Governor Barkley? Sounds Good to Sir Charles
Sir Charles Barkley, the former NBA great and member of the 2006 Hall of Fame class, recently announced his plans to run for governor of Alabama. The eternal goofball, Barkley, has recently been featured on TNT’s pre and post game coverage of the NBA. Barkley, all things considered, is a love ’em or hate ’em kind of guy. You love him when he makes a corny joke about his weight or when he got into mock fights with the opposing team’s mascot. You hate him when he throws a guy through a barroom window or when his marital and gambling problems become primetime news. Or, perhaps you love him for the reasons you should hate him because, say what you want, Sir Charles Barkley is nothing if not honest.
When asked if he regretting throwing that guy through a window, Barkley responded, “I regret we weren’t on a higher floor.” I’m sorry; you have to take comments like that with a grain of salt. Maybe I have a horrible sense of humor, but I find Charles Barkley funny. This is not, after all, the first time that Charles has announced his plan to enter Alabama’s gubernatorial race.
On a personal note, I’ve always loved Barkley, the good and the bad. I feel his honesty is commendable to the point where “bad” stuff can be marginally ignored. So maybe I’m going out on a limb when I say this, but I hope Charles Barkley does run for governor. I hope he wins.
Some talking head on cable television said it best (and wish I’d remembered his name to give him the credit he deserves), let me paraphrase: “I can’t believe people are so surprised by this. We live in a country where two actors from the movie “Predator” not only ran for governor, but won.” Of course, those two men were California’s current governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and the former governor of Minnesota, Jessie “The Body” Ventura (I). It’s worth noting that the pressure, or perhaps the disdain, of the job took its toll on Ventura, and he left amidst a flurry of rumors and erratic behavior. Arnold has done okay, I guess. He’s a fairly moderate republican and he seems to have a genuine enthusiasm for the job. I have no beef with him.
So, is Charles Barkley the next celebritician in the making? He wouldn’t be the first former NBA star to get into politics. Former New York Knick Bill Bradley spent 18 years as a New Jersey senator and though he was fairly popular, his reign was checkered and by the time he called it quits in 1996, he described the American political process as “broken”.
In the end, I guess that’s the internal crux for celebrities with political aspirations. Their eyes seem to be bigger than their mouths and they often leave with a sense that politics should be left to the “real” politicians: namely forsaken, political offspring and immensely rich, egotistical bastards.
A hope you prove them wrong Sir Charles Barkley, I hope you prove them wrong.
