Is the Mask of “The One” Slipping?

In a word, yes and it is following a predictable pattern. This has happened before where vast numbers of people bought in the hype around a person who had absolutely zero history to support the hype. The expectations are always inflated in these cases to justify the seemingly naïve choice. Then when the great hope’s performance falters, his greatest cheerleaders initiate the same pattern.

Here is a classic case in point.

In the 1998 NFL draft the top two quarterbacks on the board were Peyton Manning who most scouts considered the best prospect since John Elway and for some odd reason Ryan Leaf. Leaf had an up and down but successful career in college but his value in the draft seemed to spiral skyward for no real good reason.

The San Diego Chargers had the third overall pick behind Indianapolis and Arizona. Fearing that the messianic Leaf would not be there in the third pick, the Chargers made a startling deal with Arizona to move up. And the Chargers were deadly serious in their gamble. For one spot in the draft, they gave Arizona two first-round picks, a second-round pick and three-time pro bowler Eric Metcalf!

As you NFL fans know, this trade is commonly viewed as the biggest NFL draft bust in history! The Ryan Leaf NFL train wreck was a thing of legend.

But here is where the cultists unraveling follow the pattern.

The rest of San Diego’s draft was very lack luster and the veterans on the team weren’t exactly chock full of talent having come off a 4-12 1997 campaign. So, the apologists first started to blame those around him.

Much like today’s column in Salon from Democrat stalwart Camille Paglia:

March 11, 2009 | Free Barack!
Yes, free the president from his flacks, fixers and goons — his posse of smirky smart alecks and provincial rubes, who were shrewd enough to beat the slow, pompous Clintons in the mano-a-mano primaries but who seem like dazed lost lambs in the brave new world of federal legislation and global statesmanship.

Heads should be rolling at the White House for the embarrassing series of flubs that have overshadowed President Obama’s first seven weeks in office and given the scattered, demoralized Republicans a huge boost toward regrouping and resurrection. (Michelle, please use those fabulous toned arms to butt some heads!)

In 1998 after a horrid start, many of the sports writers and Charger fans began to recant on their overwhelming support for Leaf claiming that they had never really been all that excited in the first place.

This is happening again:

I should have known better.

For those of you who have been following me, most of you know that I grudingly voted for Obama last November. It was a ticket-spittling vote: voted for Obama and then voted GOP down the line. I noted that I was going to cast my vote with some trepidation:

While I am supporting Obama, it is with trepidation. I worry that once in office he will veer too far to the Left, pleasing the Democratic base. I can only hope that with so much support from independents and Republicans, that he will realize that he has to govern from the center or face a backlash in 2010.

Well, it seems like my fears have been confirmed. It started with the Stimulus Bill that I thought was too stuffed with pork to do any real good. Now it comes in the form of Obama’s proposed budget.
Finally, a controversy developed between Leaf and Charger’s management when the Charger head office began to wonder out loud if perhaps Leaf was simply in over his head.

Interestingly one of Obama’s biggest supporters, Howard Fineman of Newsweek has come to a similar conclusion:

Swimming in the middle, he’s denounced as a socialist by conservatives, criticized as a polite accommodationist by government-is-the-answer liberals, and increasingly, dismissed as being in over his head by technocrats.

How long before Democrats try to trade him to Tampa Bay?

Category: Politics