In North Carolina there is a famous old liberal named Dean Smith, who coached the Tar Heels for a million years before retiring to become a bleeding heart. He has officially endorsed Barack Obama for president which, according to Wonkette reader Kelsey, means “It’s over in NC.” Coach Smith’s exciting email after the jump.
There is a point in every contest when sitting on the sidelines is not an option. That is why Linnea and I are writing to urge you to join Barack Obama’s campaign for President. There are pivotal moments in history when the right decision by a nation can change its course for the better — opening up new paths before us and providing future generations with opportunities that we had not thought possible. This coming election provides one of those moments. Linnea and I believe Barack Obama is the right leader at this critical juncture. I have written that when coaching a team, you must be prepared to make changes to meet new challenges and obstacles. We must be prepared to do the same as a nation. Now, it is the United States that needs a change in direction… and a change in leadership. Join Barack Obama today by volunteering in your corner of North Carolina:
http://nc.barackobama.com/jointhesmiths
Linnea and I respect all that Senator McCain has done for our country. However, we feel strongly that it is Barack Obama who offers the real leadership our nation needs to tap its potential as a land of opportunity — even as we face difficult times at home and abroad. Senator Obama is a patriotic American, a committed Christian, a good family man, and a man who shares the bedrock values that most North Carolinians have in common: fairness, hard work, respect for others, and personal responsibility. And he has the vision and judgment to help us push through this period of uncertainty to a time of greater economic stability and greater security from threats abroad. If you believe America needs to set a new course, then the time to join us is now. If you are already an Obama supporter, please step up to help our campaign. There are only about three weeks left before Election Day, and if we are going to move away from the failed policies of the past, then we need your help now. So we encourage you to get out there and get involved — talk to your neighbors and sign up to volunteer today.
Get involved now: http://nc.barackobama.com/jointhesmiths
And pass this email along to those you think might be interested. This election is too important to stand on the sidelines and watch history pass us by. Thank you,
Coach Dean Smith and Linnea Smith
Chapel Hill, NC
Photo by Zeke Smith via Wikipedia/Creative Commons.
{ 88 comments }
Go Heels!
yeah!!!!!!
paint it blue!
This Monday is so much better than the last Monday.
McCain needs a big “TO” BABY
It’s okay, I’m just waiting for the Bear Bryant and Woody Hayes endorsements.
As a terp, I always hated Duke more than the Tarheels. I feel vindicated.
This will have the same effect in NC as Ralph Stanley’s endorsement had in VA.
I guess this means it’s time for ‘Bama to go into the four corner offense.
Meanwhile, Bobby Knight endorses McCain and throws a chair at Joe Biden.
Nail, meet coffin.
Of course basketball would be in the tank for Barry “Shoot Hoops” Obama
The man knows solid fundamentals when he sees them.
[re=131386]Tommy Says Soooo[/re]:
Adolph Rupp… not a huge Obama fan!
McCain tries to trump the Dean support with George Allen.
McCain’s Straight Talk just now: “Your savings are in danger and your retirement is at risk” “Fighting two wars and our enemies are waiting to see if this crisis will permanently weaken us”
Umm John, fighting two wars more than weakened us.
Fight Fight Fight.. that is McCain’s new theme… He thinks he is Rocky Balboa…
This just might make me rethink my disdain of Tar Heels basketball!
We need to start an over/under on how many elec. votes Barry receives. I’ll start the tally with 700 billion.
Alright, a college basketball endorsement! Now we need a few Obama endorsements from prominent Nascar drivers, televangelists, and the ghosts of John Deere and Jack Daniels and we’ll really be cookin’ in red states.
[re=131392]jinmoom[/re]:
As basketball goes, the college game is still relatively friendly to whitey. Lots of slow, clumsy white centers and slow, less clumsy white point guards in the NCAA.
I’d say the And1 Mixtape Tour is Obama territory. In fact, he should make at least one campaign stop at Rucker Park.
McCain just likened Obama’s plans to Hoover’s, stating that history repeats itself and “I KNOW MY HISTORY”..
yeah, you learned a lot from that little VietNam thing, didn’t ya! No repeating history THERE, eh???
Now, if I could just get Tennessee football coach Phil Fulmer to endorse McCain…
Do not underestimate an endorsement like this. Here in N.C. Dean Smith is a mythic figure and his opinion carries weight. As dumb as it may seem, in a hotly contested state like North Carolina this might actually mean something.
Hate to break it to you, but NC State is more popular in the triangle. And then there’s Duke.
[re=131412]Min[/re]:
Ha!
Old losers unite!
Yeah, but we all know who Adolph Rupp would endorse were he alive.
[re=131395]Botswana Meat Commission FC[/re]: Damn, I should read first.
This could be the way to win this. If Barack can get Coach K, NC is totally in the bag.
Penn State football is a harder nut to crack, but if the Nittany Lions fall to Obama, McCain should just hit the showers.
[re=131397]azw88[/re]: I was about to say the word for the day is “fight.”
[re=131414]Outstando[/re]: True, but Democrats always win the vote in the cities (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill etc.) It’s the rubes out in the boondocks that need to be convinced. This kind of celebrity endorsement might make them rethink voting for Obama despite their latent racism.
[re=131413]dano[/re]: Agreed. There are places where certain sports teams are a kind of civil religion. The closest thing to that in Oklahoma would be if retired Sooners head coach Barry Switzer were to endorse Obama. But that ain’t gonna happen down here, because Barry Switzer likes having friends.
If McCain gets “ratface” Coach K to endorse him, Arizona Wildcat fans will turn McCain’s home state blue, as there is NO ONE the wildcat faithful hate more than Ratface.
[re=131414]Outstando[/re]: Are you kidding? NC State? When was the last time they made it into the final four? And any true North Carolinian knows that those honky Duke w.a.s.p.s are just a bunch of carpet baggers…
[re=131413]dano[/re]: Yep, this is bigger than northern liberal elites think… Now they need to get Vince Dooley to endorse Obama and GA will turn blue too.
[re=131414]Outstando[/re]: I bet Obama’s already ahead in the triangle. It’s not like the rest of the state.
[re=131412]Min[/re]: Ouch. Hahahahahahahaha!
[re=131423]Itsjustme[/re]: McCain is trying to re-frame his campaign, but still a lot of mixed messages… said not to far Obama, but repeatedly played on the word FEAR (without using Obama’s by name, but it was clear what he meant.) .
Can’t wait for Obama’s next speech… He will blast McCain out of the water again….
Who writes for the Cadaverick? He gives a 30 minute speech and then says “My Friends, I am now going to give you some Straight Talk.”
So I suppose the first 30 minutes were lies?
[re=131425]Fly-over Correspondent[/re]: I was raised in OK during Switzer’s heyday. I never got the impression Barry was the brightest bulb in the pack, thus making him a definite Walnuts supporter. Don’t you think Stoops would hold more sway (even though they screwed the pooch Saturday!)?
I’m holding out for funky coach Patino’s endorsement.
[re=131432]Itsjustme[/re]: Yeah, his straight talk was “YOUR $$$ is TOTALLY FUCKED”
Then he later says “I won’t let fear in!”
So he won’t be afraid, but you had better be afarid.. very very afraid
[re=131390]Sussemilch[/re]: haha I snorted pea soup on that one. KLASSIC!
Now if we could get Michael Jordan to suggest “that stupid Mayor-guy from Charlotte is a DoucheFunnel or the worst sorts.”
And if NC goes strong for Obama, then it’s likely that Kay Hagen will boot out that hydraulic boner beneficiary, Libby Dole.
I wonder what the Dole’s will spend all their time doing when neither of them are senators?
LOL, yeah! College sports! Amiright? LOL! I totaly get it! *looks around*
[re=131424]dano[/re]: I’m working against myself here, so I’ll just stop.
Hey, I knew Dean back in the day. Sure, he’s a liberal–but I think it’s Obama’s 3-point shot that won him over.
My only fear is now Dean will get him to run the 4 corners–as good a way as any to blow a 10-point lead!
Who has Lenny Ng endorsed?
[re=131414]Outstando[/re]: If Obama had to worry about winning the Triangle, McCain would be measuring the White House drapes right now.
[re=131441]azw88[/re]: He sells that ONE house that he has on the market for 12 million and he could give a shit about my $$$. Especially since I mailed his correspondence back with the words, YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS HERE.
[re=131466]StrangelyBrown[/re]: Stop scolding. State is more popular in the triangle and the sticks. Trust me.
[re=131466]StrangelyBrown[/re]: McCain should be more worried about his “running mate” measuring the drapes!
Isn’t Dean Smith a communist whose always hanging out with terrorists? Coach K is the Republican-donating ‘swing vote’ Obama needs to get.
Please, please, please….don’t let Dicky V say anything…
[re=131476]Outstando[/re]: Times must have changed remarkably since I lived in Raleigh. Admittedly it’s been about 15 years, but Raleigh was the only place State claimed any advantage (minimal, byt it was there). Duke had Durham and UNC had Chapel Hill. The triangle is pretty cosmopolitan, even still. Maybe moreso these days. People from everywhere. To them, State and Duke sort of are opposite extremes, with UNC being a bit closer to center. Not a private school, not quite so public as State. But the thing I always heard, no matter where, is that even my raging State fans respected Dean Smith. They may have hated UNC on game day, but the respect for Smith was there.
Smith believed in the fundementals. He made all the boys shoot free throws until they could do them in their sleep. Skip a class? A world of hurt would come down on you. Smith was old school. Whether or not you liked the team, most of the world did respect him. A Dean Smith endorsement definitely reaches further than just UNC fans.
[re=131473]Itsjustme[/re]: I wonder who he sold that house to???
This is so much better than some politician supporting Barry. I mean, Coach is worth about 100 members of the lege to your average Tar Heel fan.
[re=131494]Cogito Ergo Bibo[/re]: State is most popular in the country. It’s the farming and engineering school for the average hard-working kid.
Smith is a great guy, and deserves his reputation. Just don’t think his endorsement brings the whole state or is even necessarily a net positive. But I do love this:
“Dean Smith is not merely a basketball coach of historic accomplishments. He is also a man of uncommon integrity and decency.”
–John McCain
Coach Smith would have made a good VP candidate…He’s strong on defense (Examples: Michael Jordan and James Worthy) and Wall Street really needs to go into the “Four Corners” offense.
As long as Richard Petty doesn’t come out for hard and heavy for Gramps, things look good in North Cackalackey.
[re=131508]Outstando[/re]: You and I apparently live in two different states called “North Carolina”.
[re=131509]Dawn Keipuntsh[/re]: Funny you should mention Richard Petty:
http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/3719715/
Meanwhile, over at fivethirtyeight.com, Cap’n Crankypants win percentage is down to 6 point something, and Missouri has turned a lovely shade of light blue.
[re=131508]Outstando[/re]: “Dean Smith is not merely a basketball coach of historic accomplishments. He is also a man of uncommon integrity and decency.”
–John McCain
That was before McCain found out Coach Smith got his “explosive” offense from Bill Ayres.
[re=131557]StrangelyBrown[/re]: A real example of Petty Politics.
This warms my Tar Heel heart.
[re=131508]Outstando[/re]: Ha! Love that quote. That’s awesome. And I’ll admit to not knowing a lot about the more rural areas in the Triangle. Just the big cities which make up the Triangle. Wouldn’t be terribly surprised to hear that State is more popular throughout the state’s rural areas (since State is probably as close as NC has to an agricultural university). I just see a Smith endorsement as one that reaches beyond “which team do you like” to “who do you respect.” Especially given the fact that Smith is no longer coaching. Could stil cause a few people to take a second look.
[re=131557]StrangelyBrown[/re]: I guess it was to be expected. Let’s hope some unsuspecting motorist near Level Cross doesn’t feel King Richard’s road rage after the election. He has a history of “tradin’ paint” on I-40, y’know…
[re=131570]Cogito Ergo Bibo[/re]: Here on the coast, I have always found UNC to be by far the most popular, followed by Duke. I think NC State’s popularity peaked in the mid-70′s with the David Thompson era Wolfpack. But you’re right to say Coach Smith has almost total respect statewide.
[re=131413]dano[/re]:
Obama needs an email from Coach K and North Carolina will be a landslide.
He just thinks he’s better at basketball than McCain……because he’s black. Racism!
http://thesebastards.blogspot.com/
Now if we could get Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart to endorse Hopey we’d have the pleasure of watching NASCAR transmogrify into Deathrace 2008 over the next couple weeks.
Obama working out with the Tarheels…
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/24368094/
Even Ramses is in the tank…
I have to know whom George “Priscilla” Welsh has endorsed. Anyone know?
[re=131412]Min[/re]: Ha! You are so right! Two weeks ago, the joke being circulated in Rocky Top World is that Phil Fulmer was being considered for the head of Homeland Security for his ability to evacuate 108,000 people (Neyland Stadium)in less than 15 minutes.
[re=131604]Terry[/re]: Nah; McCain will just go to Duke and tell a few Gorilla Rape jokes.
[re=131622]edgydrifter[/re]: Nascar racers are all republican. When Clinton went to Darlington in 1992, every driver avoided him. I’ve never heard of any Democratic Nascar driver.
It looks like most of the Nascar crowd were backing Mayor 9/11:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2007-10-19-drivers-campaign-donations_N.htm
That went well.
When you finally see things clearly…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KzbJtG9V2E
[re=131413]dano[/re]: Amen. Seriously if you haven’t lived in North Carolina there is no way to explain people’s passion for basketball and for Dean Smith. Jesus Christ our Lord is merely an acolyte in the Church of Carolina B-Ball, but Dean Smith is The Padre.
[re=131424]dano[/re]: Wait, so you’re saying the rubes in the Triangle are already in the bag? Sweet.
[re=131381]Rush[/re]: Why, oh why was I so arrogant as to think I might be the first person to comment a la Dick Vitale?
BTW, and totally off-topic, Dick Vitale will be my name when I become a Greenwich Village drag king. Check for me at Meow Mix…
Phil Jackson has endorsed the Dalai Lama.
Yeargh, football!
so, in the Triangle, is Cary/SAS for Obama or not? They seem conflicted in basketball support.
It was always said that the only two people in North Carolina who could beat Jesse Helms were Andy Griffith and Dean Smith. Those of you ridiculing or apologizing for North Carolinians’ love of Tarheel Basketball aren’t too many steps removed from the ignorant haters that Palin attracts. Meanwhile, koach k uses dook’s arena to raise $ for Bush. His endorsement means more in New Jersey than it does in NC.
[re=131435]Texan Bulldoggette[/re]: Stoops wouldn’t say shit if his mouth was full of it. And besides, after losing to Texas? He couldn’t convince the Pope to vote for Jesus Christ.
[re=131426]azw88[/re]: Oh yeah. Considering Duke’s demographics and Ratface’s love of corporate cash, he’s probably in the tank for the Repubs. Any chance we can get Lute Olson to endorse Barry? Of course, it won’t matter much, as AZ is solidly red in presidential elections.
[re=131622]edgydrifter[/re]: I might actually watch that. The Death Race part, that is.
go heels indeed!
First Madonna, now this guy?! Man, Republicans sure are dumb.
http://www.offeringcommonsense.blogspot.com
[re=131427]petite brawnley[/re]: Uh, yeah. As an NC State kind of guy, I haz a sad, both because our football team has fallen on hard times, and the hoops team really ain’t on the top of the ACC. I can tolerate the Heels, but Dooook? Fake Forest? Feh.
I bet Coach K endorses McGrumpus unless Bob Barr gets to him first.
[re=131979]Joey Ratz[/re]: Well, Lute’s EX-WIFE, Christine Toretti, is a big-wig republican fundraiser and Co-Chair of McCain-Palin in PA, and since the divorce was UUGLY, I’d say it is a possibility…. (though Lute had always avoided politics before he married the basketball version of Yoko)
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