Boxing Metaphors: Fancy Footwork?

As late as the '50s and '60s, Americans (well, at least most of the men), if asked, could tell you who was the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Today, especially since there seem to be three or four at any given time, hardly anyone can. Boxing is a sport hated and shunned by almost half the population, reduced to scant notice in the sports pages, and yet -- it remains by far the source of more idioms and catch phrases in our language than any other sport, and especially so in this election season by those writing and broadcasting about politics. I've been casting about for the source of this phenomenon, that Americans who do not follow the sport, if at all, nevertheless can be expected fully to understand and place in context an infinite number (well, maybe 50) of references to the sport -- as applied to current politics.

Hillary Clinton, in responding the cheers of the crowd greeting her triumphs last week in Texas and Ohio, referred exultantly to those "who've been knocked down but not counted out" and counted herself in that number. Within a few days, the campaign analysts had noted she had earlier been "on the ropes" but was now ready to "slug it out," presumably in the center of the ring. With the primary in Pennsylvania next on the schedule, writers began to note an advantage for Hillary with Governor Rendell now "in her corner," and some thought it was time for Obama to "take off the gloves" and that perhaps the Clinton-Obama struggle had become a "bare-knuckled" contest.

Think about it. Candidates -- not just for the championship belt of the presidency -- have seemed to be "down for the count" only to be "saved by the bell;" some, of course, knocked out -- a "body blow" to their constituency, perhaps because they failed to "counter-punch" at the right time, or perhaps because they "led with their chin" or perhaps had a "glass jaw" to begin with. Lately, we've seen the likes of John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich "throw in the towel." In the case of Mitt Romney, it was because of the "Sunday punch" John McCain had landed -- the "haymaker" in fact, on Super Tuesday.

Now, as the two remaining Democrats begin a long struggle until the Convention, a sharp controversy over tactics has emerged. I have seen, in the past few days, accusations that one candidate or the other has hit "below the belt, or even landed a series of "low blows." This will always lead the other side to point out that politics has never been a sport played by the "Marquis of Queensbury Rules." A candidate -- or a campaign -- can be admired for "fancy footwork" but not for "low blows."

Why this reliance on the language of a largely neglected -- if not despised -- sport? Perhaps because political writers are older than their counterparts in journalism, and thus more familiar with the lingo of the Joe Louis era? Or because boxing most suggests the hand-to-hand combat political writers see -- or would like to see- in politics? Or is just we're more comfortable with the idioms of past generations? Whatever the reasons, the language is there, and neither baseball nor the new National Pastime -- pro-football -- comes even close in the idiom contest. It's boxing by a "unanimous decision," if not a knockout.

Comments

[frustratedinohio]

I keep thinking about that claymation world wrestling cartoon from the 90's that would have two icons of the day fighting each other. They should make one of Obama and Clinton. There could be a different one every week, sometimes every day. It would force us to laugh at least. It might even be cathartic and help keep the democractic party together.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

It's appropriate. It's a one on one martial sport. What other two person competitions come immediately to mind? Tennis? Obama is now 30/Love, just doesn't convey the same image, does it?

The political realm is a power realm. Nothing conveys power and martial force as much as boxing. Whether the sport is popular or not, it's still an easily understood idiom which matches the event.

[drmavis]

If you read biographies on Hillary, she was raised by a very tough military father who encouraged her to physically fight people if they picked on her in school, and encouraged her to be rough and tough and ultra competitive on everything she does. I think a lot of this comes from her upbringing, and is part of the reason she voted for the Iraq war - to be seen as "tough as the guys" in Congress and not look weak.

[realitytrumpsbull]

Muhammad Ali(Cassius Clay) is one of my all-time favorite boxers. He pretty much put most of his opponents on the canvas. Probably one of the most well-remembered sayings by any boxer was his:'float like a butterfly, sting like a bee'. Rope-a-dope. Fancy footwork. Round 1, fight!

[IntrepidReader]

I think it's because a lot of reporters still cherish a romantic image of themselves in a snap-brim fedora with a press pass stuck in the brim, tie loosened, unfiltered Lucky dangling from their lower lip as they pound out a hard-hitting scoop on their Remingtons, stopping only long enough to take a pull off the bottle of rye in the desk drawer. It's an image from an era where every red-blooded joe palooka kept up with the fights, so the boxing lingo lives on even though those Front Page style reporters are long gone, modern newsrooms are smoke free and the rye has been replaced by energy water. And somewhere out in the ether, Ring Lardner shakes his head and sighs.

[Pyrum]

Excuse me, but Ron Paul has NOT "thrown in the towel." He's still in the race.

[Herrington]

mankiewicz, you came out of the corner swinging and stood toe to toe, slugging it out with the issues until the last bell. Yup.

I have, on several occasions, likened the Clinton Obama match to that of Liston Ali. I saw it live.



No response.

[nk007]

Herrington, so who represents Liston and who represents Ali in the slugging match between Clinton and Obama? I too saw it live.