I know one old Tar Heel who would be knee deep into politics.

Yesterday, I wondered about Dean Smith, the basketball coach-human rights activist, and his opinion on what’s going on in our country. So I put a simple question on Facebook. How would Dean vote in this election if he were still with us? I followed it with a winking emoji.

Of course, anyone who followed Smith’s career in the slightest knew he was a proud Democratic and a liberal in the days before it became a dirty word, when it stood for compassion, progress, understanding, reaching out. Smith integrated Carolina basketball with Charles Scott and had strong views on social issues, including the death penalty.

My post is still getting likes and comments approaching 200. It also came the same day as Mack Brown and Roy Williams joined dozens of coaches across the country recording video voting messages, explaining in wonderful detail all the options North Carolinians have for voting.

A few commenters scolded me for mixing politics with sports, which Coach Smith tried not to do. The funniest political comment I remember him making was when he lamented not having an experienced back-up point guard behind starter King Rice in 1990.

He quipped, “We have a bunch of Dan Quayles,” referring to the beleaguered vice present to Republican George H.W. Bush. Thankfully, Derrick Phelps came along the next season.

Away from the court, Smith campaigned for candidates he believed would do good things for their communities, states and country, all the way back to when he worked hard helping Howard Lee become mayor of Chapel Hill, the first black elected to that post in the South since reconstruction.

Smith also supported Harvey Gantt in his failed bid to unseat Senator Jesse Helms and, of course, he was a big supporter of Bill Clinton, the last president who was truly a consensus builder across the aisle, even though he had some personal habits Smith did not approve of.

So, today, what would the Dean think about the upcoming election? In detail, that would take at least another column. But, unquestionably, he would be voting for Joe Biden to dump Trump.

 

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