The rain said it all. As 70,000 waited to pay their last respects to the coaching career of Barry Alvarez, the mood could have been merrier. After a disappointing loss to evil Iowa, many fans were wishing that there could be another chance at giving coach Alvarez the farewell he deserves. Others just simply wished for one more year of coach Alvarez. I am not ready for Barry to ride of into the sunset just yet either. I would like to see him remain in the limelight too, just under a different job title.
Instead of seeing him remain in the public eye as Wisconsin's coach, I began to wonder if he could do so as Wisconsin's governor.
Well, why not? After all, voters love non-traditional candidates and Wisconsin politics in particular are in need of new blood. This is because in the low-wattage coverage of state politics, any recent news the average voter has picked up on has to be the recent string of scandals that have plagued both parties.
Alvarez wouldn't have to carry the stigma of being a career politician during a time that state politics are becoming synonymous with corruption. Moreover, Wisconsin has a historic tendency to support candidates that can successfully prove that they are independent and not a party hack. For instance, 'independence' was one of the top reasons cited by those who voted in favor of Russ Feingold. As for being either liberal or conservative, I don't think it would matter for Barry as long as he is not too much of either.
Barry already posses three key factors that are essential for any run at the governor's mansion. The first is name recognition, which is an absolutely must-have for any successful state-wide race. I do not think there are more than a handful of homes in Wisconsin in which the name Barry Alvarez is not known. Name ID is worth millions, but the name recognition that comes with three Rose Bowl victories is priceless. In fact, I think it would be a safe guess to assume that Barry's name recognition is higher than that of Gov. Jim Doyle.
Secondly, Barry is rich. He could stuff his campaign coffers with his own cash, and therefore, would be able to avoid all the negative aspects of fundraising that are usually a millstone around the neck of most politicians. Think of him as a candidate in the Herb Kohl mold, only not so old and useless.
The third thing Barry has going for him is Wisconsin's same- day voter registration. Same-day voter registration, in making voting easier, attracts the voters who are most likely to vote for a third party, or at least an untraditional candidate. Jesse Ventura's surprise win in Minnesota has been widely attributed to same- day voter registration.
Barry Alvarez would not be the first college football coach to enter public office. Tom Osborne, who won three national championships as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000 and has been there ever since. J.C. Watts, while not a coach, quarterbacked the Oklahoma Sooners to a few national championships in the 1980s and has been in the House since 1994. There is the example of President Ronald Reagan, who was not a gridiron star, but did play the role of Knute Rockne, the famous Notre Dame coach, during his days as an actor.
The most obvious objection to Alvarez is that while he may be a football genius, his inexperience in public office would make voters weary. But experience is overrated. Inexperience would make a potential Alvarez campaign no less serious than any other candidate. Tim Michaels, who ran against Russ Feingold, was a construction magnate, with no more experience than Alvarez.
Over the last few years, citizen groups have become increasingly influential in persuading or 'drafting' candidates to run. Wesley Clark ran for the Democratic nomination after numerous groups began 'Clark for president' websites. This year a presidential 'draft' movement for Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has aired political adds in her favor in New Hampshire, even though she says she has no intention of running.
So what do you say Barry, should we start ?
