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Obama swings for the fences
By Jim Walsh
 We can’t let this month pass without a word or two about the election of 2008 and the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama. Volumes already have been spoken and written about this, but I have yet to see anyone comment on the one character-defining moment that swung me in the direction of the junior senator from Illinois.
Obama was asked by ESPN whom he would support in a Cubs-White Sox World Series. His response:
"Oh, that’s easy. I’m not one of those fair-weather fans. You go to Wrigley Field. You have a beer; beautiful people up there. People aren't watching the game. It’s not serious. White Sox — that’s baseball. South Side."
Yes!
There are several things remarkable about Obama’s response. First of all, he directly and decisively answered the question — something for which politicians are not known. Many politicos would have said, “Well, that’s a great question, and I know the city of Chicago would be delighted to have that happen.” Nope. Obama took a position.
Secondly, he had the courage to dis a huge constituency. He could have said, “I have great respect for the Cubs and their wonderful fan base, but I’m a South Sider so I have to go with the White Sox.” Nope. He gave a completely undiplomatic response, which is particularly amazing because there are way more Cubs fans than White Sox fans. Moreover, many of those Cubs fans are in swing states, like Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri. Obama did not read the polls and focus group results or attempt even-handed diplomacy; he spoke truth to power.
Third, he demonstrated loyalty. Obama has lived and worked on Chicago’s South Side, and he married a South Side girl. With regard to baseball, Chicago is geographically divided. If you live on the North Side, you should be a Cubs fan, because your father and grandfather and great grandfather were Cubs fans. If you live on the South Side, you should be a Sox fan for the same reasons. Loyalties are handed down from generation to generation. Switching to the other side is evidence of an enormous and unforgivable character defect.
I know about this. I grew up on the South Side of Chicago. My grandfather, my father, my mother, my older brother, my older sister and every Sister Mary Holywater I had in every grade — they all taught me right from wrong, White Sox from Cubs. We knew on which side we stood. Obama knew that too, and he had the loyalty to stick with it.
On Jan. 19, we will celebrate Martin Luther King Day. On Jan. 20, we will watch Barack Obama take the oath of office as the 44th president. America has judged him, as Dr. King dreamed, not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character. Barack Obama’s answer to this hypothetical Cubs-White Sox question told me all I needed to know about his character. Play ball!
JIM WALSH is editor in chief of Texas School Business and the managing editor of Texas School Administrators' Legal Digest. Also a school attorney, he co-founded the firm of Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Gallegos & Green, P.C. He can be reached at jwalsh@wabsa.com or by visiting www.walshanderson.com.
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