Imagine what would happen if the referee of the football game were to eject players on a whim. Imagine what would happen if the referee made up new rules on the spot. Imagine if the referee began calling the plays and reset the clock for a do-over to keep the players in mid-field. Imagine if he were to call the fans out of the stands to take up positions on the field because the players walked off in disgust. If it came out that the referee was in cahoots with the gamblers, it would explain some things. What it wouldn’t explain is how come the referee and the rest of the officials weren’t booted when this trashing of the rule book was first noted.

Unfortunately, after seven losing seasons, that question still isn’t being asked about Bush/Cheney. Or, if it is, there seems to be a preference to just let them finish out this last season and hope the replacements are better. But, how likely is that? So far, it doesn’t seem that, except for maybe one, the applicants for the job are even aware that following the rules of the game, in this case the American Constitution, is central–that the occupant of an office is supposed to officiate, keeping the rules and insuring progress in the process.

We should have known that a former cheerleader didn’t have the right experience to provide structure and keep the country moving in the right direction. But, the current crop of applicants isn’t much better. On the Republican side there seems to be a consensus that the cheerleaders just need a new script to make the game better and fire up enthusiasm in the stands. And the Democrats are almost certain that changing the rules in a thoughtful, bi-partisan process at an off-the-field location will make all the difference. It’s their hope that new rules will get the game of America back on track, headed in the same direction it was heading under the old rules which, with the exception of Chris Dodd, nobody seemed to want to enforce. How likely is that?

Enforcing the rules–that’s what officials are tasked with. Or as their oath of office so quaintly puts it, “to defend … the Constitution.” It’s a task that’s not nearly as glamorous as “motivating the nation” or “ensuring our super-power status” or “restoring faith, hope and charity” or even “kicking some butt.” That the referee’s job isn’t to defend the goal line or lead the advance down the field or put scores up on the board doesn’t seem to have registered. Maybe that’s because, when it’s done well, the job of ensuring that the game is played fairly and, while the best team wins on a particular day, the chance of winning is the same the next day and every one thereafter is assured, is hardly noticed.

What can’t be missed is that there are now over a million Americans, Iraqis, Palestinians and Afghanis whose chance of accomplishing anything (never mind winning) has been cut short by the bullets, missiles and bombs Americans have produced and used–evidence enough that the game of America has turned into an ungodly mess. And that no amount of cheering will re-establish order; neither will the use of force. Just imagine sending a tank to clear the fans off a football field!!