While watching Georgia Tech fall to Miami in college football last night, the current national climate had me wondering if I am a racist for supporting the Canes’ young Black coach over my sister’s college. I wanted Tech to win but there’s something about see a door open for minorities—it’s like having a Black president.
College football and congressional politics go together. After both teams opened the season with victories, the Canes were better prepared for this game; their scout team must have done a fine job of simulating the Yellow Jackets in practice. The Blue Dog Democrats are playing the scout team role for their party in preparation for battles with the Republicans; they introduce a certain amount of conservatism. The GOP’s craftiness dictates that they will rarely assist their opposition intentionally. With the healthcare debate, the Blue Dogs and Tea Party protesters actually forced the Democrats to slow down and improve the proposals. Thanks.
As a life-long college football fan (remember USC’s Anthony Davis scoring at will against Notre Dame in ‘74), I know recruiting is half of the battle. HBO is running a documentary called “The Rivalry” about the Michigan and Ohio State football. Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard is one of the many Ohio natives who played for the Maize and Blue. In my personal opinion, Georgia’s two political parties can’t recruit worth a flip. The Democrats keep coming up with senatorial candidates who can’t win statewide and their best possible senatorial recruits (the House Blue Dogs) would rather stay safe in their current division—like 12,000 students Valdosta State playing Division II football when they have twice the enrollment of the ACC’s Wake Forest University. Blazers, it’s time to step up to the D1-AA.
The GOP has their own method of recruitment for congressional candidates and that is their business since that is not my team. But, dad-gum, why wouldn’t they create a sub-division of moderates like the Democrats did with the Blue Dogs (formerly the Dixiecrats.) Their strategy clearly is to whip the nation into a paranoid frenzy to swell their traditional ranks and of course moderates and minorities are put-off by those techniques–good policies, questionable methods.
Georgia Bulldog Joe Cox patiently waited his turn behind NFL top draft pick Matthew Stanford. While others would have transferred for more playing time, Cox stayed in Athens for one real year as QB1. Other top passing quarterbacks joined teams only to learn that their role would be handing the ball to running backs. If the GOP were wise they would recruit the middle Georgia Blue Dog who is uncomfortable with the liberal direction of the D party. Peace…see you around….we’ll holler. But, they are not wise with recruitment or with scouting. The same Blue Dog will vote the will of his constituents over White House initiatives this congress. But, not so fast because the core Democrat base in his district will likely say, “what about us” at some point.
To finishing this football comparison, coaches often use players in the wrong positions. When spending quality time with my nephews playing Playstation college football (okay, my friends would say “You Lie” because I do play alone more often than not), I take the fastest player on the team and put him at quarterback while running the Option formation from the shotgun—the Wildcat offense. I don’t care if the guy is a receiver or even a defensive back—just run that option. I tell my GOP friends that they should recruit the African American lady doctor who ran in one congressional district to run in middle Georgia (a few counties over) and they would make history. Again, we like seeing new doors open.
http://www.hbo.com/events/rivalry/
USC v. ND 1974
Project Logic Ga 
You couldn’t be more right about this. I’ve spoken with several people in that district and they are very receptive to having her run. Just haven’t been able to get in touch with her.