It is rare to hear a politician take a firm stand on anything nowadays, but Illinois Senator Barack Obama took that risk nearly a month ago when he said, "I am happy for New Orleans, I think it's a wonderful story, but the fairy tale ends when they come to Chicago."
That's right, a firm stand on a football game. You have to disregard the fact that he was right in his prediction, because the biggest impact of the prediction for Obama was possibly alienating voters.
No one is going to argue that National Football League alliances will supersede issues like the economy or the war in Iraq, but it is a factor.
Think about the last two presidential elections and the states that were crucial in President George W. Bush's victory: Florida and Ohio.
In 2004, the state of Ohio and its 20 electoral votes were highly contested by Bush and Democratic candidate John Kerry. The final decision came down to a little more than 100,000 votes in favor of Bush and was a key component in his winning the presidency.
To understand Ohio voter demographics, you need to understand how much the state loves professional sports. It is one of the few states that fully supports two NFL teams and two MLB teams, in addition to having one of the most well-attended college programs in the country. The 105,708 people who attended this year's Ohio State vs. Michigan game have enough power to swing not only the state's electoral votes, but the entire election.
Ohio has proven that in some cases, athletics supersede politics. During the 2006 tightly contested election for Ohio's 15th congressional district, the district delayed recounting the votes and finalizing the election until after the Michigan-Ohio State game on Nov. 18.
So when Kerry referred to Green Bay Packers home field as Lambert Field instead of Lambeau Field, he alienated some potential voters in Ohio and nationwide. The gaffe actually spawned Football Fans for Truth, a group set out to highlight Kerry's athletic mistakes. It was a bit of a contrast to his opponent when you consider the fact that one of Bush's hallmark moments is throwing a perfect strike in the 2001 World Series in New York in the wake of Sept. 11.
In 2000, the presidential election was even tighter, but this time the battleground was Florida. The Sunshine State is perhaps the most loaded state in the union when it comes to athletics: two NBA teams, two MLB teams, two NHL teams, three NFL teams and three of the winningest teams in college football (Miami, Florida, Florida St.). In a state so loaded with sports fans, it has to make one wonder if the fact that the Republican nominee, Bush, was a former MLB owner played into any of those ever-so-crucial votes.
So when looking forward to the 2008 presidential elections, politicians' athletic backgrounds certainly leave room for criticism.
Obama is a noted Chicago fan and has risked losing some support in New Orleans due to his remarks about the Saints in the NFC championship game.
One of the other likely Democratic candidates, Senator Hillary Clinton, was criticized for putting on a New York Yankees cap when running for office in New York even though she is a Chicago Cubs fan.
As for potential Republican candidates, Senator John McCain also made a foray into the sports world, as he was one of the lead members on the congressional panel that investigated steroid use in baseball.
Also considering running for the Republicans is former New York mayor and noted Yankee fan Rudy Giuliani. This could prove difficult for his candidacy, since the Yankees are one of the most polarizing franchises in the country.
So regardless of party, athletic preference could play a role in determining a winner. And at least we know where Obama stands.
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