Ray Lewis for President

My hard core conservative friends just don’t get it.  It’s not their politics or philosophy I hate so much as WHO they become when they put on their party hats (which I imagine to be large tea bags with bills and the little steeping string hanging down like some who leave the tags on their hats because it’s..well….cool).

Look, no one can hate like I do.  Give me an Alexander Ovechkin or a Ray Lewis to root against at a sporting event and I’ll out-hate anyone on the planet.  Have I ever imagined those two along with any Philadelphia Flyer sitting on a plane that collides with another carrying the entire New York Yankee organization?  Maybe I have.

It’s that image (albeit a joke – I swear!) that leads me to my point.  Politics is NOT sports and this country is rotting from the inside because many extremists (and sometimes not so extremists) have made supporting their party a blood thirsty past time, not unlike that of being a member of the “Steeler Nation” we witness no matter where the Steelers play every weekend.

What’s best for this nation (the U.S.) has fallen behind “My party winning at any cost!”  I see a bigger hatred in the eyes of some of my conservative friends when discussing our current president than when they discuss our enemies in the Middle East.  Unfortunately that is no joke.

 I truly believe that if President Obama somehow cured cancer and rid the world of an invading force of violent aliens, within two days there would be a story on FOX News that he falsely took credit for the cure and was in league with the aliens just to improve his approval ratings.  Then they would sweep a story under the rug about Michelle Bachman STILL denying that it’s possible to have life on other planets after her husband was killed by one of the aliens.

I don’t want to appear like I’m on a high horse (I’ve never ridden one actually) because I’m politically in the middle.  I’ve been called a p-ssy by one conservative friend because she felt my moderate viewpoint was me not taking a stand or believing in something.  Though I am registered as a democrat, I have voted an equal number of times for either side during my voting life.  Does that make me better than those at whom this article is directed? Absolutely not.  But if you’ve never even considered the other side on ANY issue and you feel you’re conservative or liberal on EVERY issue, then I’m not sure I’m inclined to ever discuss politics with you. 

Chris Rock (and unfortunately comedians seem to get it right most often) says it so well.  I’ll include the one minute link, and sorry for the offensive language, but if you can get past this he hits this point on the head.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOvPBfMzKjE

He claims that anyone who makes up their mind before they hear the issue is an idiot.  “Forget being conservative, or being liberal….be a PERSON. Let the issue swirl around your mind before you form an opinion” he says.

Back to Ray Lewis and Alexander Ovechkin, the banes of my existence as a Pittsburgh sports fan.  The sight of them makes me sick.  (I’m watching the Pens and Caps as I write this as a matter of fact – in Washington D.C. ironically - and I’m sick with hatred for the opponent and their fans).  The minute Ray Lewis got traded to the Steelers, however,  I’d be the first in line to get a #52 Steeler jersey.  What a great line backer and competitor.  Also, if the NHL draft lottery went the other way a few years back the Penguins would have Ovechkin and not Malkin playing beside Sidney Crosby….If you don’t think Ovie would be a Pittsburgh hero today you are a blind fool.

Politics is not sports.  Fox News is not right in the middle of all the sports stations on my TV channel list for a reason. But maybe that is where politics SHOULD be like sports.  No matter who is wearing the black and gold I root for them (see one of the bigger jerks in sports history, Barry Bonds).  In a similar vein no matter who is sworn in as president on January 20^th every four years, he (or she) should be looked upon with respect and we should hope they SUCCEED as our leader.  I’ve heard many a conservative pull for Obama’s failure.  Incredible.

I didn’t vote for George W.Bush the second time around and I’m not a big fan…at all.  If I had to rank all the presidents he’d be in the bottom third. But when he faced the nation during the 9/11 tragedy I was proud and looked to him as my leader and the representative of my country to the rest of the world.  He was MY president. His father was MY president.  Ronald Reagan was MY president.  They had my respect once they took office.

I don’t think that is the case for many Americans of this generation.  The DAY AFTER Bill Clinton was elected the first time around Rush Limbaugh led a crusade to vilify Clinton on a daily basis until he was out of office.  That mentality has ballooned into the FOX News-led head hunting that goes on today.  The polarization that has resulted is tearing the country apart and it makes me want to bury my head in the sand and disregard and ignore ANY news.  (Maybe this IS why I’m such a huge sports fan.

Is there a similar problem on the liberal side? Some will claim CNN is the liberal version of FOX News.  Maybe I’m oblivious but I don’t see it.  If I’m wrong then sure, I’d feel the same way about their coverage.  I may have a liberal view on a few issues but I am certainly NOT a liberal. 

I want the Republicans to come up with a viable candidate as much as anyone.  I can’t believe that Bachman and Palin were ever even considerations.  I want to have to make a touch choice.  If they were the only Democratic candidates, though, I wouldn’t hesitate to cast my vote against them.  Unfortunately, I don’t believe many of my conservative friends feel the same.

I am a Steeler, Pirate, and Penguin fan no matter who is wearing the uniforms.  The same, however, is NOT true of my party affiliation.  Democrat or Republican I want the best of BOTH parties to fill the Senate as well as represent me as president.