Super Confusing

Obviously I'm a bit late to be making any sort of relevant analysis on Super Tuesday's results - I'm sure you've heard it all before. One thing I would like to discuss, however, is how even though these primaries are the precursor to the same election for the same position chosen by the same people, it seems as if each party is dealing with it's own set of issues. For example, religious issues are a major concern in the Republican Party primaries, while health care has been huge for the Democrats. Neither side has often commented on what the other party, which they will be competing against shortly, is doing. It's an odd occurrence.

It also shocks me how both parties are viewing primary season. On the Republican side, the question has been (until this afternoon) who the "conservative " alternative to John McCain is, Mike Huckabee or Mitt Romney. Even after Super Tuesday, in which McCain was able to win a huge amount of delegates by attracting the majority of the party and many independents, the wing of the party that labels themselves "conservative" still insisted McCain was not fit to represent the GOP, and some went as far as to say they would rather vote for the Democratic candidate.

The reason this seemed strange to me is that on the Democratic side, both candidates have begun touting their "electibility" come November. Both Clinton and Obama are claiming that they will have the best chance to win independents, or even members of the party, in the general election, and that each stands a better chance against the Republican machine.

How is it, that in two parts of what is essentially the same race, one party has become obsessed with pleasing a small faction of the nation, while the other is looking towards the public as a whole? It's amazing to me to see how pleasing a small group of ultra-conservatives (albeit a loud group) in the GOP has become more important than how well the candidate would do in the main election - would Mike Huckabee stand a better chance than McCain of drawing moderates and independents? It's interesting to observe how two groups of people striving towards the same goal can focus on such completely different aspects of the public vote.

Super....Monday?

So here we are, on the sad, lonely Monday in between two Giant (pun intended) so called "Super" days.

What a game last night - some are calling it the biggest upset in Super Bowl history - as the Giants knocked off the previously unbeaten Patriots, 17-14. I won't recount too much of the actual game - you can see endless highlight reels and analysis all over the media - but there is one key item to address in terms of the "competition" theme of this blog.

As you may or may not have heard, Patriots coach Bill Belichick walked off the field into the locker room before the game clock had actually hit zero. There was a lot of confusion as Tom Brady's final, 4th down throw fell incomplete, and it appeared that the entire stadium thought time had expired and the game was over. To his credit, Belichick, who is a notoriously bad loser, did walk out onto the field and shake hands with his opposing coach, Tom Coughlin. But, as the refs began clearing players, fans, and press off the field for the Giants to kneel the ball down and officially take off the last second on the board, Belichick walked right past the bench and into the locker room, leaving his defensive team on the field without their coach for the last play of the Super Bowl.

Now, it was kind of dumb that the referees couldn't have just let that one second go, to pretend it had ticked away with the ball in the air. Dragging everyone off the turf and making these two exhausted teams line up for one meaningless kneel down did seem awkward and trivial, if not annoying. But, I suppose, it has to be official, so technically, the decision was correct. And in the spirit of sportsmanship, and things being done right, Belichick should have stood there next to his players as time ran out and showed the Giants the respect they deserved. A lot is said about players being role models for kids (New England's own Randy Moss was widely criticized for the same behavior a few years ago when he was with another team), and it is time that coaches are held to the same standard. Enough is enough with this guy - he just constantly ignores all rules of sportsmanship and just plain human behavior. I'm glad to see that a lot of people have called him on this, just as many have criticized the Presidential candidates for sniping at one another.

Now, however, with barely enough time to catch our breath, we go from the biggest sporting event of the year to the most important primary day in one of the most exciting and competitive primary races in history. Are there any more upsets in store, or will we know who the champs are by this time tomorrow? Stay in touch!

Welcome!

There have always been many symbols of American culture - homemade apple pie, a waving American flag, the ideas of freedom and equality , etc. Each is a nice representation or symbol, but the fact is that none of these, or any similar, are truly representative of all Americans. So, coming to a question that has increasingly been broached in many of my classes recently - is there a unifying thread in America? Is there some idea, some theory, some belief, that truly means something to all of us, the whole of America?

There may be one thing:

COMPETITION.

We all have different motivations, different values and morals, and unique, individual lifestyles. However, we all compete at some point, and probably most points, in our lives. Competition is a huge driving force in American culture, whether it be a child's stick ball game in the street, the desire for a promotion, or even a Presidential Election. We have a constant obsession with who is more skilled, more qualified, more talented, more able. And this idea brings me to the main theme of this blog.

There are two major forums of competition in American culture - politics and sports (the economy could be considered as well, but in today's age, it seems that all economies are tied together into one global unit rather than remaining individual to each nation). Politics and sports are truly two major parts of American life - our political structure has always been an identifying factor for our nation, and sports is one of our greatest leisure activities, whether it be participation or observation. Politics forces competition between political parties and differing ideologies in an effort to garner votes to win important positions, while sports figures compete in order to make the most money and win the most championships.

Of course, there are many actions in both politics and sports that do not directly relate to competition. A bipartisan bill in a non-election year, for example, might be seen as similar to the Yankees giving Alex Rodriguez the day off during a June game against the Royals - it's OK to allow pleasantries at non-crucial moments, but just wait until crunch time. So, obviously, "non-competitive" events such as these will be covered in this blog as well.

Politics and sports do share the unifying concept of competition, which makes the prospect of tying them together in a blog rather feasible. They truly are a major part of American life, but also of my own, which is another reason I have chosen these topics to share my thoughts about. I don't intend to lecture in this blog, but simply to share my thoughts in a conversational and hopefully entertaining manner and maybe to inspire others to think about some things differently.

Please - PROVIDE FEEDBACK! Leave comments, check back often, and let me know your own opinions. Thanks for checking in - I hope you'll come back soon and often.