We've all seen the latest clips of Barack Obama bowling his way to an abysmal 37 pins. From what I've seen, it looks as though, even with kiddie-bumpers, he might only have shot 47. But bowling is not really his game; basketball is. On the morning of the Iowa caucus, his first win of many, he shot hoops. On the morning of the New Hampshire primary, his first loss of few, he didn't. His only nod to superstition that we've seen is that he's played every significant Tuesday morning since then.
Basketball is as good a metaphor as any to explain why Obama is not only going to win the Democratic nomination, but why he is the best choice to beat John McCain in the fall.
Like a number one seed being out-hustled on the floor by a scrappy underdog, Hillary Clinton finds herself down by 20 points with two minutes to play. So she's sent her goons onto the floor to throw elbows, hips and the occasional kitchen sink to foul Obama, hoping he'll miss his free throws and allow her to get back into the game.
Call it the March Madness of Queen Hillary.
There's no denying Hillary Clinton's got game, of a sort: the Bill Laimbeer sort. For those of you who don't recall the NBA poster child for thuggery, here is the beginning of his bio from nba.com:
"In 14 bruising NBA seasons Bill Laimbeer made up for his minuscule vertical leap, slow feet, and sluggishness by becoming a master of posturing, muscling, and anticipating -- plus fomenting trouble, pretending to be fouled, and drawing his opponents' ire."
Though he and the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons managed to pummel their way to two straight NBA titles, they were quickly and rightfully eclipsed by the Chicago Bulls led by the Barack Obama of basketball, Michael Jordan, of whom nba.com says:
"He burst into the league as a rookie sensation scoring in droves with an unmatchable first step and acrobatic drives and dunks and concluded his career as a cultural icon. Along the way, he became a true champion who spearheaded the globalization of the NBA with his dynamic on court abilities and personal sense of style that was marketed to the masses. He was an accessible star who managed to maintain an air of mystique."
The rookie sensation Obama's quick Iowa first step, unflappable calm on defense and dizzying oratorical aerobatics have left Hillary Clinton flat-footed in the paint and sputtering, "Foul! Foul!"
And it is Obama's quickness of youth and power of fund-raising that make him the much stronger match-up against John McCain in the fall.
Consider Hillary's half-court strategy. Drawn up on the DLC-chalkboard, it consists of anchoring the major blue states, conceding the basic red states, and fighting over the swing states. The depth to which she's sold out to this approach can be seen in statements by her surrogates disparaging the electoral value of states she's lost like Mississippi, Nebraska and Virginia.
This is the only strategy available to her, as all of the voters of the Far and Christian Rights who are tepid on John McCain have very clear feelings when it comes to Hillary: revulsion, repulsion and anger-with-the-white-hot-heat-of-a-thousand-suns spring to mind. She will re-solidify the South for McCain, and replay the same campaign strategy from 2000 and 2004. And how's that been working out for ya, Dems?
This shores up McCain's weaknesses, turning them into strengths: with a smaller court and an ever-shortening game clock, the geriatric McCain can concentrate his feeble financial, organizational and physical resources in a few key states where he matches up well against an out-of-shape, aging Mama Clinton, only 12 years his junior.
Obama's strengths - his organization, his war-chest, his crossover appeal, his youth and vigor - will push McCain into a full-court, run-and-gun game. Barack can run a competitive 50-state strategy, forcing McCain to spend his energies and his money in states like Colorado, Louisiana and Georgia, and even Mississippi, Nebraska and Virginia.
As any devotee of the game knows, you win championships by denying the opponent your half-court and playing in his. Obama excels at this type of game and will beat Clinton and McCain both the way the Harlem Globetrotters beat the Washington Insiders - I mean, Generals - soundly, repeatedly and with style.
