Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Ricky Williams & Mitt Romney

After reading a stellar article on Ricky Williams in ESPN the mag about the man who never really wanted to be a professional football player, I started wondering about Mitt.  Stay with me.

Most of us have "that number" - the amount of money we consider "F-you" money required to walk away from it all, live on an island, buy a farm in Australia (like Ricky) or write the next great American novel. 

Mitt has "F-you" money.  Mitt has enough "F-you" money to cover a small town. Mitt is not living on an island, nor plotting a Bain Capital take over of one.  He's out stumping and running for the most demanding job in the country. 

Why?

Unlike Ricky, he wasn't "drafted" by the RNC or the GOP establishment.  Last election cycle, they decided John the Hawk was "their guy" and Mitt was relegated to the practice squad.  Unlike Ricky, he's not going to lose his fortune if stops running. 

Politician bios and soundbites espouse platitudes of "giving back" and being "called" to run. We see how well that worked for Perry and Bachmann.  Poor Michele misunderstood the message the Almighty left on her voice mail - it was simply that she had a run ...in her nylons. 

In Ricky's case, I am left wondering if those close to him ever asked a simple question, "Ricky, is this what you really want?"  Did they see Ricky the man or Ricky the money?

In Mitt's case, I am left wondering if Mitt has asked himself, "Why do you want this?"

At the risk of being an armchair psychologist, I ponder whether it has to do with power.  Power to the 1% is perhaps the ultimate "F-you" proposition.  A school yard version of, "Oh, yeah? You think you're so cool, I was President!"

For full disclosure, I am a Ricky William fan and admirer.  Not just RW the running back, but Ricky the human being.  I loved watching Ricky Williams play ball.  I loved that he gave it all up and did his thing and followed his own path.  I was saddened when he returned - not because he didn't have game, but rather because I knew he would rather be growing organic fruit and searching for truth rather than fighting for a first down.

I do not love watching Mitt run.  I do not love that like Ricky, he too had to sell a bit his soul and become what others thought he should be.  Unlike Ricky, Mitt returned to "the game" on his own volition, guided by hubris and perhaps encouraged by shadow men with agendas.  (No, not Drew Rosenhaus, Karl Rove & The Koch Boys...)

It is sad or at least should give us pause when a former NFL player is more self-actualized than the GOP front runner for the Presidency.

Ricky came back because he had to.  Why did Mitt come back?

1 comment:

  1. I'm right there with you. I've asked the question, perhaps on Twitter, why does Mitt want to be POTUS? Here are my answers:

    1. Unresolved daddy issues a) get the presidency for his dad, or b) prove he could do what his father could not.

    2. To serve and advance the agenda of the 1% of the 1% - he'll gain/preserve more wealth.

    Other than that he has yet to clearly state any reason to put himself through this. This is a man with very little interior life; the deeper you go the more shallowness there is. All this together could have just as easily be said of George W. Bush.

    Its something to do.

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