Barack Obama at Home on 50-Yard Line

Democrat Barack Obama should feel at home tonight when he speaks to the nation from Denver’s Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium.   After all, he’ll deliver his nomination acceptance speech from behind a podium on the 50-yard line.  And that should benefit his opponent, Republican John McCain, if he takes my advice.

How do I know Obama will be comfortable at the 50-yard line?  Because I speak from personal experience in both football and politics.

FOOTBALL

As a four-year starting quarterback whose career ended almost before it began (in ninth grade), I became familiar with all aspects of the gridiron.  Below is all one needs to know about the 50-yard line from a purely-football perspective for purposes of this article:

Also known as the “midfield stripe,” the 50-yard line runs from one sideline to the other and serves as the halfway point between end zones 100 yards apart.  In a football game, a team can score points only by moving his team into the end zone — or, at a minimum, into field goal range.  To do that, a team must move the ball past the 50-yard line, usually within 40 yards of the end zone.

POLITICS

Some 15 years later, I became familiar with the ins and outs of the political game as manager for back-to-back campaigns for candidates in Oklahoma who were seeking seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Below is all one needs to know about the 50-yard line from a purely-political perspective for purposes of this article:

A candidate’s stance on a particular issue can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of an election. When a candidate takes a position on an issue, he risks ostracizing voters who do not agree with him on that position.  When a candidate refuses to take a position on an issue, he risks creating doubt among voters on both sides of the issue; moreover, he risks losing the election.

OBAMA’S ‘PRESENT’

According to The Wall Street Journal, Obama has a long track record of not taking a stand on weighty issues of the day.  While serving as a state legislator in Illinois, he cast votes of “Present” on 130 occasions instead of voting up or down on issues.

Thinking politically, he likely reasoned that he could prevent others from being able to tie him to particular positions on controversial issues, thus keeping more viable his long-term political future.  In football parlance, however, “Quarterback Obama” spiked the ball despite the fact that there was a lot of time left on the clock.

MY ADVICE FOR JOHN McCAIN

If I was running the McCain campaign, I would have a new campaign commercial ready to go tonight, moments after the junior senator from Illinois concludes his speech.

The spot would feature video showing a birds-eye view of an empty Invesco Field — minus the stage and props constructed for the acceptance speech.  The video would be accompanied by a voiceover exchange involving two sports broadcasters in a conversation about whether or not Obama is a questionable draft pick:

Broadcaster #1:  “Joe, I don’t know why Team America, the best team in the world, would select this guy to play quarterback.”

Broadcaster #2:  “You’re right, Jack.  His track record shows what appears to be an unwillingness to move the ball down field.”

Broadcaster #1: “The last thing Team America needs when it takes the field is a quarterback who can’t get the ball past the 50-yard line.”

The spot would, of course, end with the necessary disclaimer:  “I’m John McCain, and I approved this message.”

The ad will work and, therefore, should be aired day and night — especially during pro and college football games this fall.  In the end, voters will choose McCain and “Team America” will win the game.

-- Bob McCarty Writes