The Great Ones...

On Saturday, February 11, 2007, Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President in the 2008 national election. Thousands of cheering supporters were on hand in Springfield, Illinois and there were likely millions watching around the globe on CNN. Obama's supporters were frenzied not just in support of the junior senator from the state of Illinois, but in support a man who could potentially be the next President of the United States. He is a man who is faced with great challenges, but has the potential and the charisma to perhaps one day be known as a great man. If Obama can meet these challenges and reach the echelons of success that some have been forecasted for him, we will all be better for it.

Greatness is a quality that is at once difficult to define yet impossible to deny. To mark an individual with such a label is to set him or her apart from all peers, all competitors, to a level which few others could ever attain. You might be a good account executive or public relations associate, but are you great? Are you the greatest? Such labels might not get you much in corporate America, but in other arenas such as entertainment...sports...or...politics, the perceptions associated with your name can carry on forever, leaving a greater impact than any paycheck could ever buy.

It is with this innate knowledge, this subconscious measuring stick of human achievement, that we sum up every new figure who bursts upon the national scene. Shaq is good, but could he ball like Russell? Tomlinson can run, but can he move like Barry could? Clinton is savvy, but he's certainly no Kennedy. The comparisons are endless. A brief sniff of success is met with a barrage of criticism explaining that "Person B" isn't quite as magical as "Person A" was before him...or her. Much of this criticism is premature and perhaps unfair, but nonetheless it persists and it often serves to diminish one's accomplishments when they are put in the all important abyss of "perspective."

Despite the prevailing "show me" attitude of our national conscience, there occasionally comes a figure so dynamic, talented, and impressive that we cannot help but stop...and admire. We might not want this person to win every night; we might not want them to beat our team, or defeat our candidate...but we know they will. Greatness is a label predetermined for these individuals and as they begin their pursuit of that status, we are destined to watch in awe.

In my lifetime, greatness first came to fruition in the form of #23 on the Chicago Bulls. As any who watched will remember, MJ was unstoppable, particularly when the game was hanging in the balance. While I sometimes revolted against the mass of fans who had freshly discovered their love of all things Chicago, I couldn't help but watch as Jordan dominated the NBA. Even as he was still playing, his name was mentioned along with the words "best ever"...and I wanted it to be there. You probably did too.
There is something about watching someone perform at the highest levels of their given profession that has a positive impact on those who understand what they are seeing. We want them to be the best - not just to say that we saw it, but to remind ourselves that if Jordan can score 60 and McGuire can hit 70 then perhaps we can surpass those who came before us...in our jobs...our families...our lives.

The full spectrum of the "greatness" phenomenon is embodied in the career of Ken Griffey Jr. While basketball has its prominence and football is a juggernaut, baseball is THE national pastime. When Junior arrived in the early 90's, with boundless hype and whispers of unlimited potential, the sporting world paused to watch. When he began his career in a blinding fashion (once on pace to hit 800+ homers), we held our breath. Then, when he was traded to Cincinnati and injuries limited him to becoming an "average" Hall of Famer, we sighed with disappointment. The potential was lost...and with it went a little bit of inspiration.
Barack Obama is a fresh face on the political scene. With his stirring speech at the 2004 DNC and his subsequent rise to the United States Senate, he has rallied the support of many, myself included. A passionate and driven man, Obama has positioned himself for a strong run at the Democratic nomination. Despite the presence of several political heavyweights, Obama has an opportunity to garner the attention of a country that has become rife with political, economical, and social/cultural separatism. While his success and even his potential are far from certainties, his speeches and charismatic presence suggest a candidate who might just be worth fighting for.

Regardless of political persuasion, one must concede that the last 25, 30, maybe even 40 years have been devoid of the type of inspiring political figure that we celebrated on yesterday's national holiday. Even with the present Commander excluded, have there been any political Jordan's, Ruth's, Gretzky's or Jim Brown's in your lifetime? Anybody to tell the kids about? Anybody to stop and watch? While some were more prominent (Reagan, Clinton) than others (Carter, Bush...Bush), none have captured the sparkle of the nation's eye the way MJ did when he took off from the foul line. None have left us gasping in awe like a spin move by Barry.

As a nation who prides itself on inspiring and powerful iconic success stories, we deserve as much in our highest office. You can settle for your Gore's, Kerry's, McCain's and Quayle's...I want a superstar. Barack Obama might turn out to be the next Griffey Jr., but I think, I hope, we are willing to take that risk. I've seen enough Steve Nash MVPs - I'm ready for the next Jordan.

****The political leanings of the SixTalkingHeads are as diverse and impromptu as our haircuts. My support of Barack is neither endorsed nor possibly even known by my fellow writers. These are my thoughts...they are free...take from them what you will.****