LETTERS FROM HOME: TAKING DEAD AIM AT POLITICAL GAMESMANSHIP

Jan. 23, 1997

Dear Pat,

I watched the presidential inauguration. Some of the TV commentators criticized the lack of a memorable phrase to grab the national imagination. Maybe so, but the words President Clinton did use were unusually well-honed, and his remark about the national weariness with political gamesmanship dead center. Of course, he's as good at the game as anyone who's come along in awhile.

Politicians play politics simply because they think it's the most interesting game in town. Campaigns are their ideal of how life ought to feel -- juiced up. I've seen some actually disappointed when their opponent didn't put up a good fight.

To politicians and political junkies, elections are better than a month of Super Bowls.

As currently practiced, politics is nothing more than an ideological football game, a struggle for dominance. Strategy, skill, money, cheerleaders, fans, perseverance are required, and even then you may not get the trophy.

Or, like the Buffalo Bills, you may be able to get close but lack the je ne sais quoi to win it.

And winning is the only goal, asserting your point of view the only rationale.

Would that politics were more like golf than football. Politicians congratulating each other for a good speech or piece of legislation instead of casting their opponents as hopeless miscreants.

Taking responsibility for their own mistakes instead of faulting Congress, the president, Democrats, Republicans, third parties, the economy, environmentalists, predecessors, special interests, the rigors of campaigning. Commiserating instead of rejoicing at an opponent's misfortune.

Learning when to pursue policies aggressively and when to accept that you can't get there from here in one fell stroke. Appreciating the beauty of taking a swing without regard for the outcome.

If politics were more like golf, people who were caught cheating would be disqualified, would be mortified. Instead, politicians are investigated and only rarely reprimanded. Like football players, they're back on the field of play in no time.

If politics were more like golf, politicians would wait their turn before speaking and not dillydally when the time came to act. Golf, as Mark Twain said, may indeed be "a good walk spoiled," but politics is the all-time wastrel of time.

If politics were more like golf, politicians would return home to their spouses and children five hours after leaving. They'd be naturally tanned instead of made-up, and quote Harvey Penick instead of William Safire. Penick being the wiser.

Sending the boys and girls off to war? "Take dead aim."

Politics demonizes the opposition in the struggle for the hearts and minds of the electorate. In golf, you realize, all the demons are really inside you.

And when the game was over, we'd all go home with our imperfections intact, the better for having played.

But politics is football, a bruising game won by he or she who has been bloodied least. Both are best consumed with liberal amounts of Velveeta nachos and beer.

Love, Sam

~Sam Blackwell is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.