Tuesday, September 29, 2009
I'm afraid Durocher was right.
Leo Durocher, who was a very feisty major league baseball manager, including a stint with my Chicago Cubs, summed up his philosophy this way: "Nice guys finish last." Durocher encouraged his players to play hard, and dirty, if necessary. To not be too nice to the opposition. That was the way to win. Well, in the world of politics, Barack Obama is a nice guy. And we'll see what happens. Maybe he'll finish at the bottom of the heap. Because he's up against some dirty and hateful politicians, namely Republicans. Yes, the kinds of guys and gals that would make Durocher happy -- that is, if they were ballplayers. They would even lie and cheat. Just for the sake of winning. You'd think that Obama and the heavily Democratic Congress could easily get their way. They have the power. But by golly, Obama has insisted so far in being a nice guy. Very accommodating. Even to Republicans who seek to undermine him at every turn. Seems to me that Obama is trying to prove Durocher wrong about nice guys. That's laudable. But I'm afraid Durocher was right. Especially when one plays in the political realm. --Jim Broede
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I'm really torn about Obama. On the one hand, I think he's a nice guy. Fair. Even to his opponents and most severe critics. But that leaves him vulnerable. Because he's dealing with mean and nasty and despicable people. They play by a different set of rules. Not so nice. Now, if he turns the other cheek, and tries to be reasonably nice and accommodating to his opponents, they may more easily get the upper hand. I suppose that's why most politicians choose to be proverbial bastards. Because nice guys too often end up losing. --Jim Broede
I'd say I'm a nice guy 95 percent of the time. But eventually I get tired of turning the other cheek. Then look out. It's whamo. I can hit pretty hard. --Jim
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