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Washington, D.C. Just before the 2004 elections Don King came to Washington to have dinner at the White House with President Bush. When I ran into him at a TV studio the next day – with the great soul singer Lloyd Price at his side – King still had on a jean jacket blazing with rhinestones and embroidery in the shape of the President's face, along with the American flag, fireworks and the words "United States of America" in diamond-like studs on the sleeve. When I expressed a Washington political analyst's surprise that a Black boxing promoter was squarely in the President's corner for this fight (he donated $44,500 to the GOP cause) the 74-year-old sultan of the electrified Afro avoided his usual hyperbole and succinctly informed me: "He's a winner…and he's good for business." King is one of several big names in the world of sports who signed up Bush and the GOP. Today, athletes on the Republican side of the aisle range from Lynn Swann, who is running for governor of Pennsylvania, to Jim Ryun, the legendary distance runner who is a Republican member of Congress. Tom Osborne, the former coach of Nebraska football, is a Republican Congressman. So, too, was Oklahoma football star J.C. Watts. And then there is wrestling coach and current Speaker of the House Denny Hastert. Former members of Congress and great athletes are also overwhelmingly on the right wing side of politics from Michigan football star Gerald Ford, who went on to the White House, to quarterback Jack Kemp and U.S. Judo team captain Ben Nighthorse Campbell.  Lynn Swann and GOP team captain, President Bush. Of course, the renowned bodybuilder who is the governor of California is also a Republican as are Ivy League athletes who now serve as the governors of Rhode Island and Maryland. The entire golf tour seems to be made up of Republicans. King's explanation of his support for Bush – "he's a winner and good for business" – is at the heart of the GOP's powerful grip on American athletes. Sports stars want to be known as a strong, intimidating presence – a Goliath – feared for dominance and the steely ability to win and win and win some more. The idea of a dog-eat-dog world is familiar to ball players who know what it means to make the team or be cut from the team, to be a starter or on the bench, to win or lose. Weakness is death to athletes and the Republicans, and President Bush makes a virtue of displaying strength. A few years ago, the President had to explain to an interviewer that all Texas men walk the way he does, with his arms held a space from his body and his legs wide as if to accommodate big shoulders and muscular thighs. It is not a sign of arrogance, he offered, just Texas manly style. Have you noticed that when the President walks out to a Rose Garden press conference or to the helicopter, he is always in the lead? The Vice President, Karl Rove and other aides are a big step behind the lead man. This is in keeping with the "Daddy Party" image of the GOP, as compared to the "Mommy Party" image of the Democrats. It is the "Daddy Party" that protects America from terrorists, opposes gay marriage, defends the right to own a gun and promises never to "cut and run" from a fight in Iraq. It is the "Mommy Party," that worries about welfare programs, rising deficits and drilling for oil in a wildlife refuge. Athletes want to identify with a man and a winner.
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