Political and baseball seasons are too long
by Pete Cunningham
*As printed November 7, 2007 in The Homer Index  

Why is it only November of 2007 and I have already endured a solid 18 months of presidential campaigning? Why has a year-and-a-half of my dwindling life already been saturated with issues pertaining to the 2008 election?

The constant barrage of issues in the months leading up to … the months leading up to … the months leading up to the election remind me of Major League Baseball. Much like teams harbor the possibility of it being “their year” every spring, the reality is the overpowering richer ball clubs are usually the ones left standing come late October. The same can be said of the presidential hopefuls.

In a perfect world the Oakland Athletics would win the pennant every year, and John McCain would be the next president of the United States. Oakland’s general manager Billy Bean is by far the smartest man in the business, combining a solid farm system with smart money management to develop young players into a perennial playoff contender. Similarly, McCain’s no-nonsense politics and character make him as close to an ideal presidential candidate this race has to offer.

Neither Oakland nor McCain, however, have the cash to reach their ultimate goals. While Oakland struggles to keep talent for the long haul due to an inability to sign stars to long-term deals, McCain will not be able to sustain a campaign push without the large payroll of his competitors. Oakland’s National League-esque rotation - which always lacks the much needed dominant starters - may get wins from June-September, but that’s not what wins American League pennants. Similarly, while McCain’s democratic republicanism may make him a public-favorite across party lines, he’ll never gain the Republican nomination because of his different style of political play.

It’s appropriate that Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani hail from New York, as they embody the spirits of the state’s two professional baseball teams. The Yankees (Hillary) and the Mets (Giuliani) boast the largest payrolls in the business. The teams and candidates are loaded with talent, have a fanatical following and good coaching in Bill and President Bush. These two will probably get more credit than they deserve for Hillary’s and Rudy’s ultimate successes, much like Joe Torre and Willie Randolph are hailed as kings for merely babysitting all-star laden rosters.

It won’t matter if Hillary is down in the polls or loses a few primaries, the same way it didn’t matter that the Yankees were 10 games out of the playoff hunt in late May. She could even survive an A-Rod style extramarital affair, and I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of it also being with a beefy blond stripper if you catch my drift.

Giuliani’s candidacy could be a bit more tenuous, as was theMets’playoff spot, demonstrated by their unprecedented fall from grace at the end of this season. A situation similar to the Mets’ surrendering a seven game lead in the final 16 days of the season is unlikely to happen to Giuliani, but he more than anybody knows that unless the disaster is prepared for and prevented, it’s still a possibility.

Barrack Obama supporters who simply want a “president for the black man” are as bad as bandwagon Boston fans. He can identify with struggling minorities about as much as the Red Sox are the blue collar anti-Yankees they claim to be. If you support him or the champs, do it because you appreciate their skills, but don’t act like they aren’t both privy to ridiculously deep pockets.

In politics - as in baseball - the playoffs and money are what really matters, not the spring training and first half of the season that are Gallup polls and debates. So go ahead and support the Marlins and Brewers that are Mitt Romney and Dennis Kucinich, but realize their chances of winning are just as slim as these teaser teams. Either way, I’m voting for Jim Leyland, and that’s no analogy.