[Husker] TO to run for governor

[Smith, William]

I have some definite political leanings, like many people do, but I'll exercise restraint on the policy side of all this.  

However, the strictly practical implications of a former coach or athlete entering politics are rather interesting.  A successful athletic career is a huge advantage.  By and large they tend to do very well (at least with the first few elections): J.C. Watts, Jim Bunning, Steve Largent, Bill Bradley, Tom McMillan come to mind immediately.   We could probably count Schwarznegger in that list as well (he did after all, start his career as an athlete).   

And didn't Mike Ditka seriously consider a run for senator of Illinois last year?  A Ditka/Barama election would have been very interesting, a lot more interesting than the actual election.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Ditka run at some point in the near future.  

Which leads to the question;  has any former coach or athlete lost his initial venture into politics?  

Bill Smith
Towson, MD



-----Original Message-----
From:	husker-bounces at tssi.com on behalf of jonlists
Sent:	Sun 5/1/2005 12:32 PM
To:	Bob Beach
Cc:	husker at tssi.com; husker-bounces at tssi.com
Subject:	Re: [Husker] TO to run for governor
Perhaps, Bob, if you had taken the time to explain your position more 
fully at the outset, some of us wouldn't feel like you're constantly 
trolling. 

Although, OTOH, you did provoke a response from Steve R that was pretty 
darned insightful and well-written regarding TO's qualifications beyond 
football. 
So, without the troll, we wouldn't have gotten the well-written response 
by Steve R, which can be paraphrased and used by many of us out of staters 
who are ultimately going to be asked "So.... the hicks from Nebraska are 
going to elect an ex-football coach as governor?" 

Now I'll have a response other than "So, just what HAS Joe Paterno done 
for YOU lately?" 

I'm off to New Orleans. If the schedule smiles, I hope to pick up some 
Tulane baseball Tuesday night. They're #3 by Baseball America. 
Hey, given that, Jeff Volk, Jay, others on College baseball - I usually 
watch the Baseball America site, although it typically requires payment 
for the real good stuff. College baseball stuff can be hard to find - 
maybe we could all come up with some good links together - I can post them 
on the blog - or anywhere else for that matter - something that'd be easy 
to use. 

Ya'll have a good week. <G>

Jon Johnston
Creative Business Solutions
IBM, Microsoft, Novell/Suse, Sophos Consultants
http://www.cbsol.com
blog:http://bingo.cbsol.com

husker-bounces at tssi.com wrote on 05/01/2005 10:26:14 AM:

> Steve Reichenbach wrote:
> 
> >>     Meet the next governor of Nebraska, Tom Osborne.  He doesn't even 

> >>have to have a clue.  He won football games for NU so he will win in a 

> >>landslide.
> >>
> >>Bob Beach
> >> 
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >He seems to me to have many qualifications for becoming governor
> >without mentioning his football success.  Tell me, what qualifications
> >does he lack?  What qualifications does the current governor (or
> >previous governors) have that Osborne lacks?  Who would you propose
> >as a better qualified governor?
> >
> >Tell me, Bob, you have implied here and in previous emails that
> >Osborne's only qualification is having won football games and that
> >Nebraska voters would elect him just because of his football coaching
> >success.  Certainly, his football success gives him name recognition
> >(whidh is a boon for any candidate), but what makes you repeatedly
> >dismiss his many excellent qualifications as a candidate.  Why does
> >his candidacy get your goat?
> > 
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
>      As I have stated many many many times.  I don't have a feeling one 
> way or another about his political aspirations or candidacy.  I have 
> never said he wasn't qualified.  As a matter of fact I don't think I 
> have given much, if any, opinion about his qualifications or lack 
> thereof.  I don't think I have stated very often, if at all, what kind 
> of job I think he is doing.   I have never said, or implied, his only 
> qualification is winning football games.  What I am saying, and have 
> said, as far as Nebraska voters are concerned a person  wouldn't have to 

> be qualified for anything and could win an election if they had the 
> track record TO had as Husker football coach.  In my previous post I 
> didn't say TO didn't have a clue.  I said he doesn't HAVE TO HAVE a clue 

> and would get voted in.  His candidacy doesn't get my goat.  It's just 
> virtually automatic who is going to win.  In the third district all TO 
> had to do is declare he was running and it was a given who would win. 
> Personally, I don't care if he is Governor or not.  It is fine either 
> way.  But, of the voters that vote for TO it would be interesting to 
> know how many are voting for him because they have the same political 
> feelings or they just recognize his name for being a great football 
> coach at NU.  If he isn't Nebraska's next Governor it will be the 
> biggest upset since NU beat Oklahoma in 1959 in football IMHO.
> 
> 
> Bob Beach 
> 
> >
> > 
> >
> 
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