How Wrestling is Like Politics

In celebration of Wrestlemania, and to defend myself against those who mock my appreciation of pro wrestling, I feel the need to point out how wrestling is like politics:

• While some criticize pro wrestling because it is "fake", so too are political events.  A wrestling match or show is staged, pre-planned, and well rehearsed, but anyone who has seen a political rally or even town hall meeting, must realize that those too are well choreographed.
• Wrestlers play to the crowd, trying to whip them up into a fervor.  So too do politicians.  (Although, in this case, politicians all pander to the crowd, whereas many wrestlers are "heels", and try to insult and offend the crowds to get the energy going).
• Both wrestling and politics involve a lot of talking, mostly about how awesome the speaker is, and how evil their opponent is.
• Regardless of merit, popular personalities tend to win.  The best pure wrestlers will often lose to those who are more dynamic speakers - the same happens in politics.
• It is usually pretty easy to predict what wrestlers and politicians will say, do, and who will win.
• No one ever wants to retire (see: Rick Flair, Arlen Specter).
• Cheating is common, but rarely results in disqualification.

In some ways, however, wrestling is superior:

• Cool entrance music.  Could you imagine a legislative hearing wrapping up, and all of a sudden, my personal theme song blasts on the sound system?  I walk in with the announcer yelling "What's he doing here," and grab the microphone and give my testimony.  We'd get a lot more viewers on CSPAN or PCN that way.
• After the debate, they fight.  They closest thing we get to that in politics is debates like Santorum and Casey in 2006.  You can't tell me that wouldn't have been better if it had ended with Santorum attacking Casey, with the late Tim Russert screaming, "A steel chair!  Don't do it, Rick!  No not like this, not like this!!!"