I used to wrestle when I was in high school. That sport treated me to some of the longest two-minute periods in my life.
Coach Ben Parks was always in motion, always encouraging, never flagging. For charity, he used to run a mile on his birthday for every year old he was -- and continued to do so well into his 60s. As you probably guessed, this man was no ordinary high school coach. During the off seasons, Coach Parks was a strength-and-conditioning coach for no less than Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Roger Craig and Ronnie Lott.
Coach Parks was relentless in his conditioning training -- his goal was for all of us to be able to give 100% effort all the way to the end of every match.
Well, we're at the end of the match right now. Right goddamn NOW. It's been a strain, we're all sweated out and tapped. The opponent keeps matching us shove for shove, muscle for muscle.
There's only going to be one winner, and it's going to be the one who stays at 100% all the way to the end of the match.
Media, October Surprises, OBL tapes, spin, polls -- my ASS.
It's about you and me and what we are capable of under pressure.
Focus. Drive. Get out the vote.
Talk to everyone you know and get them to commit to voting for John Kerry. Walk them personally to the polls if you have to. Volunteer at your local 527 or Democratic Party HQ. Strain your relationships and sleep schedules and budgets for just 100 more hours.
We're almost there. Bush is staggering, and he knows it.
I can hear Coach Parks shouting at me from the sidelines now: "He's tired! Now grab hold of him and take him down!"