posted on July 13, 2004 12:34:19 PM new
CHICAGO (July 13) - Mike Ditka, the cigar-chomping, blunt-speaking former football coach, said on Tuesday increasingly desperate Illinois Republicans may get a chance to put him on the ballot as their U.S. Senate candidate.
"I've got to be firmly convinced in my mind that I really think I can make a difference," before deciding to seek the Republican nomination, the 64-year-old Pro Football Hall of Fame member told a Chicago radio station. "If I'm just going to be another schmuck up there in Washington then it wouldn't be fun for me."
Republican leaders have been rebuffed by a growing list of professional politicians -- including two former governors -- in their search for a candidate.
The nominee chosen in a March primary, Jack Ryan, was driven off the ballot last month after unsealed divorce records claimed he took his wife to sex clubs and asked her for trysts in front of strangers.
Meanwhile Democrat Barack Obama, a state senator, has opened a hefty lead in polls for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Peter Fitzgerald. Republicans now control the Senate by a close margin.
"There is a lot of scrutiny that goes with the job, but I'm not afraid of that. I'm not afraid of the contest. I'm not afraid of the battle," Ditka said in the interview with sports station WSCR.
Separately he told the Chicago Sun-Times: "I am very conservative ... I am very outspoken and a lot of people aren't going to like that, but that's me. So if they don't like me they vote for the other guy."
When Ryan quit the race on June 25, Republican leaders predicted they would have a replacement candidate in about three weeks. Ditka's name was put in play by a handful of Republicans who established a "draft Ditka" Web site last week.
Ditka, who coached the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl championship in 1986 and later coached the New Orleans Saints, would have to give up his job as a cable TV football commentator should he be named a candidate.
Ditka's wife has been quoted as saying she'd divorce him if he ran -- a prospect Ditka dismissed Tuesday saying, "She'd do anything I wanted to do."
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on July 13, 2004 01:39:05 PM newI am very conservative...I am very outspoken and a lot of people aren't going to like that, but that's me. Now there's a statement I can identify with.
She'd do anything I wanted to do. Oh brother....some men.
posted on July 13, 2004 01:56:02 PM new
Ditka was a great coach, but I don't think he will make a good politician. We need qualified leaders in government, not actors and former sport stars.
The Republicans are desperate and are looking for body that can attract votes.
Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
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All Things Just Keep Getting Better
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We the people, in order to form a more perfect Union....
.....one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for ALL.
posted on July 13, 2004 02:27:45 PM new
logansdad-What makes a qualified politician? I can't wait to hear this answer.
I think you need to explain why they don't make good politicians, not just make a blanket statement? I guess it states from Ditka running as a republican. If he would have run on the democratic ticket it would have been different? Please explain your statement....if you can.
posted on July 13, 2004 02:48:37 PM new
Hey there....Ronald Reagan was an actor and made one of our best Presidents. His administration ended the Cold War and he'll be remembered as one of our BEST Presidents.
If an actor can do *that*....and then that's compared with the experience [cough] of someone like kerry, who has served in the Senate for 20 years and has NO accomplishments under his belt.... that says a lot.
I will explain why I feel Ditka doesn't make a good candidate. He has not political experience what so ever. His experience is in coaching and analyzing football games. How does that translate into having the poltical experience necessary to run for Senate. I do not feel he knows what the voters of Illinois need or want.
This has nothing to do with him being on the Republican ticket. If Jack Ryan didn't screw up and let his sex life ruin him we wouldn't be having this debate. Besides Jack choose to exit the race.
This was a desperate attempt for the Republicans to pick a candidate with "name appeal". If Ditka really wanted to run for senator, he should have run in the primary. Ditka is "the second choice candidate" now.
Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
------------------------------
All Things Just Keep Getting Better
------------------------------
We the people, in order to form a more perfect Union....
.....one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for ALL.
posted on July 13, 2004 05:12:06 PM new
He'd probably do as well as, if not better, then many "experienced" politicians.
On the light side--the Republicans should be thrilled if he does become a candidate. Ditka's social interactions should take the spotlight of Cheney's "go f$#@ yourself" faux pax. BTW, there are now t-shirts, etc. you can by with the v-p's quote on them...
____________________
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -- John F. Kennedy
posted on July 13, 2004 06:14:07 PM new
Logans - do you somehow doubt the ability of Illinois citizens to be able to communicate what they want to Ditka? As a former coach will he somehow be forbidden to use things like polling, emaill and staffer to lo g in snail mail that every other politician uses to keep pace with the pulse of his constituents?
Quite frankly I would think that the people of Illinois would be very happy to have someone speaking for them that is not beholden to the special interest groups and corporate contributors that career politians amass in great numbers during their career. His decision would be made on what is in he best interest of the state as opposed to what has been bought and paid for. I don't know if Ditka would be good or bad but I do know that dimissing him offhand soley because he is a former coach is short sighted.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
[ edited by fenix03 on Jul 13, 2004 06:23 PM ]
posted on July 13, 2004 06:15:13 PM new
"I will explain why I feel Ditka doesn't make a good candidate. He has not political experience what so ever. His experience is in coaching and analyzing football games."
So what made Sonny Bono a good candidate? or even his wife? His experience was singing with cher and being a comedian. BTW with a gay daughter that many people liked.
Poor Poor excuse Logansdad. Try running a football team it's like playing politics you never know what the opposition is going to do.
I think you have to come up with something better than that. I honestly don't think you know with it takes to coach a football team.
posted on July 13, 2004 06:30:36 PM new
Libra, will you share why you feel he is a good candidate?
And Libra let's see if you could do a better job coaching a football team. I doubt you have any experience either. And no I would not be a good a coaching a football team, but I surely would not pretend that I did and promise people I would take the team to the Super Bowl. I know what I am capable of doing.
So what made Sonny Bono a good candidate? or even his wife? His experience was singing with cher and being a comedian. BTW with a gay daughter that many people liked.
I can't comment on this because Sonny was before my time. I don't know what his background was before/during his singing career. All that I know about Cher is her music.
If it was Clint Eastwood running for an elected office I would say the same thing about him that I did about Ditka. I would not vote for him just because he is famous.
Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
------------------------------
All Things Just Keep Getting Better
------------------------------
We the people, in order to form a more perfect Union....
.....one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for ALL.
[ edited by logansdad on Jul 13, 2004 06:37 PM ]
[ edited by logansdad on Jul 13, 2004 06:51 PM ]
posted on July 13, 2004 06:55:38 PM new
I'm not sure if it's a good idea to have Ditka in the senate. If he loses a vote he might start kicking peoples asses. C-Span had better go on a tape delay for bad language.
"I voted for the $87 billion before I voted against it."
posted on July 13, 2004 07:33:28 PM newIf it was Clint Eastwood running for an elected office I would say the same thing about him that I did about Ditka. I would not vote for him just because he is famous.
Yes but you have already decided that Ditka is a bad choice without hearing his views on even single topic which tells me that will will vote AGAINST him just because he is famous which is equally bad.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on July 13, 2004 08:07:54 PM new
How about being a Senator or Reps wife? Is that adequate political experience? We've had more than a couple of members of Congress whose only experience was just that.
We've got a Senator in NY that was a president's wife- that was her background. She should be in prison, not the Senate.
Let's see if Mike gets the nod , then let's see what he says, and if he cares to, what he believes in.
Lack of political experience isn't all that big a handicap- if he wins there will be tons of experienced staffers and party colleagues to give him all the guidance he needs/wants.
posted on July 13, 2004 08:19:01 PM new
If political experience is not necessary, then why are we electing a presidential candidate from the working class of America. After all he/she would not be persuaded from special interest groups or the "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" attitude.
Ross Perot was a business man when he tried to run for President, and we all know how he did.
We all have are own views. It was my opinion that a person running for elected office should have some sort of experience and not to be a high powered celebrity or athlete.
Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
------------------------------
All Things Just Keep Getting Better
------------------------------
We the people, in order to form a more perfect Union....
.....one Nation indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for ALL.
posted on July 13, 2004 09:06:18 PM new
Clint Eastwood was mayor of some town in California for quite awhile.
Logansdad I think I know more about football that a lot of women. Well fenix first, as I think she is very knowledgeable, than me. I have grow-en up with football all my life. My father, brother were top football players but back when they were young they didn't have the opportunity as they do now. There isn't much about sports I don't know. Soccer is one of them. Could I run a football team well not by myself but who now a days does with all the assistant coaches. Could I run for senate, maybe so, but who wants the hassle. But the pay is good, very good.
My father was a judge, but not a lawyer. He had no experience but made a darn good judge. It was an elected office. So you just have to wait and see if he (Ditka) is elected to what he will do. You don't have to vote for him...or is it you think with the Ditka name he will be a shoe in and you don't like that.
What makes an astronaut think he can be a senator? John Glenn did it and I think he also did a good job.
posted on July 13, 2004 09:26:47 PM new
Hey Libra - that reminds me - you never told me if you knew the answer to my trivia question....
What legendary part of football history do the Packers and Redskins have in common?
(It's a great piece of trivia - I've actually won more than a few bets with guys who thought they knew everything about football with it)
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on July 13, 2004 10:15:36 PM new
The answer to mine is Vince Lombardi. He only coached one season with them but in true Lombardi tradition, it was their first ever winning seaso (he never coached a losing season in his career)
If you get a chance, check out a book called Winning is the Only thing. It was put together by Vinces son and follows the story of his football life thru the eyes of people around him at the time. Each chapter is written by different coaches, players etc. He started putting it together just after he left he Packers and then different player written chapters span the time from just before his diagnosis with cancer, during the battle and just after his deah. There is a funny story in there from his son who was the sales rep for the company suppling the Skins with their uniforms. When Lombardi put in the order he stated they were to be Cardinal and gold. His son told him that they did not have "Cardinal" but they did have Burgundy. Lombardi told his son he wanted Cardinal or would go elsewhere with his order. Knowing his stubborn father he wrote the order out for "Lombardi Cardinal" (burgundy) and Gold. It's a great book for any Packer fan with chapters from Starr, Nitshke and many more.
The best way to ask the question in a trivia challenge is "What was the last team Vince Lombardi coached?" Most think that it is a trick question.
Answer to your trivia question..... I have no clue.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on July 13, 2004 10:24:30 PM new
Just checked ebay and there is a copy of the book listed right now for $2 if you are interested. .Great sideline gift for the fan in your life... If I don't buy that is. I've been trying to talk my mother out of my grandfathers old copy for years. She said she'll put it in the will.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on July 13, 2004 11:14:54 PM new
The year was 1968. A young Vietnam Vet. ran for the County Council in a district that had never elected a Republican. In his Campaign coffer was 200 bucks. No education, no backing by his party. He went door to door. It was biggest upset in the State. He won by 150,000 votes. He was later elected by his County as President of the County Council By 350,000 votes. He has never spent over 200 bucks in his run for office in 30 + years.
posted on July 14, 2004 12:02:06 AM new
Why not a football coach...we've had actors(bad ones), businessmen, a wrestler, slave owners, an alcoholic coward,
and worse than those...trial lawyers!!!!!
Ya know, like Abe Lincoln.
[ edited by crowfarm on Jul 14, 2004 12:03 AM ]
BTW, there are now t-shirts, etc. you can by with the v-p's quote on them...