Obama's Top Mission: Complete As Many Geographical Metaphors Cliches as Humanly Possible in Denver
Here's Hillary Clinton biographer and former American Prospect jefe counseling Obama on language games in the U.K. Guardian:
We Americans call Denver the "Mile High City". And, sure enough, this remarkably scenic frontier town, founded by gold prospectors seeking their fortune shortly before the civil war, sits 5,280ft above sea level.
There's a mother lode of good-enough-for-journalism metaphors to choose from in that short first paragraph. Will Barack Obama strike gold? Ascend the mountaintop? Conquer the frontier? End the intraparty civil war still being waged by some Clinton supporters? The party leaders who chose Denver as the site of this year's convention were hoping to make the statement that Democrats really, honestly care about what we call "flyover country" between New York and Los Angeles—if you looked at a list of where Democratic conventions have been held since Franklin Roosevelt's time, you would be shocked to see that almost every one was in a city on either coast or in Chicago. But symbolism-rich Denver is apt in more ways than they could have known.
Obama this week needs to complete as many of those metaphors as he possibly can.
More (and I apologize in advance to anyone who clicks through) here.
With advice like that and flat poll numbers, I'd say Obama ought to start talking about John Elway-style late-game and late-career victories. Or maybe just pack it in and start invoking Rocky Mountain highs. Or resurrect unconvincing linguist George Lakoff from what cryogenic tube he's thankfully residing in and start talking about "tax relief" ASAP.
