Answering the Critics

One of my critics has written in to say that I use too many sport's references in my campaign speeches. Personally, I think this is an in-your-face attack on my game plan. When my strategists and I get together to break down game film of our opposition's offensive and defensive positions, our intent is not to hit a homerun in our next campaign incursion into the the red zone, but merely to matriculate downfield by just moving the chains in a steady manner towards the goal of our parties nomination. Call it small-ball. We are not trying to score using the bomb and we are not blitzing the media. We are simply trying to penetrate the Republican and Democratic zones for the occassional slam dunk like healthcare and when we can't, we kick it back outside for the long range shot at world peace.

I realize as I quarterback my team through the campaign that the presidential race is no sprint. It's a marathon. We may have to go the full 12 rounds to get the decision. Still, I like to take it day to day, one issue at a time because, as Vince Lombardi said, "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing" and even though he was out-of- bounds on that one, throwing up a brick, it does remind me that I have to keep my eyes on the ball, my head down and not try to swing for the bleachers. A good President not only scores big himself, but he makes his teammates better. You'll never catch him playing ball with the opposition.

And so in conclusion I have to say to my critic that sure I use the occassional sport's reference, but he has to remember that once the coin is tossed it's sudden death out there and I don't want to leave my game in the locker room. I know some presidential candidates who did and they didn't even get to first base. I want to get that first serve in because getting ahead in the count is so important. It is so much easier to play with the lead than to come from behind and I know you've got to keep playing until the whistle blows and the fat lady sings.

Because, after all, a presidential campaign is no rose bowl of cherries.