William Mattox: We compare politicians to boxers hoping to land a blow, drivers striving to win a championship race. But our leaders most resemble referees.
3:20PM EST November 6. 2012 - At the risk of trivializing an almost-sacred institution in American life (the National Football League), I'd like to pose a question which I think all voters should ask themselves today: Which of the two major presidential candidates would make a better NFL referee?
Now, I realize that Barack Obama and Mitt Romney aren't actually under consideration for this now-greatly-appreciated position in American life. And I recognize that political candidates not only act more like athletes than like umpires, but also continue to be members of a political party or "team" even after their campaigns are over.
Nevertheless, once candidates are elected, the central task of a public official is a lot like that of a sports official. Or a member of the NFL Rules Committee. Governing is about making and enforcing rules. It is about officiating. Public officials aren't supposed to think of themselves primarily as "players" trying to score points for their team. They are instead supposed to think of themselves as "league officials" seeking to make and enforce a set of rules that are fair to all and in the common interest.
To be sure, disputes can and will arise over certain proposed rules changes. Still, governing isn't supposed to be the main event. It isn't supposed to be the show. As George Allen writes in his book, What Washington Could Learn from the World of Sports, "No one pays to see the officials officiate." Or, to put it in Hollywood terms, government officials aren't supposed to be the central players on the stage of life.
Unfortunately, many in our day have lost sight of this fact. As a result, our nation's rulebook has grown so thick – think of the tax code, for example – that it often thwarts the creative flow of citizen-players. Add to this the fact that rules are increasingly written to favor certain groups over others and it's easy to see why our political disputes are often even angrier than the recent outcry over the incompetence of the NFL's replacement referees.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I should probably confess that as players, liberals often inspire my rooting interest. I like it when liberals show their compassion for the poor by starting private charities like Habitat for Humanity and Teach for America. I like it when liberals show their concern for injustice by making works of art like To Kill a Mockingbird and Schindler's List. I like it when liberals build highly-successful creative enterprises like Apple and Pixar. And I like it when liberals defend Christianity (which contends that God's favor is poured out liberally on undeserving sinners like me) against claims that salvation can somehow be earned by one's good deeds.
Nevertheless, when it comes to governing – conservatives tend to win my vote. It's not that I'd rather have beer with a guy like Mitt Romney than Barack Obama. No, the reason conservatives tend to win my vote is because they generally believe in a thinner rule book. They better understand the limited, but foundational, role that public officials are supposed to play.
"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy," John Adams once said. "My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."
In essence, Adams was saying that all of the higher and grander (dare I say liberal) pursuits of a civilization – whether in the arts, the sciences, or in commerce – depend on a stable (dare I say conservative) political foundation that protects and ensures artistic, intellectual, and economic freedom.
Or to put it in NFL terms, all of the most dazzling highlight-reel plays that one might ever find inspirational are facilitated (in their own small but important way) by a group of competent officials who have a limited set of well-designed rules, that they enforce judiciously, lest they hinder the creative flow of those amazing players.
Today, we the people aren't picking our favorite player. We're choosing the guy who'd make the best official. We need to remember that.
William Mattox is a registered independent who serves on USA TODAY's Board of Contributors.
In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions from outside writers, including our Board of Contributors.
Source: http://www.news.theusalinks.com/2012/11/06/column-the-right-referee-in-chief/
0 comments:
Post a Comment