John McCain and the Mavs: Parallel lives

Maverick...

...Maverick

This weeks special topic for the Last Viner Standing is about analogies. Basically, contestants need to do a writeup on why x candidate is like x. I love sports and I love politics, so I obviously had to put them together. Then I wondered, what defines John McCain? Obviously, the maverick nickname comes first to my mind. Then I wondered, "what's a maverick?". What came to mind first was the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. And then it all clicked.

In the beginning: 1982

In 1979, a businessman proposed bringing a new basketball team to the NBA located in Dallas, Texas. The league owners agreed during the 1980 all star game and the team, named after the 1950s TV show, became a reality. But the team really started its takeoff in 1982, when first round pick Mark Aguirre started shaping up and Jay Vincent began to really shine.

In 1982, something else happened. A fellow whose only credentials were being in Vietnam was elected to Arizona's 1st district. He had been prepping himself ever since he came home from the military. After a fierce primary, a cowboy from the Panama Canal Zone became a Congressman. His name was John McCain.

Beginnings of a rise: 1982-1985

The Mavericks and McCain each began to use this four year span to prep themselves for the next big leap. The Dallas team posted their first winning record and made their first playoff berth in '83-'84, while McCain was elected president of the Republican class of freshman representatives that same year. The Mavs also used that period as a chance to stockpile talented young players, including University of Illinois grad Derek Harper, Tar Heel Sam Perkins, Kansas Wildcat Ronaldo Blackman. Meanwhile, in Washington, John McCain began sponsoring a lot of Indian Affairs bills from his position as chairman of the Republican Task Force on Indian Affairs.

A golden year: 1986

In 1986, the Mavericks had picked up steady center James Donaldson from the Clippers and Michigan Wolverine Roy Tarpley. They also started seeing Blackman pick up steam, representing the team in the all-star game hosted at the Mavs' own Reunion Arena. Their hard work payed off, and the Mavericks recorded their most successful regular-season to date and won the Midwest Division to boot.

Meanwhile, John McCain hit his stride. He ran for Senate in that same year, easily beating out Richard Kimball and capturing Barry Goldwater's seat with an easy 60%-40% win. The New York Times ran a piece on him that year, calling him "now poised to emerge as a significant figure in national politics".

The good life starts: 1987-1989

John McCain was now a senator, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Commerce Committee, and his old friend the Indian Affairs Committee. He soon established himself as one who wouldn't always toe the party line. Although he had at first opposed making Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday an Arizona state holiday, telling Republicans "You will damn well do this. You will make this a holiday." He even came to prominence in the 1988 RNC, delivering a stunning speech about his POW experiences and was suggested as a possible vice-presidential pick for George H. W. Bush.

The Mavericks continued to shine as well. The '87-'88 season wasn't as good as the previous year, but they still had a great year and barely lost to Denver for the division title. But they avenged themselves by winning the conference playoffs over the Nuggets, and then made a close run against the champion Lakers. Then... disaster struck for both the Mavericks and the new maverick John McCain.

Disaster: 1989

In 1989, shock broke out all across America as five senators, among then John McCain of Arizona, were attacked with charges of corruption. The situation is complicated to explain, but basically Charles Keating, of the failed Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, was accused of being improperly aided by the Keating 5 senators. The American public was not amused. Until he was reprimanded for "displaying poor judgment" (which came as close as possible to clearing him) in 1991, McCain was constantly under a scandalous spotlight.

While not necessarily a national crisis, a local crisis happened around the same time. The Dallas Mavericks, fresh from their playoff run in '87-'88, were ready to try again in '88-'89. The first half of the season was spent in contention for a seed, but then star center Donaldson ruptured a patella tendon in 1988, ending the playoff run. The Mavs then went from bad to worse, watching Tarpley get suspended for improper conduct and Blackman get traded for a first round pick.

A revival: 1994

In 1994, McCain began to turn around his Senate career by, ironically, reform. He began working with Russ Feingold on a campaign finance reform bill, pushed through the Line Item Veto, and began to be called a "maverick", a term he coined himself. He began to vote against his party on numerous bills, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, the Telecommunications Act, and the Freedom to Farm Act. He even supported the confirmation of Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court. By 1996, he was on Bob Dole's shortlist for vice president.

The other Mavericks began to revive in 1994 as well. Some hotshot kid named Kidd came in and averaged 11.7 points in his rookie '94-'95 season. Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn combined to make the highest scoring duo in the NBA. And that year, the Mavs barely made the playoffs, the first berth since 1990. '95-'96 was a disasterous year, but '96-'96 saw a major rebuilding process.

A good (re)start: 2000

In 1999, the fiery maverick McCain announced his bid for the presidency in 2000 in the maverick-friendly state of New Hampshire. He skipped the Iowa primaries, but then easily won the New Hampshire primary. But in South Carolina, the big mo stopped. A combination of low blows, negative ads, and deeply untrue slurs from a Texan popular in the south sent McCain reeling. McCain never recovered and bowed out after a devastating loss on Super Tuesday.

The Mavericks ended up cursing a Texan group as well, though not the same one as McCain. It looked great in the beginning, though. They picked up Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, two smalltime guys who quickly turned out to be huge. And biggest of all, they were bought by billionaire Mark Cuban. In '00-'01, the team made the playoffs and even advanced to the second round. But fellow Texas team San Antonio Spurs knocked them out in a closely fought battle.

Continuing a rise: 2001-2006

The Straight Talk Express continued a dramatic rise. McCain and Joe Lieberman created the 9/11 Commission and strongly supported the Iraqi War. But he stayed a maverick, voting against Bush's 2003 tax cuts and sponsoring cap-and-trade programs with Lieberman. And in 2005, he worked to lower the power of the filibuster with his bi-partisan Gang of 14. 2008 was going to be McCain's year, and everyone knew it. But then, disaster struck.

The Mavs also continued a meteoric rise. A new uniform, new blood, and a new feel sent the Mavericks to the playoffs in '01-'02, started '02-'03 with a 14-0 record, and sent the team to their first NBA final in 2006. But then, disaster struck.

Disaster: 2007

In 2007, John McCain's legs suddenly went out from under him. He was attacked with his unpopular McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform that he had helped pass. He was attacked with the 2007 immigration reform law that he and Ted Kennedy had helped to pass. And his attacks on the southern evangelical leaders came back to bite him, as they swept past the maverick and threw in their support for Mike Huckabee. Suddenly, McCain's demise looked certain. People were counting him out immediately, and McCain looked doomed.

The Mavs also experienced heartthrob around then. The '06-'07 season went amazingly well, with the best record in the league and stars performing beyond wildest dreams. But the 2007 playoffs saw the Mavericks upset by the lowly Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. Suddenly, the team looked vulnerable.

2008

To be continued...

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