Closing the Deal.

What is this year-long vacuousness about Obama not "closing the deal" or "closing the sale"? In the Wall Street Journal today, Karl Rove, whose "voice" would be the voice of plain mashed potatoes if plain mashed potatoes could speak, employs poll data and history (Truman, Dukakis, etc.) to argue once again that Obama hasn't "closed the sale." First of all, casting elections as "deals" and "sales" speaks encyclopedias about how Rove and too many others think about the connection between voters and candidates. A deal, a sale. You'd think that given the disgrace in which the culture of finance in this nation at long last finds itself, political analysts would want to look elsewhere for their cliches. Maybe: "Obama hasn't quite parked the car yet." Or "Obama hasn't put the roof on the house." Or "Obama has to pitch the last of the ninth before his team wins."

But second, of course he hasn't "closed the deal." The election is not only the closing but the "deal" itself -- as none other than John McCain keeps reminding us. There is no deal to close right now. Thomas Dewey thought he'd "closed the deal" only to discover the next morning that Harry Truman hadn't shown up at the closing. You don't "close" on a house or other financial transaction until you do. Until all the lawyers are paid all that money, until the deed is in your hand, until that hand and all the other hands are shaken, all the documents signed and witnessed. With just about as much logical plausibility, one could say that the sun hasn't closed the deal on rising tomorrow. And anyway, Rove is courting bad luck with this way of talking about the election. Look what happened to the last person who publicly asked about Obama, "Why can't he close the deal?"

Comments

[tchristin]

As I sit on my couch reading this, I am watching Pat Buchanan on MSNBC say this very thing.. Obama has not closed the deal. I am so sick of hearing those words to describe the public election of a US President.

[knowBuddhaU]

Bravo! Brilliant! Thanks for saying this.

Are we consumers, or citizens? appetites on two legs, or sovereigns?

It's said that the US doesn't have an ideology, that we're all about the money, and that's the glorious engine of freedom, the market, at work machining nature into society. That's progress, it's said.

I'm deeply offended by the encroachment of commerce into politics. I do not go to my local government offices to buy anything. I go to assert my rights as a citizen. Rove's way of thinking is hopelessly overly mechanized. And it's not just any machine, right Rove?

The mythical Free Market, Rove's god, is a perpetual motion holy war cash machine, conceived as god's own device for rewarding and punishing us. And of course, Rove and his minions are the masters of this machine. So to question Rove's way of thinking is conflated with questioning god.

I am a being, aware of my own becoming. I am not a machine. I am not just an appetite on two legs. I am a citizen of this republic, standing to assert my rights. I say we dump "machine politics" on the scrap heap of history (properly sorted for recycling, of course).

[jobecky20]

I am disheartened to see evidence that so many Democrats believe the race is over. NO IT IS NOT! In November 2004 I stayed up with hopeful anticipation to watch the election results because a lot of folks suspected Kerry would win the electoral college. Guess what? Didn't happen. I am a NH resident who remembered the Obama-Clinton race in NH earlier this year. Polls in NH had Obama comfortably ahead...gu­ess what? Clinton won. So people, if you would like to see Obama as POTUS, please, I am BEGGING you, get yourself down to the voting booth because you cannot TRUST polls. I cannot take another election like the Gore-Bush and Kerry-Bush election. It would kill so many spirits in this country. Republican pundits like to say that Obama will most likely win but this just serves to enrage their base and get them to the voting booth. It also serves to make Democrats complacent. If we haven't learned a lesson from the Gore-Bush and Kerry-Bush outcomes, then we do not DESERVE to win any election..­.we will have proved ourselves to be gullible and lazy morons. Frankly, I don't even think the "safe for Obama" blue states are safe at all. Don't believe it.The racists and other extremists will come out of the woodwork in this historical election. If you are a Democrat who lives in a solid blue state, get to the voting booth no matter what.

[heartlandjim]

Obama will fight hard til the end. Closing the deal depends on us the voters now. Every single Obama supporter must vote. Vote early if you can. Take a parent or a friend. Vote, people. Go vote!! Go vote!!! Go and vote!!!!

[Ohg]

Good article - but you did not close the deal. Thomas Dewey did not want to hear any metaphors of victory or loss in 1948. Truman enjoyed all of them ..........­..........­..
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/10/16/dewey-defeats-truman/

[joesnuffy]

The Republicans are desperate. They have tried to emphasize foreign policy experience, reform (Palin), patriotism (country first). When all those failed, they had no choice but to go on the attack (Ayers, ACORN). But, that backfired as well. Now, after losing the last debate, they are panicking and will grab at anything. So, Rove saying Obama hasn't closed the deal is just an attempt to put doubt into people's minds. And now they are pushing this Joe the Plumber thing and the "you don't want an all dem government" thing.

Hail mary's have worked in the past. Desperate and panicked tactics have worked. Teams have come back from down 3-0. Crazier things have happened (Bush 2000). But, let's hope the American people learned a lesson and finally do the right thing this time.

[nodoginthishunt]

Among people who have actually been in/run campaigns, as opposed to just writing about them, the phrase is a well-known and well-understood term of art, describing not only trends leading up to today and where the race stands today, but also where it will go. The latter deals largely with how the undecideds will break and how much of a leading candidate's current support will bleed away. But there's no point in providing any further education now, as you are about to get a real-life lesson.

[S1m0n]

Us stupid people got 'close the deal' without help, but thanks for your input, anyway.

[danielmenaker]

( Um, I have been "in" campaigns.­)
"Art"? As in Trump's "Art of the Deal"? Perfect. The term's being "well-known and well-understood" doesn't preclude it from having important connotations. Quite the opposite, especially given our heavily financial times. Embarrassments often lurk below habits of speech.

[luckyrico1]

What Obama needs to do now is to convince the American public that if we have a Democratic house and White House, he will not let it run amok with spending. Democrats need to be the fiscally responsible party and must convince the public that they will be prudent with the budget.

That will seal the deal. But more than sealing the deal, THEY MUST KEEP THEIR PROMISE!!

DID YOU HEAR THAT DEMOCRATS? You must be prudent and responsible with our pocketbooks.

We've had it with the Republicans and their greed and corruption. Now, in these desperate times, we need to know that you, our elective officials, will bring a high level of ethics and a true desire to do the work that is required .

Maintaining our trust in our electorate is the most important issue at hand.

Can you, Ms Pelosi, Mr. Reid, and Mr. Obama, do the right thing for the American taxpayers and not repeat the sins of the previous administrations?

[BiggJay]

I agree. I will not be at peace until Barack Obama is officially named president. You don't think the GOP will let McCain concede do you? They will fight tooth and nail to try and supress as many votes and intimidate as many voters as they can. We thought we had it in 2000, look what happened. We thought we had it in 2004 too. I do not trust polls. And I sure do not trust people like Karl Rove and those running the McCain campaign.