Bear with me here, everyone knows I am a huge baseball fan. I follow basketball and football as well and thought I would throw out an extended sports analogy that might help explain the current political climate. As a coach, I have rarely ever been in the position of having a vastly superior team, but it has happened before. I can honestly say it is the second most challenging coaching juggle you can have. Naturally, fighting the other end of the battle is the toughest job.
Although, it is not my topic, the Yates/Lee game from a couple of weeks ago came to mind. Yates destroyed the lesser team by scoring 170 points. They scored more than 100 points in the first half alone. In the days following the game, the Yates team made national news. How could they pour it on like that? When you are vastly superior, it is easy to come off looking like a bunch of jackasses when you refuse to take your foot off the gas.
On the flip side, you have those teams are that are so interested in maintaining sportsmanship that they risk losing the game. I've been there and done that. I've actually lost games because I tried to get everyone into the game. We were way ahead, so I thought the game was in hand. Suddenly, momentum turned and the rest was history. By now, hopefully everyone is getting the point. The Democratic party is like the superior team that doesn't want to embarrass it's opponent. Now, the Democrats are staring down a nip and tuck game that could go either way.
The Democrats have the advantage in Congress and more people consider themselves Democrats than Republicans. So, what in the heck happened? Well, the Democrats allowed the Republicans to score a couple of sympathy buckets by reaching out to them on policy matters. The Republicans game plan is to stop the Democrats from getting anything accomplished. Barack Obama STILL seems to believe he can appeal to their desire to build a better America. It's like saying the basketball team playing against you will be happy losing by ten instead of thirty. Nice try.
Now, I'm not bad-mouthing all Republicans here. Some are honestly opposed to Obama's policies. Some honestly believe in conservatism. Others are opportunists. There are some in the Democratic party as well. Blaming the opponent for your own failings won't get the job done. It's like the Texans blaming the Colts for not making the playoffs. They are the ones that lost those close games. Not the Colts. Republicans may be saying no to everything, but can you honestly say you didn't expect that. It is Obama's failure to lead that is the problem. It is his failure to say, "this is what we're going to do."
I know why he's doing it. If he sticks his neck out and he fails he will be a one term president. However, if doesn't stick his neck out on anything he will be a one-term president. Change is important enough to risk serving one term. Change is important enough to alienate the opposing team. Sometimes you have to blow out your opponent just to make sure you don't risk losing. If you take your foot off the gas you risk losing. Well, it looks like we just may lose this game.
Thank you for the comments Bart. I never blamed anyone for the Democrats failure in my piece. Naturally though, when you are competing on the political front it is normal practice to comment on what the opponent is doing. The blame game is a part of the game so to speak. In the sports arena I happen to agree with you. Volleyball is my game and you will never catch me blaming the opponent for anything. However, in politics one is always trying to attract teammates and you do that by placing a value judgment on your actions and those of your opponent.
In this sense though success and failure is on you. If fewer people become Democrats or Republicans then it is the fault of Democrats or Republicans (depending on the point of view). I've always noticed that Republicans are better at getting their agenda through, but that is where the analogy stops. From there, we place value on that agenda from our personal point of view whereas in sports the scoreboard provides us with the value.
Scott, as a fellow counselor and current coach, I think the analogy is missing a VITAL component. I hesitate to even post here because I more often than not, see are ad hominem attacks, rather than discussion of the subject, but here goes anyway. My teams currently are ten year defending district champs. Often we are vastly supreior, other times we were not even the better team.
The difference is when you are REQUIRED to play everyone (UIL rules) is it understandable to minimize your best players. When a coach allows his "team" to slack off and let the opponents either catch up or win, HE must take responsibility. In spite of "Kubiak-esque, The buck stops here" speeches, the Texans and the Democrats can't run around whining about the opponents' "play". They can't say they take full responsibilty and then point the finger at players like Coakley for "not playing their hardest or best". Otherwise they come off like the Cowboys: Sore losers. When I see my "team" failing to "get 'er done", I must deal with THEM. I don't do it publicly. Blaming the people(voters), the refs (media), calling an inferior team a "buzz saw", are "passing the buck". Winners win, losers make excuses. Calling yourself superior is meaningless unless you have some results to back it up. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but that's the way it is. Sore losers almost always pout, quit, or instigate personal attacks on their opponents rather than improve their own performance. I believe the next 10 months will be quite revealing between the talk and the walk of how superior those in office truly are.
Scott wrote: It is Obama's failure to lead that is the problem. It is his failure to say, "this is what we're going to do."
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As usual, your analysis is correct.
My question now, which I pose to all, CAN he lead? Can he LEARN how to be president? Will he give up trying to appease the GOP and exercise his advantages? He still has some. As quoted above, he needs to say "This is what we're gonna do." And, if I may add, "Here's how we're gonna do it. If you get in my way, you will regret it."
I am sure you all remember President Bartlett on "The West Wing". I know that was a TV show but that guy knew how to handle congress. The president has many tools at his disposal. Obama had better open up that closet NOW.
Whether they rule us with the Left Hand or the Right Hand, the results will always be the same...
Scott said: It is his failure to say, "this is what we're going to do."
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I regret to say I couldn't agree more. Here's where we stand on campaign promises:
Close Gitmo...NO
Reduce forces in Iraq and Afghanistan...NO
Pass healthcare reform.....NO
We are now at a crossroads. Banking reform. If Obama can't lead the Democratic congress to produce a meaningful piece of legislation protecting US, the people, from these thieves, HE'S TOAST. And, I am afraid, with Geithner apparently "in their pocket", the international banking conspiracy is entirely capable of blocking this just like thte insurance companies blocked healthcare.
It doesn't make any difference how much superior you are to the opponents if you don't have a leader.
The more important problem is that we really don't know what he stands for. I want to know what his non-negotiables are. At this point, it doesn't seem like he has any.
As a little league baseball coach, I have to confess that I leaned more toward the Emperor Ming type as opposed to Gandhi, but sportsmanship is the vital ingredient in the entire enterprise (for the parents!)
It's time for Obama to kick some arse!
Great analogy Scott. Spot on.
We need to keep our eye on the prize and not succumb to the whiners such as linebacker Keith Brookings who was crying that the Vikings "piled on". Sorry there Cowboys fans.