THE POWER OF METAPHOR. The meltdown of the McCain campaign (which I predicted in May 2006, by the way) led journalists to reach for images that would convey the magnitude of the resignations.

Some went for the obvious comparison to other well known strategists. Thus, the Washington Post:

Republican advisers said Weaver's departure was as unthinkable as Karl Rove leaving George W. Bush or James Carville being shooed out of the Bill Clinton campaign.

Salon went for a very elaborate metaphor, which worked:

John McCain's 2008 Straight Talk Express, a runaway train threatening to jump the tracks, lost its conductor, engineer, brakeman and flagman Tuesday, as four of the campaign's top advisors submitted their resignations after months of declining poll numbers, high spending and anemic fundraising.

And Adam Nagourney in the New York Times found a way of describing the situation that just about anyone can relate to:

Mr. Weaver’s move was unexpected even by him; he gave up a rent-controlled apartment in Greenwich Village three weeks ago to move to Washington.

That must have been McCain's biggest mistake -- entrusting campaign strategy to someone who would give up a rent-controlled apartment.

--Mark Schmitt