Take Me To Post Comment Form Should athletes run for political office? That is the question. Yet before you answer, read about the former athletes below who had (or may have) respectable political careers.

Anyone who is a sports fan knows that former NBA great Charles Barkley has political ambitions. He made that point very clear after he retired from professional basketball several years ago. Specifically, he made it no secret that he had his eyes on running for governor of Alabama.

Well, turns out Barkley, who currently lives in Phoenix, took the first step in fleshing out his political desires

Last year, he established residence in Alabama when he purchased the house he built for his mother in Leeds -- for $1. It was an important move for the in-your-face, loud-mouthed, no-holds-barred basketball analyst, since he has to be a resident of the state for seven years in order to run for governor.

In the meantime, Barkley anticipates he will run for mayor of Leeds. Barkley was recently quoted as saying: "I think $5,000 is all I need to run for mayor of Leeds."

No word on how that will affect his job as a game analyst in Atlanta (during and after NBA games televised on TNT), or his jovial, tongue-in-cheek T-Mobile commercials with current NBA star Dwayne Wade.

Sir Charles, of course, is not a cavalier. He is not the first athlete to cross the line from the sports realm to the political realm. Quite the contrary, several big-named athletes have had successful political careers.

Most notable is Bill Bradley, the former New York Knickerbocker who ran for United States President against Al Gore (in the Democratic Primary) in 2000. He was also a Senator for New Jersey from 1979 to 1997. This after playing a Hall of Fame career in the NBA, and earning Rhodes Scholar honors in college.

One of the more popular athlete-turned-politician stories in recent memory was that of former wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura, who was elected governor of Minnesota in 1998.

While most people know him for his acting, Arnold Schwarzenegger was a professional weight-lifter (seven-time Mr. Olympia, three-time Mr. Universe) prior to his silver screen career, and turned to the ballot box in 2003 when he was elected governor in California.

Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steeler and NFL-great, ran as the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania governor in 2006, though he lost in the General Election to the incumbent Democrat -- a noted Philadelphia Eagles fan, no less.

Shortly thereafter, Swann indicated he was considering a run for the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district against Rep. Jason Altmire. Yet, as of today, he has not filed for the election.

Up north in Sacramento, one of Barkley's former teammates in Phoenix -- Kevin Johnson -- is running for mayor. Johnson, a Sacramento native, just lent his campaign $500,000

In not-too-far-away Los Angeles, former Laker legend Magic Johnson has flirted with the idea of running for Los Angeles mayor, though a campaign has yet to come to fruition.

And let's not forget our very own Cameron Smythe -- currently Assemblyman for the Santa Clarita Valley and former football standout at UC Davis.

Other athletes who turned to political office include:
-- J.C. Watts, former Canadian Football League quarterback turned U.S. Congressman;

-- Jack Kemp, former Bufallo Bills quarterback turned Congressman and VP candidate with Bob Dole;

-- Gerald Ford, former University of Michigan football star turned Congressman, VP and President;

-- Steve Largent, NFL Hall of Famer turned Congressman.

So, back to my original question:

Do former athletes make for good politicians?

There is a school of thought that says yes, since many athletes have to perform beyond all expectations, deal with a demanding public and be held accountable to an impatient media. Athletes face many of the same performance expectations as our elected officials.

Perhaps playing sports grooms athletes to pursue political careers once their playing days are over.

Yes, there are the Michael Vicks or Pacman Joneses who are irresponsible, Primadonna superstars. Yet for every Vick or Jones are jock gems such as those listed above, as well as other potential candidates in Michael Jordan or Troy Aikman, who are eloquent, well-spoken, educated and groomed to serve the public.

How many people think that former athletes, indeed, make for solid politicians?

(NOTE: AP Photos)