Instead of an intelligent, capable leader, a sportsman like those born and bred in Bradley's day, America is clamoring for a flashy, grinning superstar, a sportsman of the materialistic twenty-first century. John McCain's potent threat to second-generation wimp Dubya Bush is based less on his Reagan-esque economic policy than his press support as a "tough-talking underdog". His Democratic fellow challenger would do well to take a page from McCain's playbook and sell his style, not his substance. At the end of the day, McCain is Washington's new darling because he plays the game new[-school] style. Bradley's game is decidedly old-school, relying on honesty and striving, direct appeals to the people [and] {as well as} a healthy knowledge of what's really going on in the world. Half the time, "Dollar Bill" forgets to even publicize his moves; he hemorrhages reporters like a head wound, simply because the press has lost interest in his actions. A few weeks ago, the Washington Wizards of the NBA were suffering the same fate, their top players getting trashed around the league and their games getting [no] {little} coverage outside of D.C. But the Wizards recovered, thanks to a brilliant PR move: they signed as their director of basketball operations Mr. Publicity himself, Michael Jordan. The announcement dazzled not only the cellar-dwelling Wizards' peer organizations, but the sports world itself.

Wait a second! The very same thing happened to Bill Bradley; a few weeks ago, Michael Jordan gave his endorsement to the former b-ball star. Yet no one noticed it enough to print a story. It all points to Bradley's need to get off his high horse and pander to the people a little, stage a [photo-op] {publicity coup}. He needs to accept that sports and politics are no longer about climbing to the top armed with God-given skills and a strong work ethic. Star athletes and front-running candidates can succeed today by coasting entirely on the quality of their media {re}presentation, without a single spontaneous interaction with anyone outside of their own stratosphere.

Sadly, times have changed and Bradley needs to get with the program. The Lakers are still contending with the title, but Wilt Chamberlain is dead. Reagan's legacy is still getting cited on the campaign trail, but now it's three generations removed. And right now Bill's getting trash-talked out of the race by Al Gore, a weekend warrior who likes to JOG, for Heaven's sake. Maybe the good word of Air Jordan will help Bradley's cause, but his ultimate weakness lies in his admirable reluctance to familiarize himself with concepts like spin control and attention-getting.

Sports is more than just a metaphor for this presidential contest, it defines the race. If jogging defines Gore, a wishy-washy Clinton heir who wants nothing more than to continue his boss' safe, pandering policies, then Bush is typified by his fondness for hunting, the pseudo-sport of white men knocking off defenseless animals the way W. longs to stuff minority groups with plastic and hang them on his wall. McCain is a veteran, the kind of guy who doesn't need to play a pansy game because he's been to the big show.

This leaves Bradley, who has former Bulls coach Phil Jackson all but wearing a sandwich board on national TV on his behalf and Michael Jordan doing what he never does - taking a political stand, that is. Yet the Democratic challenger's campaign has failed to capitalize. Dollar Bill might want to directly mimic His Airness and make a movie with Bugs Bunny as his fictional cartoon running mate. No, that wouldn't work. Release his own men's fragrance line, perhaps?

No. He needs to ditch the old image of the short-shorts dork and start making commercials with Jordan, Shaq and Grant Hill. New York's primary is here, so why not cheer courtside with Spike Lee? I'd love to see the photo-op where Bradley teaches Latrell Sprewell how to put on a happy face. A sense of history is important in both sports and politics, but the point is to prove why one's past experience{s} have helped craft a better leader. McCain continually brings his Vietnam past front-and-center, selling himself as a strong-willed fighter. Bradley should point out why his championship rings make him more qualified to be president. Hell, if Gore really wants to take his smack-talk attack ads onto the court with Bill, then he should.

Governors and senators have come out for the other candidates, but Bradley has a fan whose name recognition rating is higher than the President's (and who can certainly jump higher than Clinton), and he needs to take advantage of that post-haste. Sports and politics have come to define America, and as the new century takes hold, new, albeit lower, standards have emerged. It is time for a candidate to unabashedly play the masculinity card, embracing his love for the sports culture of the 90's and riding it all the way to the goal. Sports and politics are worlds colliding in 2000; if proof is needed, just ask Charles Barkley, or as he likes to call himself, the future governor of Alabama.