The Hail Mary or Ave Maria (Latin) is a traditional Christian prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus according to Wikipedia. “Hail Mary pass” has become a generic term referring to any last ditch effort with little chance of success. It was a term originally used to describe a desparate football play when there did not appear to be any chance of a win near the end of a 4th quarter. It is believed to have been coined by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, referring to his desperation (and Catholic beliefs), for his game-winning touchdown pass in a December 28, 1975 NFC semifinal playoff game.
Today it’s any desparate effort to save any situation from becoming a failure. Thus John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin has been called a Hail Mary pass to rescue his uninspiring campaign. John McCain’s grasp at “Joe the Plumber” also seems to be a Hail Mary pass.
Last ditch efforts to save any situation could be called Hail Mary passes. General Motors has significantly reduced its R&D budget but has not stopped the development of the Volt, a new all electric car planned for a roll out in 2010. This appears to be a really desparate Hail Mary pass to save the company.
Senator Elizabeth Dole’s, (R) North Carolina, Hail Mary pass attack on her opponent Kay Haggen as anti-God has to be a real prayer for Mrs. Haggen’s defeat. It is now reported that Mrs. Dole is even farther behind in the polls. Was that a message from God?
Thus far the ultimate Hail Mary pass for 2008 was Henry Paulson’s proposal for $700 Billion Give Away. After a rather short fight and no hearings our Congress approved the bailout of all those wealthy Wall Street traders.
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