"At Notre Dame (1993–1997), Powlus completed 558 of 969 passes for 7,602 yards, 52 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions.
His passing efficiency was strong for his era, with a single-season high in 1997 (182 completions on 298 attempts) and multiple games throwing for four touchdowns
While the exact QBR number is not listed, his completion percentage (57.4%), yards per attempt (~7.8), and touchdown-to-interception ratio place him in the upper tier of college QBs of his time"

He also battled injuries.

He might be a stretch as COO. But he isn't a joke.

His political affiliation is irrelevant.