In sports, strategy is difficult to over emphasize.  Coaches meet for hours with their staff devising a strategy that will best meet the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing team.  That strategy changes from week to week and from opponent to opponent.  If you win, the strategy was genius – If you lose, it was lousy.  That’s great for athletics, I’m sick of it with politics.

I’ve been around the block a few times and have been through more election cycles than I like to admit.  I’ve never seen such a pathetic scenario in a national primary process.  I believe much of the blame lies at the feet of the “strategy trumps principle” movement within the Conservative Right. 

When conversations first began in conservative circles about the ’08 election all of the talk was about Hillary.  The earth would stop spinning on its axis if we had Madame President.  There were furious strategy sessions about how to stop Hillary.  Anything, anything was better than Hillary.  The Games began.

There were problems, however, with the Republican ticket as well.  Do you remember when Rudy was out in front in all of the polls?  Conservatives began panicking because the Mayor is clearly Pro-choice and “inclusive” of homosexuals.  The Republican Party was doomed!!   Rudy had to be stopped!  “Somebody call Fred!”  Rudy was a lock!  The Games continued.

There were the surprising Evangelicals that threw their support behind Mitt Romney.  His Mormonism was a concern, his flip flops on Life issues, marriage and taxes were certainly disconcerting but he was better than Rudy!  After all, Rudy had to be stopped and at that point in the game it seemed the best strategy. 

Next, Fred Thompson was the savior of the party.  He would ride into the race on a Tennessee walker, slowly moving to the front of the pack.  He was smooth, experienced, a good communicator and a former actor.  The ghost of Reagan rose from the grave.  The strategy changed but the Games continued.

Way back in the pack of candidates was the grumpy old guy that lost in the last election.  John McCain is like that cantankerous old uncle at the family reunion.  No one likes him but everyone fears him.  Just stay away from him and he’ll go away.  Old John hardly entered into the strategy at this point in the games. He was in the rocking chair out on the back porch mumbling something about national defense.

Fast forward.  Hillary is sinking, Rudy has returned to Metropolis, Fred’s horse came up lame and Uncle Grouch is the presumptive Republican Nominee.  At each stage of the “Game” the “coaches” had barked out their strategies.  Evangelicals who had a problem with Romney’s Mormonism, his flip flops on Life Issues and marriage listened as the coaches told us this was the best strategy to stop Rudy and Hillary.  No, we had to get behind Fred!  Wait, Romney is sliding – no, he’s gone!  Uncle Grouch got up out of the rocking chair and took over the reunion!

What’s the result now of all of these wonderful political strategies passed on to us lemmings?  Real Conservatives are finally united!!  They all believe that John McCain may be the worst Presidential Candidate in memory from the Grand Old Party. 

Is it possible that fewer games, less political strategy and more emphasis on principle could have produced a different result?   Is it possible that we would be in a different place if there had been more emphasis on character and policy?  Is it possible we’ve put altogether too much emphasis on stopping a candidate rather than finding the absolutely best candidate and getting him elected?  Unfortunately, it’s too late to know this time around.   Next time - fewer games, please.