It occurred to me yesterday that the contest between Obama and Clinton for the Democratic nomination has turned into a bullseye endgame.
This is something that happens when Paul and I play real pub darts (you know, the pointy metal kind)*. We’re playing Cricket.
Player 1 is lower in points, and has closed off all the numbers. Player 2 is higher in points, and has closed off everything except the bullseye. So what happens is that the conclusion is almost certain — the only way Player 1 can win is by hitting the bullseye four times before Player 2 can hit it twice.**
This isn’t very likely to happen. But it could happen. And so you keep playing — and playing — and playing — and you’re getting kind of sick of playing, but there’s something really unsatisfying about just calling Player 2 the winner, when there is still the remotest chance that Player 1 could win.
Bullseye endgames can take an hour or more. They just go on and on and on…
And in the end, Player 2 almost always wins.
That’s what this feels like.
*Electronic darts automatically close out the game after a certain ridiculously high number of throws.
**Note: this game pattern typically happens with players who are not all that good. This part of the analogy is not intentional.