Since this election process is starting to bore me, I have been searching for a different perspective. The truth is that both of these guys are actually fairly close together in most of their philosophies. They both will lead us to bigger government. They both will seek to “help” me when I just want to be left alone. And lastly, they both hunger for power and fame and not what is truly the best for our country as a whole. They pander to voters all over the map, and yet their actually philosophies are rather tired and in concrete.
At the end of the day on November 4th, I will poke at John McCain’s name on my touch screen ballot. Why? Well, John McCain and I agree on the really meaningful stuff. We agree on life being an important thing to protect, and that a Baby has rights as well as the mother. We agree that we must win in Iraq, and not flee like dogs with our tails between our legs. We agree that we must drill for oil offshore (and in Alaska for me) and we must build more nuclear plants now. We agree that diplomacy should be done with a strong arm and we shouldn’t bow down before our enemies. So we do agree on quite a lot even though we disagree on many areas (especially this government buying bad mortgages thing, but that’s another topic for another day). Mr. Obama and I agree on zip, zero, nada!
Then I got thinking of other ways I could differentiate the two since they are fairly similar. So, I went to my favorite arena: the sports world. In both politics and sports, there are many people that would be considered successful to varying degrees. But, to me it comes down to style. So I will now try to relate the style of our 2 presidential candidates to that of some greatly successful players in the National Football League.
I would relate the style of John McCain to that of Drew Brees or Barry Sanders. Both were/are fantastic players with real skill and determination to beat the odds. However, both are very quiet and matter of fact people. They just keep plugging away towards the goals that they have; and don’t let detractors, failures, or fan opinion sway their resolve. They are both team players, and willing to sacrifice the glory if it means a win. They are stars of course, but without all the flash and baggage. They also both live and play with integrity and honor. Barry took it right to the end of his career when he left seemingly at the top. He pushed aside the accolades and the fame to leave on his own terms to do what he felt was right for him and his family. Both were/are consistent performers throughout their career. John McCain is much the same. He’s not afraid to go against the grain, but typically he is running below the radar. When all the Barack the rock star stuff was in full effect, you hardly heard from McCain at all. He was almost completely ignored by the media, but I think that is the way he likes it. But, don’t mistake that for lack of resolve. He will work amidst the fray to do the best that he can for the country.
I would conversely relate they style of Barack Obama to that of Terrell Owens or Jeremy Shockey. These guys are all about: “Me, Me, Me”. Neither is happy when they are not the star. Neither is happy when they are not getting thrown the ball enough. Neither are happy unless they are on TV once a day. They are attention hogs, and darlings of the media. They have both had success, but not to the degree of the promise they have shown. If you listen to them or their pals in the media they may be the best at their position ever. If you look at the stats and wins and losses, they don’t live quite up to that. They are an emotional drain on their coaches and their teammates. They have both destroyed team unity. Everyone always thought the Eagles teams with Owens on them should be Super Bowl contenders, but at some point every year Owens imploded and so did the team. Owens crazy celebration antics are always a distraction to the team as well. He has always been into something that takes the media focus to “TO” and off of the team. Shockey was a ball hog with the Giants, and always wanted Eli Manning to look to him first. Look at what happened last year when Shockey got hurt, and Manning felt like he could spread the ball around. They took off, Eil is suddenly great, and they won the Super Bowl. This guy is so selfish and focused on stardom, it’s not funny! Now take Mr. Obama. If you listen to the media, you would be sure that this man has the most leadership experience ever and a record of reform to go with it. You would think that the stardom he now has came from some really big accomplishments. He talks a big game (when he has a teleprompter). He goes on for hours about nothing, and yet the media keeps pumping the hype. He takes all of the credit (for what I don’t know), but never owns up to mistakes. He distracts from the political process, and has turned the whole thing into a circus (or maybe a Touchdown celebration). As far as success or real displayed leadership, I can’t seem to find much. As far as being a team player, I see no evidence of it. As far as serving anyone’s interest but his own, it’s just not happening.
So, as you can see I prefer Mr. McCain’s tried and true leadership under the radar to Mr. Obama’s empty rhetoric and lack of results. You use what ever method you choose to make up your mind. In my case I think I’ve found a good one!
That’s my 2.5 cents. So are you ready for some Football?
At the end of the day on November 4th, I will poke at John McCain’s name on my touch screen ballot. Why? Well, John McCain and I agree on the really meaningful stuff. We agree on life being an important thing to protect, and that a Baby has rights as well as the mother. We agree that we must win in Iraq, and not flee like dogs with our tails between our legs. We agree that we must drill for oil offshore (and in Alaska for me) and we must build more nuclear plants now. We agree that diplomacy should be done with a strong arm and we shouldn’t bow down before our enemies. So we do agree on quite a lot even though we disagree on many areas (especially this government buying bad mortgages thing, but that’s another topic for another day). Mr. Obama and I agree on zip, zero, nada!
Then I got thinking of other ways I could differentiate the two since they are fairly similar. So, I went to my favorite arena: the sports world. In both politics and sports, there are many people that would be considered successful to varying degrees. But, to me it comes down to style. So I will now try to relate the style of our 2 presidential candidates to that of some greatly successful players in the National Football League.
I would relate the style of John McCain to that of Drew Brees or Barry Sanders. Both were/are fantastic players with real skill and determination to beat the odds. However, both are very quiet and matter of fact people. They just keep plugging away towards the goals that they have; and don’t let detractors, failures, or fan opinion sway their resolve. They are both team players, and willing to sacrifice the glory if it means a win. They are stars of course, but without all the flash and baggage. They also both live and play with integrity and honor. Barry took it right to the end of his career when he left seemingly at the top. He pushed aside the accolades and the fame to leave on his own terms to do what he felt was right for him and his family. Both were/are consistent performers throughout their career. John McCain is much the same. He’s not afraid to go against the grain, but typically he is running below the radar. When all the Barack the rock star stuff was in full effect, you hardly heard from McCain at all. He was almost completely ignored by the media, but I think that is the way he likes it. But, don’t mistake that for lack of resolve. He will work amidst the fray to do the best that he can for the country.
I would conversely relate they style of Barack Obama to that of Terrell Owens or Jeremy Shockey. These guys are all about: “Me, Me, Me”. Neither is happy when they are not the star. Neither is happy when they are not getting thrown the ball enough. Neither are happy unless they are on TV once a day. They are attention hogs, and darlings of the media. They have both had success, but not to the degree of the promise they have shown. If you listen to them or their pals in the media they may be the best at their position ever. If you look at the stats and wins and losses, they don’t live quite up to that. They are an emotional drain on their coaches and their teammates. They have both destroyed team unity. Everyone always thought the Eagles teams with Owens on them should be Super Bowl contenders, but at some point every year Owens imploded and so did the team. Owens crazy celebration antics are always a distraction to the team as well. He has always been into something that takes the media focus to “TO” and off of the team. Shockey was a ball hog with the Giants, and always wanted Eli Manning to look to him first. Look at what happened last year when Shockey got hurt, and Manning felt like he could spread the ball around. They took off, Eil is suddenly great, and they won the Super Bowl. This guy is so selfish and focused on stardom, it’s not funny! Now take Mr. Obama. If you listen to the media, you would be sure that this man has the most leadership experience ever and a record of reform to go with it. You would think that the stardom he now has came from some really big accomplishments. He talks a big game (when he has a teleprompter). He goes on for hours about nothing, and yet the media keeps pumping the hype. He takes all of the credit (for what I don’t know), but never owns up to mistakes. He distracts from the political process, and has turned the whole thing into a circus (or maybe a Touchdown celebration). As far as success or real displayed leadership, I can’t seem to find much. As far as being a team player, I see no evidence of it. As far as serving anyone’s interest but his own, it’s just not happening.So, as you can see I prefer Mr. McCain’s tried and true leadership under the radar to Mr. Obama’s empty rhetoric and lack of results. You use what ever method you choose to make up your mind. In my case I think I’ve found a good one!
That’s my 2.5 cents. So are you ready for some Football?
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