Mike Ditka as a Politician

Mike Ditka considered running for the open Illinois senate seat in 2004. He did not, and state senator Barack Obama won. Ditka is "ultra-ultra-ultra conservative". Other than the 2004 possibility, he could have run for political office at any point. A period that comes to mind is after 1992, when Ditka left the Chicago Bears. Ditka returned to coaching from 1997 to 1999, becoming head coach of the New Orleans Saints. However, Ditka failed as coach of the Saints, and came to regret his tenure. Swapping that experience out for a run at politics would be interesting.

In any event, what if Mike Ditka transitioned (or attempted to transition) into a political career?
 
Ditka is too ultra-ultra-ultra conservative to win a statewide race in Illinois. I can see him either parachuting into a safely red House seat or winning a less safe one in a year like 1994 and then losing it in the next Democratic-leaning year.
 
I lost any respect I hadf or Ditka when the Bears won the Super Bowl. Walter Payton carried the Bears for years and finally gets to play in a championship game where they destroy the Patriots and Ditka doesnt do everything he can to make sure Walter gets a TD. As to politics. In Illinios once his political views come out he's toast in a Senate race. He could of won a house seat in the Republican Collar Countiesbut I suspect being a junior congressmen wouldn't have much appeal
 
Ditka would be an awesome politician. 2004 for the Senate against Obama would have been good.

After leaving New Orleans, if he would have joined Illinois politics for a few years and then went after that Senate seat.

He regretted as well that Walter did not get a TD. He should have given Walter the rock instead of Perry down at the goal line in the third quarter.
 
If there was ever a Republican who could win in Illinois, it was Mike Ditka. Fame and name recognition go along way towards trumping politics - just as Gov. Schwarzenegger.
 
I think Mike Ditka is interesting to people who politically disagree with him just by being who he is. And I think he's the ideal Conservative to Republican voters: a non-nonsense guy who doesn't play the political game, tells off reporters, gets things done, and "yes my dad beat my ass, and I deserved it when he did". That factors into electibility. Not necessarily governing.
 
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