biden_ayala.JPGI generally try to keep politics off this site, because sports are usually one thing that lefties and righties can find common ground on. Which is a wonderful thing.

Case in point, I was watching a Twins/White Sox game last week at Teddy’s in Roosevelt. Also there: a rabid Twins fan who’d just moved to Seattle from D.C., where he’d worked as a speechwriter for Minnesota’s Republican senator Norm Coleman.

We were having a grand time talking about the Twins’ magic carpet ride of a season (”I would’ve been happy with .500,” he told us). He gave us background on all the Twins players we didn’t recognize. His political affiliation came out when an anti-Al-Franken ad came on the TV (which was getting the Twins feed over MLB Extra Innings).

The ad, which for me represented an awesome new low in political campaigning, was about a satirical column Franken wrote for Playboy earlier this decade which included a reference to rape. The tagline for the ad? “Al Franken. Rape Jokes. Unfit for Office.” (Here’s it is on YouTube, if you want to see for yourself. Pretty incredible.)

Anyway, the former Coleman guy was just as appalled as we were. He said sarcastically, and I paraphrase: “Wow. You know, I’m really glad I stayed up until two in the morning writing those speeches, if it all comes down to ‘rape jokes.’”

So I guess there are two things that bring lefties and righties together: Sports, and distaste for political advertising.

But I digress. Point is, I can’t help thinking of a sports analogy to explain how I feel about the presidential election right now, and since this is a sports site, I thought I’d share.

I am an Obama supporter, and as of this morning, Obama is way ahead in the polls. In fact, if the election were held today, it would be a blowout.

To put it in baseball terms, Obama’s got a three-run lead, going into the seventh inning. And who’s coming out of the bullpen for tomorrow night’s debate? Joe Biden, the Bobby Ayala of American presidential politics.

Joe Biden, who sunk his 1988 presidential campaign by lying (or, to be generous, misremembering) about his family background and his law degree.

Joe Biden, who noted in July of 2006 of East Indian immigration “You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.” (I think he was joking. I hope he was joking.)

Joe Biden, who sunk his 2008 presidential campaign on the day he announced it by calling Barack Obama “an African-American who’s bright and clean.”

This is not to say that Biden isn’t himself bright and clean. He surely is, he’s been a terrifically effective senator and is surely qualified to run the country.

But do you really want him talking extemporaneously into an open microphone on national television? About as much as you want Bobby Ayala to show up on the mound, walk a guy, groove a fastball to get ahead of the next batter and BOOM! Just like that, a one-run game.

I’ll be biting my nails Thursday night (if I actually watch the debate, which I probably won’t), and it will bring me right back to 1995 again. Scary.