2009-A year in Review

Duffy sees the ole' calendar about to turn over into another year, 2010, the start of a new decade. Actually to be precise the year 2010 is really the end of the first decade of the 21st century but we'll go with popular opinion. It's been an amazing year in which Duffy saw some things he never would have believed would happen.

Of course the signature event of 2009 was the inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's first bi-racial president. That's right, bi-racial, born of an African father and white American mother. Obama seemed to come out of nowhere to be elected president and Duffy still wakes up sometimes and wonders, "Who is this guy?". Nevertheless, he is our president at least for three more years and Mr. Obama and the Democratic majority of Congress have embarked upon an ambitious scheme to remake American society.

Duffy knew that things would not be the same early in the year when the Federal government took over Chrysler and GM. The brutal way they trampled the rights of bondholders by essentially negating commercial contract law to seize the companies and appease the UAW was chilling to this writer. Both companies could have survived Chapter 11 in Duffy's view and the necessary changes made to ensure their survival could have been accomplished without massive government intervention. Now the government owns two auto companies, one of which, Chrysler, will probably fail anyway and the other, GM, will probably never pay back the $50+billion of taxpayer money. The Democratic insistence that GM and Chrysler build "green" cars before the market is ready will impede their progress even further.

GM and Chrysler is the primary example of what Duffy believes is the main force driving Obama and the Democrats: an ever increasing role of the federal government in American society. Of course "Health Reform" is the signature issue of Obama's first year in office and the most glaring example of come hell or high water the Democratic insistence of passing a bill, any bill, no matter how bad, to obtain their goal of universal health care. The fact that the Democrats feel impelled to ram this monstrosity through Congress with not one iota of Republican support, as soon as they can, is glaring proof to Duffy that they know the bill will not go down well with the American people. The Civil Rights Act and Medicare in the early 60's were both passed with bipartisan support but with more than 50% of the people opposed to the bill, why the Democrats insist on passage is beyond Duffy's understanding. Duffy believes the American people are quickly becoming disillusioned with arrogant one-party rule and will enact massive retaliation against the Democrats come November.

At first Duffy didn't know what to make of Barack Obama. Anybody that could defeat the Clinton machine to get the Democratic nomination had to have a lot of chutzpah, not to mention courage and stamina. The Democrats probably could have nominated Elmer Fudd and beaten John McCain who couldn't overcome his dreadful pick of Sarah Palin and the collapse of the economy at the same time. However, Duffy doesn't think that the American people necessarily voted for Barack Obama as they voted against George Bush and the Republicans. After observing Mr.Obama in his first year in office, Duffy feels that he is a combination of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Terribly naive and inexperienced, more so than Jimmy Carter even but with the supreme self-confidence and ability to give a good speech like Clinton, Obama incorporates the best and worst of both men. Duffy thinks that Obama really does believe he is a "game-changer" not only for America but for the world. But now that the man has been in office for a year he is finding out that the Pelosi/Reid Congress pretty much ignores him and foreign leaders don't fear him. Obama's foreign policy of seemingly apologizing for America everywhere he goes (bowing to the emperor of Japan was especially ridiculous) plus engaging enemies in endless "talks" will do nothing to advance American standing in the world.

As for the beginning of the next decade Duffy fears that passage of a terrible health care reform bill will enrage a large proportion of the American people when they discover what's in the bill as will as the fact that most
"benefits" don't begin until 2013 and 2014, but the higher costs and taxes begin immediately. Obama and the Democrats know they have a limited time to jam through their agenda before the American people vote a large number of them out of office in November. Duffy thinks November can't come soon enough.

Tiger's in Deep Doo-Doo

Duffy has been following the Tiger Woods saga with both interest and amusement. It's really true that everything happens in either California, Texas or Florida. It is evident that Mr. Woods is in real trouble. And it's not because 12 (or is it now 13) women have claimed to have had sex with him. It's not even if a couple of big sponsors drop him. Duffy thinks that Tiger is in real deep doo-doo when neither Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton have appeared in front of the gated entrance to his posh sub-division with a bullhorn chanting, "free Tiger now!" If you are an important African-American in this country you know Jesse and Al will quickly show up to "help you out" by deflecting attention away from your transgressions. Now, let's face it, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have been totally irrelevant to 99% of the American people for some time now and especially since Barack Obama got elected president. But at least they make the effort to show "solidarity" (don't you just love that word?) whenever a "brother or sister" got into trouble. No Jesse, no Al. Oh No!

The problem for Tiger is that he has never embraced the whole African-American Civil Rights thing. Tiger considers himself multi-racial with a father of African heritage and a mother of Asian heritage. Tiger has assiduously kept himself away from controversial topics, events and situations where he would be expected to promote a controversial cause be it civil rights, gays and lesbians, peace, global warming, etc. You name it, if it's a controversial topic or cause you won't find Tiger Woods anywhere near it. And, furthermore he marries a beautiful blond Swedish woman to further drive home the point. Somebody that looks like a Nordic goddess instead of Michelle Obama. Folks, Tiger can't expect any help from the African-American Community, that is, all the movers and shakers and opinion makers. Tough! He's in it by himself.

In fact, so far, Duffy doesn't see anybody really coming to Tiger's aid other than the few golfers who say, "it's his business, let him be." Fact is, Tiger's business is in fact, a MAJOR business in the U.S. and around the world. Thousands of people depend on Tiger Woods either directly or indirectly for their livelihood especially including the PGA tour and everyone who counts on Tiger's participation in the golf tournaments.

Tiger's refusal to show himself and stiffing the Florida Highway Patrol has done him no favors and unfortunately when he does finally show up in public even months from now, the media frenzy will be just as great if not more so than now. Wait for the first book, "My secret life with Tiger" to show up soon. Poor Tiger.

The Rise and Fall of Bobby Bowden

Duffy remembers when the last second ticked off the clock on January 1st 1994 and FSU had won it's first national championship. Duffy breathed a sigh of relief and thought, "well, I can die a happy man now that we have won a national championship." Duffy won't rehash the career of Bobby Bowden and all the accomplishments he's achieved over 34 years as FSU coach. Yesterday's sad ending to a legendary career was inevitable and would have happened next year as well. Because Duffy believes that Bobby Bowden never believed he would quit, never believed that the school would nudge him out and would have been perfectly happy to die on the sidelines at age 90. As much as Duffy loves and respects Bobby Bowden and admires him for his character, faith and what he has done for FSU and college football, Duffy believes this is a classic case of a man not knowing when to quit. Hindsight is always 20-20 but at the end of the 2000 season is when Bowden should have retired. His blunder in hiring his son as offensive coordinator Duffy believes is the primary reason FSU football started a decade long decline. Bowden's refusal to face up that he had made a mistake with his son and failure to see an overall decline in the quality of recruits led to FSU becoming an average team in the ACC and one that could not match up with UF and Miami.

Over Duffy's long business career he has known CEO's (and that is how Bowden saw himself, as a CEO) bring a company up from nothing to a position of prominence in the industry, then surround themselves with sycophants, lose touch with the changes in the market and take their eye off the ball. At some point the Board of Directors says, "enough is enough" and the most surprised person in the company is the former CEO as he is led out the door. Examples abound of athletes who stayed long past their prime as even Michael Jordan realized he couldn't hang with the young guns who ran past him on the court. Bowden would have coached till he dropped dead on the field which is how Joe Paterno will probably go out. He could not understand or accept until the very end that the man looking in the mirror every morning was the one responsible for FSU's decline from a football superpower to an average team in an average conference. The CEO is responsible for his company, the Captain is responsible for his ship. When either fails, the company declines and the ship sinks.

Duffy believes it was time, past time, for Bobby Bowden to retire. It's too bad that he couldn't have gone out in a more dignified way, but dadgummit he brought it upon himself. And Duffy fervently hopes that at some point Bowden realizes that unpleasant fact.

Bobby's faith and interests in travel, military history and golf should occupy his time in retirement. And his accomplishments at FSU won't ever be forgotten. Duffy looks forward to a new coaching team leading FSU back to being a national power starting in 2010.