Personal essays
On snatching defeat from the jaws of victory
The game
I swear to you that I was not going to talk about politics this week. I was going to talk about money - and then eight democrats voted to give up fighting for health care and just gave in.
After the elections last week where the democrats overwhelmingly won and public opinion was changing they -
they -
I guess the easiest way to put it is, the democrats are to politics what the Cleveland Browns are to football.
Sunday night I was talking to my brother. It was Sunday night here in central Europe but early afternoon in Cleveland and the Cleveland Browns had just begun their game with the New York Jets.
At that point the Browns had won two of their first eight games and the Jets had won only one.
I asked my brother who he thought would win.
“Well,” he began, “the Browns are already losing 14-7 but I think they’re going to win.”
His reasoning was that the Browns are so bad that winning wouldn’t benefit them in any way. In fact, it would hurt them as it would mean their position in drafting new players would be lower if they won.
Therefore, only because it would be bad for them if they won - they will win.
But, of course, they found a way to lose.
Like the democrats.
Record setting
Three years ago, the Browns and Jets played a game with an astounding ending.
You may not care about sports or about American Football, but this story will have you shaking your head.
With less than two minutes left in the game, the Browns put the game out of reach with a touchdown by running back Nick Chubb. With the score the Browns were ahead by 13 points, 30 - 17 with one minute and fifty-five seconds left.
The kick for an extra point would put them up fourteen points.
But the kick went wide to the right.
Oh, so what. The Browns are up thirteen points. The Jets would need to score a touchdown, get the ball back, and score another touchdown. Oh and they’d need to score the extra points as well.
That’s exactly what happened.
In fact, the last team to lose after being ahead by at least thirteen points in the last two minutes was the Browns twenty-one years earlier.
That’s how I felt when the Democrats caved earlier this week and allowed the Republicans to get everything they wanted without getting any real concessions.
My brother and I have watched more games over the years where our teams are ahead and we know not to celebrate early.
And yes, I’m talking about the Democrats.
Essay from Dim Sum Thinking Newsletter 294. Read the rest of the Newsletter or subscribe