Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

COLUMN: The national pastime
By Rob Verhein
The Daily Iowan (U. Iowa)
06/06/2007

(U-WIRE) IOWA CITY, Iowa — The site outside the Crowne Plaza hotel in Cedar Rapids was more reminiscent of an English soccer match than a gathering of Democratic presidential candidates. Last weekend's event drew a number of key contenders to eastern Iowa, including both John Edwards and Hillary.

Let me briefly pause, however, to clarify why I failed to mention the previous candidate's last name: She doesn't use it. It seems that Sen. Hillary is working extra hard to distance herself from the name her husband used while in office. With her first name spelled out in a series of 8-foot tall posters placed on the bed of a semi trailer, supporters chanted, "HRC," at passing motorists.

For those potentially fooled by her sneaky attempt at keeping her surname a secret, allow me to spoil the fun: Hillary is married to former President Bill Clinton. Yes, that Clinton.

The number of Hillary volunteers stretched for more than half a city block on both sides of the street, clogging First Avenue with placards for the New York senator. Yet even the fans of the party's apparent front-runner couldn't outperform the enthusiastic Chris Dodd devotees, who whooped and hollered at every passing motorist, even offering cheers perhaps better suited for a World Cup-style event than a political gathering.

An Edwards field organizer told me that the former senator had planned for a marching band to lead him into the arena - and not a figurative arena, either; the event occurred adjacent to the US Cellular Center.

As I considered comparing politics to sports, it became more obvious to me that the two aren't that different after all. Is not the primary season just one giant tournament that leads to an inevitable championship match that pits the winner of one bracket against the other? And just as money dictates power in athletics, it is the same kind of financing that gives credibility and strength to a presidential candidate.

The relationship hardly ends there, though. Outside, adoring fans wear their team colors and buttons; they wave team signs and argue strategy with their opponents. This is all juxtaposed against the tense confines of a staging area in which staffers, like trainers, pace to and fro, their playbooks replaced by BlackBerries.

Though the stakes are very different, it all feels the same in the end: Many will lose, one will win, and a dynasty that shapes the political league will be established. As candidates are eliminated, fans will find themselves rooting for other teams, rallying against the other side on principle alone.

While this championship is still 17 months away, these political enthusiasts have already made up their minds. Some call them crazy; others are quick to remark that it's not like the election is tomorrow.

But isn't every football fan already looking forward to next year's Super Bowl?

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