Clausewitz famously described war as politics conducted by other means, but such maxims

[struggle4progress]

can often be usefully reversed, and so I prefer to think of politics as war conducted by other means

Winning an election is rather like seizing an important elevated point: a local election contests a knoll on a small field, a national election contests some critical bluff overlooking some important plain

Seizing those points is important but does not alone guarantee victory in the end: one needs both an immediate view and a very long view; typically the high places must be held and, if held, must be used as leverage for further progress

In our system, many people appear irregularly and only when there is a fight for some knoll or bluff -- then, having helped place some sargeant or lieutenant alone atop the elevation, they wander home and pay no heed to the conflict for the next year or two

But, be it knoll or bluff, no high point can be held indefinitely, nor used to much advantage, if the winner atop it has inadequate materiel or personnel

And meanwhile, the brunt of the fight is only seldom at the high places: it is below, in the mud of the valley creeks, often invisible to almost everyone except the immediate contestants

You coward! Why did you not seize more territory? Why are you preparing to retreat?
Because I have no prepared troops or ready supplies