From the 2005 World Series Trophy raised on Chicago's South Side rather than the North, to the rebirth of one of the NHL’s most storied franchises after years of failure, to the dominance of the Bulls in the 90’s, to the renowned formula of the ‘85 Bears, I've witnessed several different paths to building winning organizations.
Of these, some have been successful, some heartbreakingly familiar in their result, and some woefully misguided (Cade McNown, anyone?).
But any fan will tell you that process matters little to them – only that they can hoist a championship banner.
That being said, Vince Lombardi’s mantra -- “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” -- doesn’t apply to politics, policy, and people’s lives. Winning a campaign is an achievement in itself, but one that matters so much more if the candidate goes on to implement policies that fix real problems.
Progressives should strive to build organizations and back candidates that serve this purpose. But they need to do so intelligently.
In his recent In These Times column on Tom Geoghegan's candidacy, David Sirota wrote: "There is a value in backing long shots, even if those long shots lose." But his logic fails when applied to the 5th Congressional District primary, as he attempts to do. A more robust understanding of the nature of the race and the relative progressivism of the candidates offers more concrete lessons by which to make decisions about activism in future contests.
