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Wednesday, October 8, 2003

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The Democratic primary gets ugly

I thought the "puke politics" of the California gubernatorial election were bad -- that's nothing compared to the accusations flying between the Dean and Kerry camps:

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry is again challenging presidential rival Howard Dean's allegiance to Red Sox Nation.

With Boston preparing to face archrival New York in the American League Championship Series, Kerry said Tuesday that if New York beats Boston in the best-of-seven series that begins Wednesday, he'll send New England clam chowder to Dean's campaign. He wants Manhattan chowder from Dean if Boston wins.

Kerry last month accused Dean, the former Vermont governor and current front-runner for the Democratic nomination, of being a Yankees fan.

Dean, a New York native, called the accusation insulting, and insisted he backs Boston.

"Howard Dean has a relationship with the Yankees that goes way back so we hope he is willing to put some chowder behind his childhood team," Kerry spokeswoman Kelley Benander said.

OK, mostly I think this is amusing, but a semi-serious question -- what does it say about the state of Kerry's campaign that he's perfectly willing to piss off millions of Democrats who root for the Yankees, just to get a leg up in New Hampshire?

posted by Dan on 10.08.03 at 06:19 PM

Comments:

It says it's still the same Kerry campaign we've had all year.

Points for consistency.

posted by: sidereal on 10.08.03 at 06:19 PM [permalink]

There are PLENTY of Yankeefan pols to take shots at (Hillary, Rudy, Pataki)..

Kerry should instead ridicule Dean for being from the Socialist Empire of Vermont.

posted by: Tom on 10.08.03 at 06:19 PM [permalink]

Maybe it says you should take a joke as a joke and leave it alone.

posted by: The Guy on 10.08.03 at 06:19 PM [permalink]

Where does rationality enter into the picture when you're talking about existential politico-military decisions like the Yankees versus the Red Sox?

Yankees in 6.

posted by: p mac on 10.08.03 at 06:19 PM [permalink]

Dan - It's not Dean's original offense that's the problem, it's the coverup! Dean should have learned from Watergate.

posted by: pj on 10.08.03 at 06:19 PM [permalink]

The real scandal is that the Kerry campaign actually *wants* Manhattan clam chowder. No true member of Red Sox Nation actually likes that dreck. Everyone knows that when you put clams and tomatoes together you get either clam sauce or the start of cioppino, not chowder.

posted by: David on 10.08.03 at 06:19 PM [permalink]

My mother said that if you can't say something good about someone, you should say nothing.

So it means, "nothing."

posted by: Roger Sweeny on 10.08.03 at 06:19 PM [permalink]

So Kerry says Dean is a Yankee fan, and then the NYT says it's rooting against the Yankees. Continuing NYT anti-Dean bias?

See also this story: "Kerry, better known for sailboarding and ice hockey than for baseball banter, also plans to launch a 'Cowboy Up for Kerry' effort, using the slogan Red Sox players adopted for the stretch run." I thought he didn't like cowboys?

posted by: Hei Lun Chan on 10.08.03 at 06:19 PM [permalink]

What does it say about Kerry? Maybe that he's loyal to his homestate team, and criticizes dean for not doing likewise.

posted by: Tim on 10.08.03 at 06:19 PM [permalink]