I love sports. I love politics. But I hate when people use sports analogies to describe politics, especially debates.
What are the two most common sports-related analogies going around at this time, as they are every presidential election season? Horse races and boxing matches.
The horse race, of course, inaccurately refers to the months-long head-to-head match-up for the presidency. I have never understood why that metaphor was selected since most high-profile horse races are over in a matter of minutes. I would think that the 100-mile Ultra Marathon would be a much more appropriate pick. Or, maybe even more effective would be the 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail thru-hike with its (literal) peak and valleys, beauty, and torment all wrapped into on long painful, yet rewarding slog.
The boxing match is the current overused metaphor, mainly devoted to the so-called presidential debates. Based on the Chicken Little explosion here last night and in the studios of MSNBC, President Barack Obama failed to deliver a resounding "knockout" punch to the up-and-coming contender, Mitt Romney.
Again, I fucking hate sports analogies when it comes to politics. It's just lazy. But, alright, I'll play along.
For those of you who must insist that the debates are bloodthirsty, Battle Royale boxing matches, I suggest you step outside of the heavyweight division, in terms of how you view these "matches." Instead, take a good, hard look at the career of Mexican lightweight superstar, Julio César Chávez, Sr. as opposed to the brutal strength of fighters such as Mike Tyson or the Klitschko brothers.
President Obama is not a KO kind of politician. He is a master tactician, just like César Chávez. The Mexican champion never came out swinging full throttle, trying to knock out his opponents with the force of his sheer strength. Hell, he didn't have much strength. No, César Chávez would usually allow his opponent to come blasting out of the corner, ready to knock down the much smaller boxer. This usually resulted in more confidence for the aggressor and lots of hand-wringing by César Chávez's supporters. But if you watched the video above, you would see that César Chávez would almost always come back from behind and artfully destroy his opponent.
Not through hardcore pummeling, but rather by wearing out his opponent and going in for the kill when necessary.
I was never a big boxing fan. I always felt it was too brutal, animalistic, and all about one or two big ass punches. Kind of like watching tennis matches that are all about aces. Powerful, but boring as hell. César Chávez turned me around. He made me realize that boxing can truly be seen as an art form. It became more about the process of destruction as opposed to total instant annihilation. It exposed the intelligence of the sport, not just the caveman aspect of it. Indeed, he was the first boxer, since Muhammad Ali, to make me appreciate boxing again.
So, to you doom-and-gloomers who have already punched your time cards and are preparing to move to the Cayman Islands the day after the election, don't fret. President Obama will pull out the arsenal when he needs to. That 47% video, it's coming. That $716 billion lie will be countered. Forcefully. The destruction of medicare as we know it will be delivered with a finessed left hook.
Obama is merely setting up his opponent for the eventual take-down. Building up Romney's overconfidence and those who scream in support of him. And when all seems lost for Obama's supporters, the man will deliver the fatal blows that will take Romney, Paul Ryan, and the Republican party down.
Just like Julio César Chávez, Sr. used to do.