Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Politics is wrestling - the 2004 edition

Whilst this blog is the number one resource for the analogy that politics is not unlike wrestling, I would never claim that I was the first to come up with it. It's an analogy that's been in the ether long before this blog and certainly before this election cycle.

In fact here is a post using the Politics is wrestling analogy from the 2004 election season. Written by pro wrestler Don "Cyrus" Callis for Canada's Canoe Slam Sports. Instead of the characters familiar to us today: Obama, McCain and Hillary. In 2004 the players then were John Kerry, Howard Dean and of course George W Bush. The article is written for wrestling "smarks" (intelligent fans) so some of the references may go over people's heads but its an interesting read nonetheless.
Politics or wrestling? by Cyrus (2004)
Of course, no wrestling angle would be complete without a strong bully of a heel for the babyface (Democrats) to be chasing. In this little bit of life imitating art, the role of lead heel is portrayed by none other than President George W. Bush, who democratic voters despise worse than Winnipeggers despised Bobby Heenan in 1977. This has heated up a war of words to rival wrestling at its finest.

Witness the verbiage from the front-runner, Senator John Kerry: "I have a message for George Bush: we're coming, you're going, and don't let the door hit you on the way out!" Now come on, if I fed you that line and asked if it came from a wrestling show or the potential next leader of the free world, what would you say?

Maybe the boys have been right all along, and life, including politics, is one big work.
Other links:
Politics is wrestling, Quote roundup: Ann Coulter, Jon Stewart, Mick Foley, Marc Ambinder, Matt Lewis, Wyatt Cenac, Mick Foley

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