--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Military metaphors are rarely exact, but…" description: "\"Military metaphors are rarely exact, but sending Republicans against Democrats when the issue hangs in the balance is nearly always as futile as sendin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/wesley-pruden-45568_balance_military-metaphors-are-rarely-exact-but_2322188.jpg" --- # Military metaphors are rarely exact, but sending… ![“Military metaphors are rarely exact, but sending Republicans against Democrats when the issue hangs in the balance is nearly always as futile as sending George B. McClellan against Robert E. Lee, the Italians against Marshal Montgomery's desert rats or an Arab armored division against an Israeli…” quote by Wesley Pruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/wesley-pruden-45568_balance_military-metaphors-are-rarely-exact-but_2322188.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/wesley-pruden-45568_balance_military-metaphors-are-rarely-exact-but_2322188.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c71/wesley-pruden-45568_balance_military-metaphors-are-rarely-exact-but_2322188.jpg) > “Military metaphors are rarely exact, but sending Republicans against Democrats when the issue hangs in the balance is nearly always as futile as sending George B. McClellan against Robert E. Lee, the Italians against Marshal Montgomery's desert rats or an Arab armored division against an Israeli rifle company. The copy desk can write the headline before the battle begins and take the rest of the night off.” [Wesley Pruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-pruden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political battles are often futile when mismatched forces face each other, likening them to historical military mismatches. **In simple terms:** Political fights can be pointless when sides are uneven. Key Takeaway Recognize when a conflict is unwinnable. Themes politics conflict strategy Mood analytical skeptical Type political historical When to use this quote - elections - legislative debates - campaign strategies - policy negotiations - media analysis Key Concepts military analogy futility misalignment Questions to Reflect On - When is it strategic to avoid a losing battle? - How can mismatched opponents find common ground? A Different Perspective The analogy may oversimplify complex political dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Democrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/) [Desert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desert/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Mcclellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mcclellan/) [Metaphor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphor/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans/) [Rifles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rifles/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [And I think for some - not all - but for some Democrats, the issue of immigration is better politically if they just leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/and-i-think-for-some-not-all-but-for-some-democrats-the-issue-of/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [“The clear suggestion is that there ought not to be civilian control of the military. What have callow noncombatants giving brisk orders to grizzled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-clear-suggestion-is-that-there-ought-not-to-be-civilian-control/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“These reconnoissances were made under the supervision of Captain Robert E. Lee, assisted by Lieutenants P. G. T. Beauregard, Isaac I. Stevens, Z. B.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/these-reconnoissances-were-made-under-the-supervision-of-captain/) [Ulysses S. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ulysses-s-grant/) > [“By July 13, 1861, the Confederate forces in western Virginia had been eliminated by Union forces led by the “Young Napoleon,” George B. McClellan.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/by-july-13-1861-the-confederate-forces-in-western-virginia-had-been/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [I do not think you can fault Abraham Lincoln for picking generals that did not work out, because, as he said to John Hay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lee-miller/i-do-not-think-you-can-fault-abraham-lincoln-for-picking-generals/) [William Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lee-miller/) > [If I gave McClellan all the men he asked for, they could not find room to lie down; they'd have to sleep standing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/if-i-gave-mcclellan-all-the-men-he-asked-for-they-could-not-find-room/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Sending armies to McClellan is like shoveling fleas across a barnyard, not half of them get there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/sending-armies-to-mcclellan-is-like-shoveling-fleas-across-a-barnyard/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [My Dear McClellan, if you don't want to use the army I should like to borrow it for a while. Yours respectfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/my-dear-mcclellan-if-you-don-t-want-to-use-the-army-i-should-like-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [What I hear about the book does not sound like the Scott McClellan I knew for two years. I can say, without fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-gannon/what-i-hear-about-the-book-does-not-sound-like-the-scott-mcclellan-i/) [Jeff Gannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-gannon/) > [Steve McClellan has drawn on an insider's lifetime view of how Wall Street really works to produce a practical and entertaining book of advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-o-rossotti/steve-mcclellan-has-drawn-on-an-insider-s-lifetime-view-of-how-wall/) Charles O. Rossotti > [But to hear Kennedy when he was grandstanding in front of the McClellan Committee you might have thought I was making as much out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-hoffa/but-to-hear-kennedy-when-he-was-grandstanding-in-front-of-the/) [Jimmy Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-hoffa/) > [According to Washington insiders, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan could be the next official to leave the Bush administration. McClellan says he'd like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/according-to-washington-insiders-white-house-press-secretary-scott/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [I think if you'd had television cameras at Gettysburg, this would be two nations today. People would not have put up with that carnage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/i-think-if-you-d-had-television-cameras-at-gettysburg-this-would-be/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [The vast army of McClellan spread out before me. The marching columns extended back as far as eye could see in the distance. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-harvey-hill/the-vast-army-of-mcclellan-spread-out-before-me-the-marching-columns/) [Daniel Harvey Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-harvey-hill/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Wesley Pruden > [Congress is the third branch of government... which makes every one of the 535 members of Congress 1/535th of that important one-third, which works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-pruden/congress-is-the-third-branch-of-government-which-makes-every-one-of/) [Wesley Pruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-pruden/) > [No one, and the liberal cognoscenti least of all, wants to look at why, after decades of throwing money at a rotting educational establishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-pruden/no-one-and-the-liberal-cognoscenti-least-of-all-wants-to-look-at-why/) [Wesley Pruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-pruden/) > [Washington honors the Platinum Rule above all: 'Do it unto others before they do it unto you'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-pruden/washington-honors-the-platinum-rule-above-all-do-it-unto-others/) [Wesley Pruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-pruden/) > [The only argument this president needs to persuade Americans is that sacking Saddam is necessary for the security of America and the West, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-pruden/the-only-argument-this-president-needs-to-persuade-americans-is-that/) [Wesley Pruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-pruden/) > [Thomas Jefferson despised newspapers, with considerable justification. 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Preserving the Constitution,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-pruden/cutting-corners-no-doubt-makes-the-job-easier-for-the-government-but/) [Wesley Pruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-pruden/) > [If what happens in Las Vegas is supposed to stay in Las Vegas, how did Harry Reid get out?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-pruden/if-what-happens-in-las-vegas-is-supposed-to-stay-in-las-vegas-how-did/) [Wesley Pruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-pruden/) > [Greed has replaced religion as the national religion, and with greed comes envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-pruden/greed-has-replaced-religion-as-the-national-religion-and-with-greed/) [Wesley Pruden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-pruden/) [Explore all 9 Wesley Pruden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-pruden/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. 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We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Military metaphors are rarely exact, but sending Republicans against Democrats when the issue hangs in the balance is nearly always as futile as sending George B. McClellan against Robert E. Lee, the Italians against Marshal Montgomery's desert rats or an Arab armored division against an Israeli rifle company. 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