Tim Tebow and Ron Paul: A point-by-point comparison

Tim Tebow’s stock as a quarterback may be falling — ESPN’s Mike and Mike have less confidence in him than any other QB in the playoffs this weekend — but he remains a cultural lightning rod.

Note that even The New Yorker‘s Ben McGrath is weighing in on him, albeit by suggesting that he’s less like Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry, who both embraced The Chosen One without success, than with Ron Paul. And a Paul supporter agrees.

Here’s an excerpt from McGrath’s Tebow-themed essay:

If he loses to Pittsburgh on Sunday, [Tebow’s] days as a No. 1, like Newt Gingrich’s, may be behind him. You could say that the narrative arc of his first full professional season has been subjected so thoroughly to the accelerated news cycle that it resembles that of plenty an athlete’s full career.

Fitting, in a political season in which much has been made of the expedited boom-and-bust cycles for Presidential candidates, with frontrunners born and buried in a matter of weeks or even days instead of months. Blame the haplessness of the candidates themselves, or blame, as many have, the so-called horse-race journalism that blurs the line between politics and sport. Better still, blame them both, because it’s not as though the campaigns of Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry spent the run-up to the Iowa caucuses ducking Tim Tebow comparisons. (With his cultish following and his unorthodox style, he seems more a Ron Paul figure to me.)

One writer for The Daily Paul, candidate Paul’s very busy online home, recently made the same comparison, sans the pejorative implications. “Yes, this is a stretch, but I just couldn’t resist,” notes BroncosPlummer before laying out all the ways in which Paul and Tebow are spiritual kin. Here’s his list:

Ron Paul has won multiple congressional elections
Tim Tebow has won multiple football championships

Ron Paul has won theTax Payer’s Best Friend Awards
Tim Tebow has won football’s top award, The Heisman Trophy

Ron Paul has been consistent in his beliefs
Tim Tebow has been consistent in his beliefs

Ron Paul is a devout Christian
Tim Tebow is a devout Christian

Ron Paul is for home schooling
Tim Tebow was home schooled

Ron Paul has been told he’ll never win the presidency
Tim Tebow has been told he will never win at the NFL level

Ron Paul is unshakeable in congress.
Tim Tebow is unshakeable on the football field

Ron Paul is controversial
Tim Tebow is controversial

Ron Paul is not afraid of failure
Tim Tebow is not afraid of failure

Ron Paul takes the high road when being criticized
Tim Tebow takes the high road when being criticized

Ron Paul was part of a skit on SNL
Tim Tebow was part of a skit on SNL

Ron Paul is humble
Tim Tebow is humble

Ron Paul wants to be friendly with foreign nations
Tim Tebow is building a hospital in the Philippines

Ron Paul has the support of our troops (defense)
Tim Tebow has the support of his defense

Ron Paul could improve his delivery
Tim Tebow could improve his delivery (ha!)

Ron Paul has a growing fan base
Tim Tebow has a growing fan base

Ron Paul believes hard work is rewarded
Tim Tebow believes hard work is rewarded

Ron Paul has charisma
Tim Tebow has charisma

Ron Paul doesn’t give up
Tim Tebow doesn’t give up

The odds are against Ron Paul to win the Presidency
The odds are against Tim Tebow to win the Super Bowl

Ron Paul knows who he is and what he’s about
Tim Tebow knows who he is and what he’s about

Ron Paul is on the verge of greatness
Tim Tebow is on the verge of greatness

Ron Paul will win the…
Tim Tebow will win the…

Hard to say if that will make fans feel better or worse about the Broncos’ chances against the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend. But at least no one’s comparing Tebow to Herman Cain….

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More from our Videos archive: “Tim Tebow Muppet-friendly ‘I Believe’ song & five other tributes to The Chosen One (VIDEOS).”