants from one campaign to another "trades to make a run for the pennant."
In the end, metaphors are only good if they illuminate instead of obscure. The Horse Race metaphor does more to obfuscate than to explain.
Play Ball!
(Crossposted from Leesburg Tomorrow)