In April, Obama was Google and Clinton was General Electric. By Friday, Obama was the alternative-energy sector while Clinton was Citigroup. Today, we’re told that Obama is Apple, and Clinton is Dell. None of these metaphors are very useful, but they are quite a lot of fun, and in fact Dan Gross’s latest set is excellent.
On Clinton/Citigroup:
New York-based, enormously well-capitalized, longstanding market leader whose name is synonymous with the sector it dominates. A powerhouse in the 1990s is having difficulty reclaiming past glory.
Edwards/McDonald’s:
Disdained by the media elite as declasse, shunned by the fashionable as too populist and unhealthy to body politic, manages to thrive by working hard and dishing out cheap meat and potatoes to working-class patrons. Worldly sophistication is belied by simple message that appeals to economically disadvantaged consumers.
Romney/Blackstone:
While stock is at 52-week low, can’t be written off due to deep reservoirs of cash, ruthlessness, and cynicism.
As for the real-money InTrade markets, the speed with which Clinton and Obama have traded places is nothing short of astonishing. Here’s a live chart of Obama, over the past week:
And here’s Clinton:
