A few comparisons to football got tossed around in various diaries Monday night. Armando kind of channeled Vince Lombardi a little bit when he said...
And no one, not anyone, is quitting the fight.
Right? Right!
...so, here's my football analogy.
I've been a rabid fan of the Denver Broncos for about 25 years. I watched the team go through three Super Bowls in four years in the latter half of the '80s, coming out on the shitty end of the stick every time. What was worse, the team played progressively worse in each appearance. How could they do so well in a game, say, like the one in 1986 against Cleveland -- a game that will go down in history -- and crap out so badly in the only game that really matters?
The continued losses were truly a kick in the gut.
I cursed the coach. I was certain he wimped out when the going got tough. I came to despise the receivers. I knew they could get a few extra yards after a catch if they'd just try, for chrissakes. I prayed for the day they traded their field goal kicker. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.
Watching the Broncos was painful for a long time after that. In fact, for about a year I only caught a game or two, mostly reading the armchair quarterbacking that went on in the Denver newspapers on Monday mornings. I was aloof. I wasn't going to be burned again.
Time went by. A couple of coaching changes happened. Players came and went. But, eventually, things started to click. We got some good players who were dedicated and single-minded in their goal. We had a coach who was a different breed. People stepped up to leadership positions.
I began to get excited about being a Bronco fan again.
We went back to the Super Bowl after eight long years. All the armchair quarterbacks said Denver should be commended for having a good season, but there was no way they'd be able to be the Green Bay Packers.
I was still a bit guarded about it all. I felt that the team would have to earn respect the hard way. By winning decisively.
The final score -- Broncos 31, Green Bay 24 -- belies the dedication and intensity my team showed. They fought hard and won the only game that matters.
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The point I'm trying to make is that we Democrats have had some losses (ok, I exaggerate -- a lot of losses). And quite a few of them have been more than embarrassing. After the '04 election, I avoided dailykos for a couple months because it felt like a kick in the gut. But as rabid a Bronco fan as I am, I'm ten times more a rabid Democrat.
My team.
Things are starting to click. All of us in liberal blogtopia are hopping mad. We're dedicated to change. We have the intensity required to win. The last few weeks have shown that. We'll can get rid of the leaders who can't handle the pressure. We'll can get rid of the assholes who don't make the plays we need them to make.
We are single-minded in our goal: to take back our country. It's the only thing that matters.
Go team.