Here they come, they’ve rounded the far turn and they’re headed into the homestretch.
It was Obama by ten lengths, but from nowhere came Romney and now they’re neck and neck. The jockeys are whipping and driving their horses, ladies and gentlemen.
It’s Obama, no it’s Romney, it’s Obama, it’s Romney, no it’s Obama, what a horse race!
It looks like it could be a photo finish and that’s what makes the sport of kings so exciting. Thoroughbred yearlings are bred or purchased, they’re raised with just the right care, they’re fed, groomed, exercised, and trained to run fast, with each owner thinking their two-year-old could be the next Triple Crown winner.
The first test comes as the young colt experiences its initial early morning mist on the track, where the standard of quality is measured by a stopwatch.
Either the colt can run fast, or it can’t. If it can’t run, the dream ends quickly. If, however, the morning workout time approximates to the time of the most recent Kentucky Derby winner, then the aspirations intensify and hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent in the quest for that dream.
Along the way, the opportunities for other non-Triple Crown races come along to prove whether the horse can run against other horses, and win.
Once again, it’s a culling process. Winners continue the journey, while the losers are put out to pasture.
Ultimately, the final test comes on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, where a group of top contenders line up in order to claim destiny, or become just another footnote.
The champion is decided on the track in what is called the fastest two-minutes in sports. The beauty is that nobody knows who will win; it’s simply unknown until it finally happens. Therefore, in order to provide the best possible advantage, money is spent from the moment the colt is born until it crosses the Derby finish line.
Certainly, every horse race features both favorites and long shots, and anyone can win, that’s why they run the race.
This presidential race, however, was over quite a while ago. Some will contend that Romney surged in the polls after the first debate, yet Obama came on strong in the second debate, and both stayed neck and neck in the third debate.
Pollsters will tell you that it will be the undecided voters that put one or the other across the finish line in first place.
I strongly disagree.
I believe there is practically no one who does not know who they will vote for on Tuesday.
The hundreds of millions of dollars spent in order to persuade the voters, has indeed, been wasted.
People know, and have known for a very long time who their winner will be.
Oh, what a joy it would be if the primary season for the general election could be as short as the two-minute dash at Churchill Downs.
Without a doubt, the time, money, and effort saved would be immense.
The winner has already crossed the finish line; he’s just waiting for his name to flashed on the tote board.