ziero0
1st March 2018, 08:10 AM
Sailboat racing is not a spectator sport. It makes more sense when you are on one of the boats but watching from a distance has the same entertainment value as watching paint dry.
Politics is a spectator sport. Emotions enter the picture and passions run high.
Where sailboat racing and politics are similar is in tactics. In the case of sailboat racing you don't want your opponent to get a hint of wind advantage that you don't take advantage of first. He gets the dirty air. You get the lift and the clean air. For each turn he he makes you have to make a turn to cover him.
In politics you don't want your opponent to claim a victory without you pointing out that it is not a win but instead is a mistake. You cover his statements with your own so he can obtain no advantage that you don't get first.
The battle between the republicans and democrats is easier to comment on when you know what each side is doing and why.
In sailboat racing veteran sailors also anticipate wind shifts. Occasionally a skipper will modify his course because he anticipates a front moving in and the wind coming from another quarter. Other skippers might not have the same opinion or don't want the risk of losing because their analysis turns out wrong. In these situations the covering strategy is thrown aside and at the end of the race the winner will either be boat lengths ahead or left far behind.
Politics also has these 'front moving in from another quarter' moments. They result in polls being grossly exaggerated and dark horse candidates coming in first. The front runners keep up the covering tactics while the dark horse is moving his campaign in a different direction.
In my next dissertation we will examine why in chess the king is never killed but just put into check.
Politics is a spectator sport. Emotions enter the picture and passions run high.
Where sailboat racing and politics are similar is in tactics. In the case of sailboat racing you don't want your opponent to get a hint of wind advantage that you don't take advantage of first. He gets the dirty air. You get the lift and the clean air. For each turn he he makes you have to make a turn to cover him.
In politics you don't want your opponent to claim a victory without you pointing out that it is not a win but instead is a mistake. You cover his statements with your own so he can obtain no advantage that you don't get first.
The battle between the republicans and democrats is easier to comment on when you know what each side is doing and why.
In sailboat racing veteran sailors also anticipate wind shifts. Occasionally a skipper will modify his course because he anticipates a front moving in and the wind coming from another quarter. Other skippers might not have the same opinion or don't want the risk of losing because their analysis turns out wrong. In these situations the covering strategy is thrown aside and at the end of the race the winner will either be boat lengths ahead or left far behind.
Politics also has these 'front moving in from another quarter' moments. They result in polls being grossly exaggerated and dark horse candidates coming in first. The front runners keep up the covering tactics while the dark horse is moving his campaign in a different direction.
In my next dissertation we will examine why in chess the king is never killed but just put into check.