By Katie Kieffer

Brett Favre is the best thing that happened to the Minnesota Vikings this season. The U.S. could rapidly end the economic recession by cloning Favre’s success on the football field on Capitol Hill.

Currently, the U.S. is playing all defense and no offense. Brett Favre steamrolled the Giants 44-7 yesterday and ended the Vikings season by setting NFL and personal records for touchdowns and interceptions. His offensive play set the Vikings up to get a first-round bye and gives them a positive entrance into the playoffs and a run for the Super Bowl. Let’s watch some of Brett Favre’s tapes and steal some insights for how to improve our existing roster of elected officials in Washington.

Brett Favre’s Secret Sauce:

Brett Favre has impacted the entire Vikings team and NFL franchise in a positive way. When Childress lays off his high horse and lets Favre work his magic, the entire team benefits.

Brett Favre knows the recipe for success:

• Develop what former NFL quarterback, Trent Dilfer, calls a “mastery of the West Coast offense more than any other quarterback ever has … (and) the best in-game feel of any quarterback to ever play – his intuitive feel for the game is second to none.”
• Become one of the NFL’s top three highest-rated passers
• Take your team to the Super Bowl
• Win three MVPs
• Set the record for Pro Bowl selections – 11
• Spend countless hours in film study of opponents

Spend 19 years in the NFL developing a sixth sense for the game and achieving the above goals. Combine with sensitivity and charisma to pass these skills on to your teammates in the locker room. The entire team will rave:

Star receiver, Sidney Rice: “He’s pushed my confidence through the roof. … When you have a guy of his stature, who’s done all the things he’s done, trusting you and believing you’re going to make that play, it means a whole lot.”

Defensive end and sack man, Jared Allen: “(Favre brings) Confidence. He brings so much energy and toughness to this team. I think his impact has been awesome.”

Tight end, Visanthe Shiancoe: “You feed off that (Favre’s contagious swagger and confidence). That’s the captain that steers the ship, man.”

Brett Favre believes in balance. He doesn’t want to overthrow or disrespect coaching authority. But, my assessment is that his primary goal is to win games. And, his philosophy to win is for everyone – coaches and players – to play to their strengths and give each other freedom. He wants to have a say in the offensive strategy, and becomes frustrated if a coach dictates plays without input from the seasoned quarterback they worked so hard to recruit.

Success – in sports, or in public policy – requires that leadership trust. Just like young Vikings players attribute their rapid growth to Favre’s trust and encouragement, the American people need leadership to trust that they are capable of making decisions on their own.

America’s Political Roster:

Primary Weakness: Inexperience

Greatest Strength: Media Savvy

Caution:

Childress is great at encouraging the team, and, particularly since the Vikings’ game against Chicago, he has been feeding the media and the team positive messages. But, going into the playoffs, the Vikings need Childress to trust Favre and the younger players he’s helped to mentor. Only the players can lead the team to the Super Bowl, so the coach needs to enable – not disable – the players.

Likewise, President Obama convinced young people to vote for him with his motivating speeches. Once elected, he has trusted the government more than the people to come up with the best solutions. This lack of trust could disable the entire economy because the markets, consumers and businesses will freeze.

Key Players:

1. Barack Obama, President
   • Former Southside Chicago community organizer. He has “the least experience and training of any chief executive in history,” reports Newsmax.com.
2. Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve
   • He’s a scholar who lacks business experience and openly admits he missed the ball on the recession. He’s better fit for the library than the real world.
3. Obama’s Cabinet Appointees
   • Only eight percent of Obama’s Cabinet Appointees have any private sector experience.
4. Czars
   • More alarming than the questionable backgrounds of Obama’s expanding entourage of Czars is their very appointment. Wouldn’t you question the qualifications of regular football referees if the NFL suddenly felt the need to appoint numerous “czars” to oversee the reffing of the game?
   • The Constitution doesn’t call for these extra layers of bureaucracy, so – by creating extraneous levels of control – the current Administration admits its incompetence to govern with the tools of the Constitution

Game-day strategy:

Brett Farve’s positive impact on the Vikings stemmed from one thing: His experience with the game. Let’s learn from this when we vote in 2010 – and especially in 2012. By electing “Brett Favre Mirrors” – politicians with experience, charisma and character – not just media savvy – we can change our roster from rookie elites to experienced team-players who will take our country and our economy to the “Super Bowl.” Let’s take a step away from leaders who espouse Childress-style micromanaging and a step toward Favre-style teamwork, confidence and experience.

Just as the Vikings’ confidence soared with an experienced and trusting leader like Favre, the U.S. economy would benefit with leaders who trust the American people to make their own plays. Consumer confidence will rise; banks and small businesses will develop the mutual trust needed to invest and take risks; the economy will start rocking and rolling again – if our elected officials and the Fed Chairman give back rightful control and freedom to the American people, entrepreneurs and the market.

Sources: St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Give Favre the keys to the offense” and “Favre leaving lasting impact on the Vikings” by Sean Jensen on Dec. 30, 2009 and Jan. 1, 2010, respectively. “Eight Vikings are Pro Bowl picks” by Rick Alonzo on Dec. 30, 2009. “Rice: Favre helped me get to the Pro Bowl” by Bob Sansevere on Dec. 31, 2009. “Down but not out” by Rick Alonzo on Jan. 3, 2010.

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