Traction is a funny thing.

I’m watching the Cheney hunting accident story unfold with a bit of bemusement. It was an accident, though apparently a very careless one. (I don’t hunt, of course, so I’m not sure how easy it is to avoid blowing someone’s head off.) But it’s causing chaos — angry exchanges at the White House press briefings, miles of column space, accusations of cover-ups. It’s not stopping, it’s getting bigger, and I’m not sure why. There are tons of things you could be upset about with this Administration — wiretapping, body armour, Patriot Act, deficit — why is this event gaining traction when so many other more serious issues are being papered over?

Maybe this ties into George Lakoff‘s idea of the Idealised Cognitive Model, or ICM. In times past, I’ve tried to explain to family members and friends why invading Iraq (for example) was a Bad Thing. But they wouldn’t always accept the idea because it didn’t look like their idea of a Bad Thing. It didn’t fit their cognitive model (ICM) of someone doing something Bad. But a man shooting another man? That’s a very salient example of a Bad Thing. Trying to cover it up also looks Very Bad, in a way that anybody can see and understand. I think that may be why this thing is gaining traction and getting attention.

For another take, I defer to ReddHedd from firedoglake:

I think, as other have pointed out, that this is a microcosm of the whole administration:

1. Try to play tough, with a gun, or an army.

2. Fail to follow well-established rules, guidelines, and past experience (either out of ignorance or willful disregard, or both).

3. Get someone hurt or killed.

4. Try to keep the story under wraps for as long as possible.

5. When the story does come out, spin it so that there was no possible way the administration did anything wrong.

6. Blame someone else, where possible, blame the victim.

7. Make anyone who has a problem with it look like an un-American pussy.

Yes, all the attention over the accident is a bit silly, though it has revealed some larger patterns to a few people. And it’s not going to bring the Bush cabal down, I’m sure. But I’d just like to encourage Mr Cheney to take Mr Bush along on his next hunting trip. I’d also recommend that they use a slightly larger gauge, like the kind they use for deer or something.