ESPN analyst and former NFL coach Mike Ditka, speaking at a small ribbon cutting ceremony for a North Dakota oil company, stated that his biggest life mistake was not running against Barack Obama for Senate in 2004. Ditka claimed:
“I probably would have [won] and he [Obama] wouldn’t be in the White House.?
With this remark, Ditka joins the list of narcissistic right wing celebrities who think they could beat Barack Obama in an election but for some reason chose not to run, but rather to surround themselves in their perpetual delusions of grandeur. The ex-NFL football coach with a history of anger management issues can now be lumped in the same category as washed up misogynist guitar player Ted Nugent and addle- brained billionaire Donald Trump.
Ditkas’ political judgement has long been suspect. In 2008, he campaigned with Sarah Palin, proclaiming at a rally:
“If we’re smart, the only option we have is to elect John McCain and Sarah Palin.”
Ditka has continued to express admiration for Palin in recent years. While Mr. Ditka may harbor illusions about having been able to beat Obama in Illinois, his far-right politics would have likely been the political kiss of death in the Land of Lincoln.
Right-wingers perhaps have a hard time admitting that Barack Obama is a formidable candidate. Obama has never lost an election to a Republican and his 70-27 victory over Alan Keyes was the most lopsided in the history of Illinois Senate races. Obama has never been defeated by a Republican in an election at any level, not for State Senator, US Senator, or President. He has only lost a single election ever, losing a 2000 US House primary election to incumbent Democratic Congressman Bobby Rush.
By contrast, Mike Ditka has a lifetime playoff record as a coach of 6-6 and an overall winning percentage of 56 percent. In his final season at New Orleans, he finished 3-13. His only Super Bowl Victory was with Buddy Ryan as his Secretary of Defense. Obama on the other hand has beaten John McCain and Mitt Romney in back to back super bowls and defied the odds by beating Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic league championship. Now, of course football and politics have little in common so the comparison may seem silly. However, that is precisely the point. Football is the subject where Mike Ditka has the most knowledge and experience, and yet he has a rather modest 56 percent winning percentage.
Politics is not his area of expertise, but he somehow imagines he could have beaten Barack Obama in Democratic leaning Illinois, even though Obama has walloped every Republican he has ever faced. The truth is, had the Republicans nominated Mike Ditka to run against Obama in 2004, he would have met the same fate as Alan Keyes and the race would have been called moments after the polls closed. Ditka should stick to announcing football. While his knowledge of football is vastly overrated as his mediocre coaching record shows, it is still more sophisticated than his knowledge of politics. If he is interested in a new career politics is not the right choice for him. However, he could always consider an audition to be the next drummer for Ted Nugent’s band. He may not be any good as a drummer, but it would be a match made in heaven. His lack of talent would not matter because nobody goes to Ted Nugent concerts any more anyway.
Edited/Published by: SB
