POLITICAL SPORTING COMMENTS FROM INSIDE THE BELTWAY

[Samantha]

He danced across the Olympic boxing stage more quickly than a tae kwon do tornado, whipping down to earth as if a killer whirlpool. So graceful was his footwork across the ring, Michael Jackson must have gazed at the sight of him in open awe. His punches were lightning-bolt swift and just as electrifying. He fought the bruising battle like a giant smashing a bug with a swat too quickly to be observed with the naked human eye. His float like a butterfly, sting like a bee motto could not have been more fitting. He was mesmerizing – this man to be known as Muhammad Ali.

And so I watched from across the room with unabashed thrill at the sight of a man participating in a sport I had vigorously avoided all my young life. It was simply too barbaric a thing - that sport called boxing -- for me to observe. Yet here I stood in my Republican father's living room, saying "look at him, look at him!" The man from Tennessee watched momentarily and then responded, "He's no Joe Lewis." "But that's why I like him," I excitedly yelled.

I followed the career of Muhammad Ali the rest of his professional life. As a young female who migrated from Knoxville to Washington, my ears were roundly boxed at times by all my Southern family members. "What do you possibly see in him - this guy who's going to ruin boxing?" was their constant admonishment.

As his career started to take off, I found myself some years later just a few short miles from where he set up his training camp to prepare to fight Jimmy Young. By then, I was married to an artist, who himself practiced tae kwon do by night, and indulged in photography with a gifted eye. This man I married had zero interest in the boxing world. But knowing of my fascination with Muhammad Ali, he came home to tell me one night of the training camp just down the road from where we lived.

"Would you like to go -- I could take some pictures for you," he asked.

Later that evening, there my artist mate was at ringside, snapping away with the press photographers. Roll after roll of film he took. It was simply one of the best nights of my life. When the film was developed, he asked me to pick two that he would enlarge. Today, these two are among my most valued treasures. One of them is a close up of a young Muhammad Ali. Every muscle from the waist up is captured in one of the photographs, showing beads of perspiration dripping from the ripples of those incredible muscles after his dazzling workout in the ring. The other is a full body shot which showcases the perfect position of the man in action, pulverizing the leather of a full body bag, with the bag in full swing into the air, and the body of the boxer throwing a perfectly-executed punch. Both are simply beautiful.

Later in Washington, D.C., it was my pleasure during a small moment in time almost to have been accidentally knocked down by Muhammad Ali. To my enduring regret it almost happened - but not quite - and thus I was deprived of the sheer joy of being able to brag the rest of my life "I was knocked down by Muhammad Ali." But that's another thread for another day....

So why is a thread about Muhammad Ali floating like a butterfly in the DemocraticUnderground - General Discussion: Primaries forum, one wonders.

Barack Obama is to the political world what Muhammad Ali was and is to the boxing world.

Both ones-of-a-kind destined to change the fields in which they played, these two men I believe are incredibly unique participants in brutal sports - that of boxing and that of politics - it has been my thrill to observe. Both are giants who came out of nowhere and knocked the socks off those who challenged them. With incredible speed, dexterity, intelligence and originality embedded in a charismatic frame, they came, they played, and they delivered with astounding punches.

Their lives will be chronicled in very different historic frames, but one common thread exists between the two of them as a result of their fighting debuts: they landed in the public eye with a jarring descent and they persevered against incredible challenges with an ease of natural talent on abundant display. Both gave joy to those who observed their respective ascents into history.

Perhaps it was observing Muhammad Ali boxing his way into sporting history that prepared me to dive into the political arena as a sporting enthusiast enamored of the Inside-the-Beltway Number One past-time. Seldom in any one lifetime does one have the privilege of witnessing up close the debut of an original master in his or her field. The sighting of two such masters in their fields -- Muhammad Ali and Barack Obama -- is purely a gift too much to hope for by any one person.

I look forward to your comments on my late-night ruminations, my DU friends, in particular Old Crusoe, as to my political sporting comments from Inside the Beltway …

Now, back to watching Barack Obama floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee against our Republican opponents ....

Sam

[Samantha]

1. IF YOU READ MY THREAD TODAY

Could you possibly give it a punch to keep it kicked throughout the day? I am hoping to keep it afloat for most of the day so some of my DU friends will see it when they sign on. I wrote this thread late into the night because I thought this forum could use some political "comfort" reading at this time of high stress. If you agree, I hope you will help keep the thread punched.

Sam

[TexasObserver]

2. An excellent and accurate comparison.

OMG, he's ruining boxing!!

Like they cared. He was talking like he was a man who didn't need permission to speak, and that's what they really hated.

Obama is like Muhammed Ali in a sense.

[Samantha]

3. They really are similar in their endeavors - truly creative

strategists who often resort to intelligence (as opposed to always using brute force) to win their objective. It's truly amazing since they both participated in such a brutal arena. I believe they both will persevere in historical pages as two who redirected the sports in which they participated to a much higher level.

Thank you for kicking my thread. It's humiliating to have to do that oneself...but I worked too hard on this last night to simply post it and watch it sink before my friends read it.

Sam

AND YES, LOOK AT HOW MUHAMMAD ALI RUINED BOXING. I wish some of my relatives could read this thread!

[TexasObserver]

4. both have been the object of that "how dare he?" racism

They hated Ali for his name, too.

[Samantha]

8. Very sad, but very true

I felt when he was drafted to fight in the Viet Nam war there must have been some underlying impetus for that. You have hit upon the "that." When he took the position that he would not fight, despite the threats of how repercussions from that refusal would remove him from the boxing world, and perhaps in prison, he stood his ground.

As someone who was opposed to that war, I admired him for being willing to sacrifice that which he had earned for making a political statement against an illegal, unpopular war. That truly was a rare thing for a high-profile personality in those days.

He is a man of courage indeed. And so he did leave the boxing world as a result of his refusal to serve -- it was as he openly stated against his religion -- but after a few years rebounded to the ring with just as big of a impact as had his original debut. And he returned to the sport he loved with his dignity in hand - that's the best part.

What an amazing example this man's life has served to be to all of us.

Sam

[TexasObserver]

5. That's good enough for publication. May I suggest you submit it?

Try your local newspaper.

[mamalone]

7. Absolutely!

This is very very good. It was, as you framed it... comforting...but also encouraging and exciting at the same time. Altogether a wonderful read.



I've never done the "K&R thing", but I am honored to have your post be the first to prompt me to do so:)

[Samantha]

11. Now that's what putting the effort into something like this makes

it all the worthwhile - someone like you saying something like that. I am so glad you enjoyed reading it, and I truly feel honored you recommended it. Thank you so much, my new DU friend.

Sam

[mamalone]

19. You are most welcome friend:) nt

[Samantha]

10. You are so kind - thank you

I am really kind of backward in the area of self-promotion. I wrote this thread not only to share my thoughts on this subject with my DU friends - it was actually prompted by an idle remark I made to Old Crusoe the other night. But my second hope was that somehow someone from Obama's campaign might see it and appreciate it. The man has taken such unfortunate punches lately, I thought he might appreciate a complimentary comment. I don't look for reward in things I write except for someone reading the work and liking it.

Thank you again.

Sam

[TexasObserver]

17. If you don't promote yourself, who will?

Don't be bashful about promoting your work. All they can do is ignore you, which is what most will do. If you send it to ten publishers and two use it, you just got two publications, and that makes getting publications from those publishers more likely next time, as well as making your work generally more acceptable for publication.

[intaglio]

6. A kick just for you n/t

[CitizenLeft]

9. another kick for you

Excellent writing! And a great analogy!

[Samantha]

14. So you too see the similarity between the two men -

Do you think Obama might employ the Ali rope-a-dope technique from time to time on some of his political opponents? I was thinking he really surprised a lot of the political world by laying back against the ropes and pretending to be wounded. However, with impeccable timing and the element of surprise utilized, he sprang back from a somewhat-appearing wounded position to roar into the eye of the tiger, twist its tail, and pitch it from the political canvas back to the environment from whence it came. That's my impression. He surprised a lot of people in a very big way, as did Muhammad Ali so many different times.

Sam

[Tim4319]

12. A very wonderful read! Kicked!

[Samantha]

15. That was my goal to write something for DU readers that would

put them in a political comfort zone moment - a much needed moment for all of us - at this time of high stress. I am so happy you liked it.

Sam

and thank you for kicking my thread!

[myrna minx]

13. K&R n/t

[TexasObserver]

16. k&r

[stevedeshazer]

18. Recommended

Though I knew where you were going from the first sentence.

;)

[RichardRay]

20. Good content, well written.

I agree you should submit that someplace.

[saltpoint]

21. Sublime, Sam, just sublime. I am loving every syllable.

Beautifully written and on an EXTREMELY provocative topic.

It's provocative because boxing is about hitting and hitting back, but this piece transcends that level and finds the image and art and the beauty. Words do matter, as you've demonstrated very persuasively right here.

This is a keeper. I've linked it and emailed Democrats here and there, urging them to have a good long look. My guess is they will, and will find the same talent and vision that you bring to two major human profiles.

Make that 4, not 2, because you and your mate are the ones who did the footwork here, and your writing puts it into focus for the rest of us.

Thank you. And bravo.

[Samantha]

24. I am so happy you caught this thread - I wrote it for you

It was your reaction to that thread we got "off topic" on the other night and your response to my Ali pictures that made me think I should write this thread for you. It's something I had been thinking about for quite some time, but never took the time to put the words and thoughts down. You inspired me to do that. And I thought it would be very, very nice to have a "comfort" read at this particular DU moment. It's something we all needed. SO THANK YOU, MY FRIEND, YOU ARE MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS THAN I.

And thank you for sending it around and giving me those kind words. They mean a lot coming from you ...

Sam

PS Will John McCain be playing the role of George Foreman or Joe Frazier in our analogy? Your prediction? I am thinking Frazier ...

[saltpoint]

26. Sam, you wrote this piece and you put the analogy forward the

other night -- and so what if we were off-topic?!

Life isn't worth living unless people veer off-topic now and then.

Or even frequently.

Or even most of th time!

It's potent and thoughtful and affirming, not to mention very skillfully rendered.

Hard to argue with a combo like that.

McCain as Joe Frazier! LOL!

[Coexist]

22. .

[monmouth]

23. Dear Samantha, this very much needs to be sent to the major newspapers.

I for one, would love for you to send it to www.pbpost.com. This is a wonderful piece. Many thanks.

[Samantha]

25. The Palm Beach Post? -

Thank you for your suggestion. I will look into following it up. Are you saying just email the piece there?

Sam

[TexasObserver]

27. Write to the publisher by email.

Be sure to say you wish to retain ownership of the column, but grant them permission to print it for free, and affirm you are the author of the piece. Give them a little bio info. Being persistent and covering a lot of territory is how you get published initially.

[Samantha]

28. And so I just did -

thank you.

[monmouth]

31. So sorry I had to run out, then came back to the news re Uncle Ted.

It's a wonderful piece.

[Samantha]

43. The news today about Ted Kennedy was a real punch in the gut

itself. I went to meet him about a year and one-half ago at a book signing. It was the first time I had ever seen him in person. I felt like I owed him something, truly, and so I went. He too is a man who has given so much and will be irreplaceable upon his departure. I haven't heard any more follow-up since the original broadcast about his initial hospitalization, but I pray he recovers to see the man from Chicago - who he, Ted Kennedy, climbed out on a political limb to endorse - take the oath of office next January. Ted Kennedy HAS to see that ...

I think this news is a wake up call for us all. Sure all's fair in love AND POLITICS, but when one smears a fellow Democrat for purposes of defeating him or her in an election, one must deal with that fact (and live with it) when traumatic events such as that which happened to Kennedy today -- happen. Perhaps it will persuade some to start pulling those punches ... as it should.

[cliffordu]

29. Keeked!!

[chieftain]

30. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. It is both beautifully

written and culturally astute. Early on in this race I was dubious about the prospects of electing a Black president. In a conversation with my son, he pointed out that there are African Americans who have been true to their roots and have become popular icons in this country. Ali is at the head of the list. Against odds that can only be described as staggering, he became one of the most admired and loved men in America. His mouthy style, rejection of his "slave name", refusal of military service all were the type of actions that in an earlier day would have resulted in his being exiled from the US. But his talent was undeniable and his personal magnetism irresistible. When I saw him light the torch at the Atlanta Olympics,we all could see the love from his countrymen and women and the world was palpable.
I agree with you and my son. Barack has the potential to be that kind of figure. His grace, charm and intelligence are commanding. And to participate with you in the boxing metaphor, he showed these past few weeks that the GOP pundit who said he had a glass jaw was dead wrong. Barack can take a punch and he will deliver the knockout blow to RW rule.
I loved your post.

[Samantha]

34. I loved your response - and thank you for sharing not only your

thoughts but those of your son as well. I have only a handful of people I think are truly great, and Muhammed Ali is definitely in that group. I believe Barack Obama will rise as well to be one of the true cream of the crop of our era.

In the same manner that Ali changed boxing, Obama is changing politics. Both of those arenas I feel have been and will be permanently changed with the fingerprints of these two men.

Another common thread that binds these two men is: Muhammed Ali in rising to the top of the boxing field called a time-out to make an important political statement - his opposition to the Viet Nam war. When that issue was resolved, he returned to resume pursuit of his true obsession. Barack Obama in rising to the top of the political field called a time-out to refresh some much-needed maneuvers on learning to throw a punch. When the fight is over, he too will resume pursuit of his true obsession - uniting this divided Country to work for the good of the common man.

How fortunate we are to have had the examples set before us these two great men set. And how wonderful for you your son recognizes true greatness when he sees it.

Sam

[chieftain]

36. Thanks . I met Ali in the Atlanta Airport years ago. He was

in the throes of his disease but had a small crowd around him. I am usually not one to intrude on famous people's space, but I could not help myself with Muhammad. I approached him and called him Champ. His incredibly expressive face beamed with welcome and he painstakingly wrote out his signature on the back of my ticket jacket. Then to my absolute delight he threw a mock punch my way. I still have a hard time accounting for the rush of pleasure that gesture evoked from me. But I swear I felt like a giddy ten year old on the last day of school.
Like you, my life has been enriched by sports and politics. Your thread allowed me to embrace both this afternoon. Thanks, again. Peace and GOBAMA !!!!

[Samantha]

44. I am so envious of you - having that incredible opportunity

to call him "Champ" and have him throw a punch at you.

I want to thank you for your contributions to this thread. Your words have greatly enriched it. You brought back some of the elements I neglected to mention, such as that nickname "Champ." I AM THE CHAMP, he would often say in that, as you call it, mouthy manner. And wasn't it wonderful?

I guess Muhammad does not get involved too much in politics, but I believe he came out of Kentucky originally. Too bad Barack Obama cannot get a word of support from Muhammad, with that race upcoming, and Muhammad being a "favorite son" from the state.

His story and his success like Barack Obama's is the real bottom line on what makes America great - how two men with raw greatness but severely disadvantaged by early relative impoverished conditions - can break from those early disadvantages and restraints and rise to the top of their fields.

Again, thank you so much for capturing the essence of this man and lending it to this thread.

Sam

[chieftain]

45. I appreciate your kind words. It is an honor to participate in

one of the best threads in my time here. Kudos to you for starting it.

[psychmommy]

32. I wanna see the oics

I enjoyed your article. I am an ali fan also. Keep writing your good.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[me b zola]

35. K&R

:kick:

[MirrorAshes]

37. great analogy.

this man truly is our champion.

[mamalone]

38. Kicking this for the benefit of the evening readers..

Enjoy all:)

[K Gardner]

39. And this gem, floating like a pearl before swine, in this morass of a forum.. brought a tear

to my eyes. Absolutely beautiful, deserving of widespread publication. Appropriate, touching prose; metaphor spot-on.

Thank you for this, Sam.

[Samantha]

41. You don't know K Gardner, how much these words mean to me

This is something I have been wanting to write for a month now. This week has been a tremendously stressful week, one of the hardest of my life. Wednesday night I sat down late in the evening, thinking if you don't write this now, when will you? I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. to finish it. Yesterday, I tweaked it and held it until this morning, because I had this feeling I would post it and it would sink like a rock. I can't believe the wonderful responses I have gotten on this thread. So many people seem to be in agreement with the sentiment. And the wonderful words such as yours make me so glad I got it done.

Thank you again, K Gardner -

Sam

[Adelante]

40. Beautiful job, Sam

:kick: Kicking for H2OMan, who will love this.

[Samantha]

42. Thank you WesDem - I hope H20Man does read it and like it

I feel very passionately about both of the men about whom I wrote. It's easy when one feels that type of passion to let it just flow into words. It's not truly the words speaking - it's the emotion which talks. I know you and he must understand that ...

Thanks again.

Sam

[Samantha]

46. A kick for the Sunday evening crowd

[calimary]

47. Kicking!

Get back up there!

This is a REALLY GREAT metaphor! I can easily see how you'd connect those two images. 'Cause they sure do connect!

That would definitely be a good description of the effect Barack Obama has on people. He does move and maneuver differently, and so deftly, and he throws some damned good jabs himself. This is one guy who likely won't be felled by swiftboating, mainly because he hits back quickly rather than letting the toxin spewed into the air by swiftboating settle and seep into the ground where it takes root. You gotta blow a flame-thrower through that toxin as it slowly floats downward through the air, and vaporize as much of it as possible to prevent it from touching down. John Kerry unfortunately thought it better not to "dignify such things with a response." FATAL mistake. By the time he realized he had to respond, the shit had been spewed for days - unchallenged and unrebutted, and people had already formed an impression. First impressions are the most lasting. I think maybe people are lazy. They grab the first impression and let that be that. Anything else that comes along afterwards, if it's different, perhaps it's just too much trouble to revisit the original idea a second time. After all, we already decided what we think about it, didn't we? Let's move on, move on! Nothing else to see here, folks! Besides, I don't wanna go over it again or hear anything else about it. I know what I know.

THEREFORE... either WE'VE got to make the first impression, or our side/our guy/girl has to make a corrective case immediately, and forcefully. AND... shrewdly - what with the way he maneuvered both the Edwards endorsement announcement and how masterfully he responded to bush's Knesset pissant speech. That was a multi-headed brilliant move. VERY nimble and almost a little zen. Reminds me of my sparring teacher when I was studying the martial arts. You use their force and bluster and energy against them. And his deftness in handling this stuff - and there are other examples. And for example, he's been pretty much a gentleman while campaigning against Clinton. That could be because it's just how he is, or it could be that he strategically recognizes that it will be that much harder to win over her most stalwart supporters whom he'll need in the general election, if all they remember is how he brutalized her. He could not have "kitchen-sinked" her the way she has him, and come out of it looking as strong and positive as he does now. He has a track record over time of running a very strong, smart, and effective - and relatively mistake-free - campaign. Speaks to his management skills, too.

What also is great, the same way Mohammed Ali threw his opponents off their game with his surprising, unexpected boxing style, the republi-CONS are thrown for a loop by Obama now. ESPECIALLY considering their third-of-three Congressional losses - in Mississippi where they ran all these nasty, dirty, scare-'em ads linking the Democrat to Obama and Pastor Wright, and the Democrat STILL won. Their same old (dirty) tricks don't work. In an election that was supposed to be a cake walk. HOW. Cool. Is. That.??!!?!?! The old playbook doesn't seem to fit here. Everything's stale and icky in the usual bag of tricks. All their same old lighters are out of lighter fluid all of a sudden and aren't firing anymore. How 'bout that? And that's got to drive them crazy. They don't know how to campaign like gentlemen. Too much mud in their eye. Or shit perhaps would be more accurately descriptive.

GREAT comparison here. Makes perfect sense. I hope he can keep them off their game for as LONG as he cares to remain on the national political stage.