During the campaign (and after), I’ve tried to be a truth-teller. I wrote that you had to have faith in order to believe Mitt Romney would win (because the facts weren’t there.) Since the campaign, I have argued that Republicans are doomed to be blamed for the fiscal cliff mess. These were (and are) inconvenient truths.
But despite having played Debbie Downer, I think it’s time to put things in perspective. Yes, Republicans stink right now. But no, this isn’t permanent.
Forgive me for using a football analogy, but I think it’s appropriate. The game is, in many ways, a metaphor for #war and politics.
In football, the most important position is the quarterback.
Last year, the Indianapolis Colts lost Peyton Manning. And because they lacked a star in that key position, this perennial winning team finished with a lousy 2-14 record.
This year, however, they are back on top with the appropriately-named Andrew Luck at QB.
Things can change quick when you have the right leader.
As a Redskins fan, this lesson couldn’t be more real. RG3 has transformed the team from hapless losers into real contenders. His play has inspired others on the team to play better.
Think of Republicans as being similar to the Redskins.
Mitt Romney was like Donovan McNabb. He was never supposed to be the Republican “quarterback of the future.” The team was just hoping that he could get lucky and maybe get a few wins. The real future — the real hope — lies not with a banged up veteran, but instead with a new crop of rising stars.
The Democrats have their all-star quarterback. Like him or not, Barack Obama is a very talented politician who has led his team to victory. Yes, the blocking and tackling still matters. But having a star quarterback at the helm covers a multitude of sins.
Having said that, teams have a hard time going from quarterback to quarterback. Sure, sometimes a Joe Montana is replaced by a Steve Young. But that’s rare. Typically, teams go through a period of time in the wilderness.
In politics, it’s hard to win three consecutive presidential elections.
Will Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal, Paul Ryan — or one of the other rising stars on the deep GOP bench — finally give Republicans something to cheer about?
Today, things look grim. But in politics, as in football, things can change fast. Four years from now, it’s entirely possible that Republicans could control the White House — and both chambers of Congress.