War metaphors have become popular in both the conduct and in descriptions of election campaigns. The metaphors imply that election contests, like military campaigns, are all about conflict and winning, but without the bloodshed that comes with actual wars.

I confess that as an academic commentator on elections for over five decades, I have used the war metaphor too often, hoping thereby to avoid sounding naive about political tactics in the “real world.” However, the metaphor has become too ubiquitous.

Using metaphors of battles and violence promotes thinking that winning is everything. Opponents become enemies who must be vanquished. Dirty tricks to gain an advantage are rationalized with the excuse that everyone does it. Negative advertising involving misrepresentation of the policy positions of other parties and personal attacks on the honesty and integrity of candidates become legitimate.

Warfare is said to take place on two fronts.