The lamentation and rending of garments in the wake of Barack Obama's repeated, ill-advised comments on several issues (Wes Clark's comments, the death penalty, gun ownership, etc.) seems to have built itself into a Jupiter's spot of neverending self-powered cyclonic fury. Woe is us, that we have been sold out by the Great Blue Hope!! Change is a lie!! Our country and Constitution have been sold up the river!!
There are all kinds of well-intentioned protests arising; "I will not donate any money..." "I will not help to register any new voters..." "I will still vote for him, but that's all!"
Well, I'm going to tell you what to do now.
SYFPH, and just run the damn play.
I have a bit of a background in football. I love football. And one of the reasons I think football is the bees' knees, the cat's pajamas, the greatest thing since, well, democracy, is because it's fundamentally a team game.
Eleven guys have to do their job for a play to come to a successful result. A quarterback must call the signals, a center must snap the ball quickly and precisely, a running back must sell a convicing fake on the handoff, five linemen must keep the QB off his back until he delivers the ball, a receiver must catch the ball when it gets to him, and the other receivers must block downfield to allow him into the end zone (or at minimum also run precise routes to keep the defense spread out and honest). If one lineman misses a block, if the RB can't sell play action, if the QB throws a bad ball, if the WR drops it, if the center forgets the snap count (or anyone else), the play breaks down, and bad things happen.
So what does this have to do with Barack Obama, you ask (or maybe you already figured it out; if so, go to the tip jar now)? Well, he's got a team too. But this team isn't just eleven. It's more like eleven million. And they are trying hard to make the play. But they need your help. Because you are very likely part of the team too. And if you are not going to execute your assignment because you don't like the play call, then get the hell off the field.
Sure, Obama's campaign looks like it got hijacked by the Clinton leadership in the last week, or even the McCain people, both in the message, and in the completely ham-handed method in which it's been delivered. That makes me disappointed just as much as the next person. Why did I caucus for Dodd first? Because of his stand on the FISA bill. And I would have stayed with him as long as we had a viable group (we never did). Because he promised to filibuster, and I promised to stand with him if he did, and we both kept our promises. It sure seems Obama has not done so much these last few days.
But this is the same guy who spoke so eloquently on race March 18 in Philadelphia. This is the guy who wrote The Audacity of Hope. This is the community organizer who worked alongside laid-off steelworkers to rebuild a community in which he had no significant personal stake.
It seems that a lot of babies are finding out what happens to the water when the bath is over.
So, if you want to be a fan,and cheer fom the sidelines, go right ahead, I won't think any less of you for it. If you don't even want to cheer, that's fine too. But don't for one minute try to convince me, your friends, your family, your community, or yourself that you are anything more than a spectator. And if you want to boo a bad call (or two, or four), go right ahead; maybe the team will hear you, and work a bit harder, maybe the coach will make a better call next play. But don't be surprised if your boos don't make much difference. And if you choose not to even attend, the team might just not notice. They'll put another butt in the stands besides yours.
But if you are certain you are part of the team, then show up to practice, learn your assignments, run through the whistle, and for Pete's sake, throw the damn block when that's what you're called on, and don't go half-assed just because you didn't get the ball. Win as a team, lose as individuals.