More thoughts on Linda McMahon

At first glance, the motive for this particular Op-Ed might seem terribly predictable; a WWE wrestler explaining his support for Linda McMahon, the former CEO of the company he wrestles for. Except that I’m not a WWE wrestler anymore. I actually wrestle for their competition, Total Nonstop Action, after a less than harmonious parting of ways with WWE two years ago. A read through my new book Countdown to Lockdown illustrates several moments of great contention with WWE and Linda’s husband, the very colorful Vince McMahon – though Mrs. McMahon herself is written about in only flattering terms. I’m also not a member of Linda McMahon’s political party, and tend to vote for the Democrat in every race unless I have good reason not to. But as a person with a unique perspective on a candidate in a close and vital race, I take issue with recent attempts to make Linda McMahon seem unappealing as a candidate because of her background with World Wrestling Entertainment.

With several races undecided, and with so much at stake, it’s not simple hyperbole to claim that the future of the United States Senate could come down to one particular race, such as the one in Connecticut, where Democrats have seemingly hitched all their hopes to an attempt to tie Linda McMahon directly to every controversy and problem ever associated with WWE, the family business she helped shape into a billion dollar worldwide enterprise.

To be sure, the concerns expressed in regard to WWE are valid ones – substance abuse problems, content issues, the troubling trend of pro-wrestlers dying way too young. But if Linda McMahon is going to be held personally accountable for every negative aspect of her family business, shouldn’t she be given personal credit for every positive aspect as well? Like the 5,000 wishes to children facing life threatening conditions WWE has granted over the last twenty five years, through “Make-a-Wish” and other wish granting organizations. Or the “Tribute to the Troops” tour that WWE has embarked on every year since 2003; spreading holiday cheer to service-members far from home, in remote bases in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. While many Americans are quietly peeling their “Support the Troops” magnets off of cars, or conveniently forgetting about the sacrifices of so many, the WWE continues to provide very real support in both bases and military hospitals, winning the USO’s first “Legacy of Hope” award, and putting smiles on the faces of countless troops serving their country overseas and facing incredible hardships at home.
This may be Linda’s first run for public office, but she is far from a political novice, having spearheaded WWE’s Smackdown Your Vote, a highly effective campaign to increase turnout among younger voters during every Presidential election year, beginning in 2000. I was with Linda at the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston, and over the course of four days, watched with great interest as you she worked in a non-partisan manner, encouraging younger voters to become engaged with the democratic process and to make their vote count. A cynic might see those ten years of involvement as an attempt to build political clout, with the knowledge that she might one day run for office. I believe that it was done with the sincere belief that voting should be looked upon as a sacred American right, and one that should be exercised by as many citizens as possible. Linda McMahon is running as a Republican, but I believe that the traits I saw in action at the 2004 convention in Boston will allow her to navigate around the partisan gridlock that has made the atmosphere in Washington discouraging to so many – including me.

Some might see my words as those of a former WWE guy, showing his loyalty, trying to get back on the good side of his former company. But perhaps others will see it as a warning to the Democratic Party to disengage from a losing battle – to cut and run from the idea that tying Linda McMahon to professional wrestling is going to win an election in November. I wonder if those in charge of shaping this strategy even bothered to attend a WWE show before launching into anti-wrestling mode; not to look at the show itself – but to look at the audience, which is comprised in large part of families; hard-working moms and dads who choose to spend their money and their time on a product that they have deemed perfectly acceptable.
I’ve seen a few of those negative ads – including the one with the now iconic kick in the crotch. Over the years, I have sometimes questioned WWE’s choices of content, and, as an author, criticized those choices freely in the pages of books that WWE published. But the content issue can be a tricky one, and one best left to personal parental choices. Some see Hansel and Gretel as an innocent childhood tale. But in terms of content, I see it as a story of child abuse, child abandonment, destruction of property, breaking and entering, child imprisonment, starvation, and death by boiling in a cauldron of scalding water. Some see pro-wrestling as an offensive and violent form of low-brow entertainment. I see it as a unique hybrid of art and sport with an ability to bond families that is inexplicable. To quote a letter I received ten years ago, from a woman with a terminally ill child: “this wrestling that everyone thinks is so bad, sure has brought a lot of joy to my son.”

I don’t expect everyone in politics, or in any particular field to like or understand the appeal of professional wrestling. It’s not for everyone. But I do expect politicians and assorted media members to understand that millions of people in the United States do love this particular form of entertainment – and that many of them (including those who live in Connecticut) vote. I agree with the Democratic argument against social conservatism – that Americans don’t want politicians in their bedrooms. Guess what – they don’t want politicians in their living rooms either, telling them what they should and should not watch, or what is and what is not an acceptable form of entertainment.

I worked for and with Linda McMahon for ten years. I like and respect her – as a business person, as a concerned citizen, as a mother of two fine children, and now as a doting grandmother. I’m sure that, if elected, she will make a fine U.S. Senator. Nonetheless, I’m not sure what I would do, come November, if I lived in Connecticut, instead of twelve miles away – across the Long Island Sound. I’m not sure if I would pull that lever Linda’s way or not. Let’s face it – there is an awful lot riding on that election. And there are some important issues on which Linda McMahon and I disagree. But if I were a Connecticut citizen, and I were faced with that choice, I would hope that I would be able to make it based on those important issues and with an honest desire to do what was best for the state, the country and the world – not on the condescending notion that involvement in a certain form of entertainment makes one unfit or undesirable for public office.

Comments

[Kevin Newman]

well said Sir

[niveK]

well said sir

[buzz]

I concur. Well said, sir, well said.

[Katbird]

Excellent! Very-well written. They count on voters to only look at their ads and to not check facts. It's good that Vince and those who support him are fighting back. Wrestling as a whole has done a lot of good for many people.

[Becky]

Very well said. I personally believe the attacks are from a desperate canidate. It's so sad that theseelections really turn people away from voting. Those that play the smear game should be ashamed of themselves.
Thank you for voicing what alot of people are feeling.

[alan]

yes very well written

[Leeyow C]

I hope most of the politician would have the open mindedness & willingness to help just like u, mick.
And if Im from connecticut, i would proudly wear WWE tshirt (or hoodie) and vote for the right people for the right job.
Happy Halloween everyone!
And Have a Nice Day!

[Matt]

Mick,

I'm glad to see that someone watching this race has some political common sense. Now if only we can get your common sense to spread to the voters who believe the trashy adds on television, and to the news "reporters" who "objectively" report but serve to just distract everyone from the real issues. Both political parties have been guilty of mudd slinging for centuries (going back to the presidential election between Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams). Just because something has been continuing for centuries doesn't make it right. Hopefully your words of conscience will cause voters to more closely examine races in their states before blindly accepting what a politician says at face value, or what a pragnostic reporter broadcasts from behind their desk.

[Eddiebates23]

Endorsement? Mick your words, "Nonetheless, I’m not sure what I would do, come November, if I lived in Connecticut, instead of twelve miles away – across the Long Island Sound. I’m not sure if I would pull that lever Linda’s way or not."
Is it just me or did you just cancel out everything in your column?
She is the best choice why would anyone ever elect someone who lies about their military service. He is a scumbag.

[Ruthcullen]

It's been an ugly scene here in CT, Mick, but your words help temper the debate. Thanks.

[Avjw77]

I have to agree, it drives me nuts every time Katie Vick gets trotted out by someone who never saw the story unfold on TV. Granted, I hated the story probably as much as you did, Mick -- thanks for speaking out on it when you did -- but seriously, all everyone says is 'a necrophilia angle' when that part was only stupid heel posturing. Though the fact that Hunter went along with it kind of makes me fear for the state of WWE in the future -- how on Earth he could think that would be something worth basing a feud on is beyond me.

But I digress.

I really wish people would start realizing that, to paraphrase your good friend Dee a little, that wrestling is, you know, not a bad thing. But instead, we have Linda getting run through the mud, and probably losing this race if indications are correct, quite probably because of the fact that she had a position of authority in a company that ... GASP ... promotes wrestling! Tell you the truth, from what I hear, though I vote Democrat mostly these days, I think I _would_ vote for her in the election she's in, because she seems to be the better human being. It's a shame that not enough other people seem to realize that.

[Ariel]

And another very good blog as usual. It makes me sad this wasn't put in the paper like you mentioned on Twitter. It should actually be in the paper. While I don't necessarily enjoy what WWE puts on TV currently, I think it's ridiculous what Linda McMahon is being attacked for, especially when she isn't even working for the company anymore, but that's basically been said from everyone. Well, all anyone can hope is that people use their minds and pick the best person for CT. If not, especially if it's coming from what is on the WWE, it's sad.

[Thekeelo_g]

Incredibly well put. I've been of the mind since it was announced that she would be running that it would be a stupid move to focus on her career with the WWE as a campaign issue. From everything I've seen of her, while we disagree politically and I would not vote for her (you can't be against the minimum wage, in my book), but she seems like a great person. She's one of the few candidates with whom I disagree politically that I would not be devastated to see win.

[Diana Holliday]

Ever since I can remember watching these "VOTE" commercials "for or against" has been SO confusing to me~They seem to cancel each other out by the end of the election & I am always relieved I don't have to watch anymore. Base a decision on an informed choice by doing research & VOTE. It is your choice & right to do it once you are 18. After all, it doesn't matter if YOU don't win, it's what's best for everyone that really comes in to play later on. We always seem to be fixing mistakes made & the person who made them is long gone or dead & never has to say sorry for or pay for them. ONLY The People end up paying for & being sorry.
It's a habit that needs to stop. Diana :)

[Tony]

It's not that WWE promotes wrestling [actually it promotes "Sports Entertainment"- had to hold my nose to type that], it's the treatment of WWE-contracted wrestlers that bothers me. The whole "Independent" contractor nonsense- tell me, how independent were you under contract to WWE? Could you decide to moonlight on ECW TV if you wanted the extra cash in your spare time? Were you told when, where, how, and with who you'd be working, and in which style? Were you responsible for 100& of your payroll tax deduction, or was the WWE matching? Were you offered health benefits beyond catastrophic care? All these are reasons that Linda McMahon's association with WWE makes her unfit for office, not storyline family feuds or sloppy, worked nut shots.

[Avjw77]

Tony, I've seen that the Independent Contractor supposedly gives the guys on top a lot of advantages financially (less paid to government = more paid to them), and I get the strange feeling that most wrestlers think they're going to be the top bar none, no matter the circumstances.

Plus Mick has a couple of chapters in his new book where he covers the fact that people in wrestling need to know what they can get out of it, reasonably, they need to save everything they can from the business, and they need to know when to fold. (He said he gave himself to 26, and if he wasn't making a living by then, he would step out of the business. Now considering at 25 he got signed with WCW at a grand a week, he never had to worry about that.)

I'm fully expecting some of the Knockouts to be confronting this soon, if the reports are correct about their salaries -- the most confirmation I got was an interview Taylor Wilde gave where she quit her job at the Sunglass Hut because she was recognized, which doesn't speak well for TNA's salary scale for her (and she was CHAMP at the time, too!). But, hell, you do what you have to do in this business, and if you can't anymore, you go get a real job and maybe take a booking or two on the weekend.

[William B. West]

I really don't understand why Hollywood is silent on the treatment Linda is receiving. Back in the day Communism was the bludgeon weapon used to decapitate political opponents with links in Hollywood. Today it seems Linda is receiving the same treatment.

Katie Vick was a incredibly stupid storyline of course, but so what, are the SAW movies cultural pillars either? It's insane, the politicians seem to have taken up the mantra of "It's still real to me!".

[Matt]

I take it none of you live in CT, where we are bombarded by Linda McMahon's owe attack ads against Richard Blumenthal 24/7 or have to deal with receiving her campaign phone calls all day, or the Linda McMahon mailings everyday..all day for the past 6 months. She is not qualified to be a Senator ...does being on the Greenwhich School Board make you qualified to be a Senator..no it doesn't. We are all wrestling fans, but just because her family owns and runs the WWE does that mean we should vote for her.

[Matt]

Matt,

No it does not. However, her wrestling background doesn't disqualify her either. I mean we've had people from all walks of life hold political office. I haven't seen a list of qualifications for the office of United States Senate. Our political process yields victory for the candidates message and promises (which they may not be held accountable for,) how much money they can spend, fear mongering, or how much dirt they can dig up on their competition. Add to that our nonstop analysis of candidates, and you have a recipe for an unfair distortion at best.

At the root of Mick's article is an attempt to shed some light on Linda as a person, and the good things that WWE has done for our troops, Make a Wish, etc... Now, does that excuse Linda from her positions, or from the injustices that have transpired in WWE; it does not. However, neither is it fair for Linda to be attacked for story lines that took place over a decade ago (over which she had no control). It is just another needless distraction in a campaign season that has been full of them.

Matt

[Marc]

That fact that her company touts Raw as "the longest running episodic television show in history," yet doesn't play by the same rules as REAL episodic TV shows--i.e. talent not in a union and no health insurance (except for work-related injuries / rehab)etc. pretty despicable. You can't have it both ways.

[William B. West]

Marc,
You realize there are not rules requiring "unions and health insurance" on episodic television shows right? Some television shows are union and some are not. It depends on the studio, filming location ect. Union organizing is an employee choice, I doubt you'll find any employer encouraging unions. Not to mention the cloudy area of whether wrestlers are or are not employees rather than independent contractors. I'm not advocating that they are or aren't I'm just saying it isn't as easy as you declaring that they are.

This is the silliness that passes for political discussion. Bitterness thrown at someone without being informed.

[Paul James]

I'm always astonished at how articulate you are, and how well written your columns are despite having so many fuckin' nasty ass bangs to the head! (no offense)

Good stuff!

[William B. West]

Forget the chair shots to the head, Mick sat next to Joy Behar and listened to her drone on and on for ten minutes. THAT IS HARDCORE!!!!

[Miles McLoughlin]

I'm glad the elections are over. Mick, I'm a huge fan of yours and have enjoyed the books you've put out. I hope you're ok with the fact that I usually vote conservative republican. However, I'm not limited to that. I try to vote for who will uphold the constitution as the founding fathers originally intended and do what's best for the country. Like anybody who's voted for either party, there's much to be disappointed with. I'm at a place where I feel neither party is really out there to serve the people, but their own ends. Cynical you say? Well, I think there's plenty of evidence for it. The one thing I'm glad about this election is that not one party is controlling everything. To me a little grid lock is a good thing. There needed to be more checks and balances in our government that's lacking for so long.
By the way, I thought your debate with John Bradshaw Layfield was great. I think that debate was far better than the ones our presidential candidates engaged in back in 02. It's too bad WWE didn't do this again. From what I've read and heard there's many well informed and well spoken wrestlers on issues relating to politics. You and JBL proved it, and gave the American people something far better than we were getting from out candidates. I'd love it if you'd make a public appearance close to my home in Lancaster PA. I'd love to meet you in person some time. Take care and have a nice day!