In politics, like sports, it can come down to who wants it more 

In my previous life, I covered collegiate and high school sports. I’ve been to the games, talked to players, written game previews and sat through the coaches’ press conferences. 

In 2001, I settled into full-time political reporting, and I found the parallels between politics and sports closer than you may think. 

In both, you have participants. There’s a winner. There’s a loser. And there’s a lot more to winning than just showing up. 

People benefit from natural skills. In sports, those are athletic skills: fantastic hand-eye coordination, quickness and toughness. In politics, one needs interpersonal skills: being an engaging speaker, a clear communicator and a compassionate listener. 

Beyond natural skills, though, is practice. Just as a runner gets faster through a good conditioning program, a politician improves through experience.  

But the world is full of naturally gifted people. Experience isn’t a rare commodity, either. What separates the winners? 

How did this year’s Michigan State men’s basketball team, for example, win the Big Ten regular season title when last year’s team struggled to get to .500 when more than half the team was the same? 

In sports, like politics, it’s the fire. It’s the desire. Who wants it more? 

Who is hungry? And who is content?  

Who believes they have something to contribute, that what they represent is bigger than who they are? And who is participating seemingly out of obligation? 

As candidates pop out of the woodwork for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress and several other offices, I watch for this passion, this ability to connect. 

Let’s start with state Sen. Mallory McMorrow. For months, she spent from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. every day hammering away on a book about herself, her journey from someone pissed off by Donald Trump to a two-term state senator. 

She claims the timing of her new book and her announcement for the U.S. Senate last week were coincidental. Either way, her burning desire to serve spawned a phenomenal campaign rollout covered by numerous media outlets. 

She teased her announcement for weeks, then rolled it out at 6 a.m. on a non-Michigan Legislature session day. She hit the morning shows and pushed yesterday’s news off the front pages as people woke up. Sure, she benefited from a slow news day, but she did interviews galore to accompany her compelling 2-minute, 25-second video. 

The result: $1 million raised in the first 24 hours. A ton of attention from potential donors and voters. The content of the message aside, McMorrow’s fire and passion were contagious. People want to be part of it. 

Then there’s John James. He’s as skilled and experienced in politics as McMorrow. In 2026, he’s running for governor after two narrow U.S. Senate losses and two congressional wins in Macomb County. 

His rollout came without a press release. He posted a Facebook message around 5 p.m. Monday entitled “Dear Michigan family.” At that point, most of the working press was finishing their daily content. Radio programs booked their guests long ago. Was there time to get this on the 6 p.m. news? 

It didn’t matter. James didn’t do any media interviews anyway. Democrats had plenty of things to say in reaction, but on the James side, the rollout was obligatory. Here I am. Let’s go. It’s time to march for that biannual dental cleaning. 

His message claims, “We’ll have the rallies and the balloons soon.” Maybe, maybe not.  

Maybe there’s energy he’s keeping in reserve. Perhaps it’s like an old lawn mower that needs a few extra pulls in the spring to fire it up. 

It’s early, I know. James’ name ID is significantly higher than McMorrow’s. The issues James will run on are different from McMorrow’s, too. 

The winds of politics constantly change. However, with these two candidates at this painfully early stage, all voters need is functioning eyes and ears to notice who wants it more.  

Just like in sports, that can make the difference. 

(Kyle Melinn is the editor of the Capitol news service MIRS. You can email him at melinnky@gmail.com.)