Smear campaigns in Massachusetts

by 39 Comments

When the Boss bought the Yanks
NLCS Game 2

Q: How do you win a political race in Massachusetts?
A: Accuse your opponent of being a Yankees fan.

No, I don’t intend this to inspire political debate at a baseball blog. I just thought it was an interesting article on a slow, slow Friday (until 4:30, that is). It appears that in the Massachusetts Senatorial race, incumbent John Kerry — remember him? — has accused his opponent, Jeff Beatty, of rooting for the Yankees. It stems from an issue in Beatty’s past, where he was photographed wearing a Yankees hat while in Grenada. He was injured while rescuing U.S. hostages, and the hat was supposedly put on his head to keep bandages in place. Whatever the story, it’s kind of funny/sad to see a political race in MA come down to the Yankees.

When the Boss bought the Yanks
NLCS Game 2
  • KW

    Pathetic attempt at a smear. But in politics, nothing is surprising.

  • Adam

    as dumb as it sounds, it did pain me to vote for kerry, a red sox fan, in the 2004 election.

    • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

      Kerry’s a Sox fan in the way that Hillary Clinton is a Yankees fan.

      As in, not so much.

  • Simon B.

    It’s too bad for Kerry that his favorite player, “Manny Ortez” has half left the Red Sox.

    • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

      DAMN! You beat me to it.

      Hat tip.

      • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

        John Kerry’s knowledge of sporting figures = Sarah Palin’s knowledge of magazines and newspapers

        • The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

          So he’s knowledgable about any and all of them?

        • Ivan

          That’s mean and ridiculous. She knows a ton of shit, like seeing russia from Alaska.

        • http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.

          This made me laugh out loud on the bus I’m on. Well done.

      • Nady Nation

        Was that an actual quote from him? Anyone have a link if this is the case?

        • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

          http://www.slate.com/id/2107251/

          “Kerry, it turned out, once named Eddie Yost as his favorite Red Sox player. Yost never played for the Red Sox. Kerry thought there was a current member of the Red Sox named Manny Ortez…”

          “The Eddie Yost story checked out with the man who conducted the interview, Boston sports radio host Eddie Andleman. But Andleman says the conversation took place “about 10 years ago,” not in the recent past as Gammons implies. As far as the second flub, Kerry did invert and somewhat mangle the names of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz in a speech delivered in Boston on July 12. But he did quickly catch the error, even repeating “Manny Ortez” in an incredulous tone as if to scold himself for making such a bonehead mistake.

          Still, when Kerry corrected himself he did mispronounce David Or-TEEZ as David Or-TEZZ. Panagopoulos hadn’t heard Kerry make the gaffe—he had only read about it in Gammons’ column. When I played the clip for him, he said he still wasn’t sure if Kerry was a true fan—after all, the guy’s name is David Or-TEEZ.”

  • Andy In Sunny Daytona

    As much as an idiot as I am, I would never let sports dictate who I would vote for.

  • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

    Incumbent John Kerry — remember him? — has accused his opponent, Jeff Beatty, of rooting for the Yankees. It stems from an issue in Beatty’s past, where he was photographed wearing a Yankees hat while in Grenada.

    In a related story, Barack Obama is a dirty Muslim terrorist.

  • The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

    John Kerry just can’t help but make it exceedingly difficult to like him.

  • Manimal

    One of Kerry’s 15 wives is a yankees fan and 2 are Rays fans. Stupid Mormons.

    • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

      Huh? Kerry or Romney?

      • Manimal

        Whoops. Got my stupid idiotic policians confused. Its amazing how much BS could run a state. Deval Patrick hasn’t done shit here in MA.

      • The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

        Whatever, they’re both from Massachusetts. Stop being so liberal elite media-y, with your accuracy.

        • cult of basebaal

          like colbert said, it’s well known that truth has a liberal bias …

          • TheLastClown

            It was facts, facts have a liberal bias….

        • http://yankeesfuture.wordpress.com Pablo Zevallos

          What’s wrong with liberals? If you don’t like our biases go to PBS. If you don’t like that, Rush Limbaugh and FOX News say hi.

          • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

            Hold, on, let me translate.

            “Whatever, they’re both from Massachusetts. [sarcasm] Stop being so liberal elite media-y, with your accuracy. [/sarcasm]

            • The Honorable Congressman Mondesi

              Merci. (That’s right, I used a French word. Because I’m an elitist supercilious prig.)

              • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

                People who use the word “supercilious” = Not Joe Sixpack

                • http://yankeesfuture.wordpress.com Pablo Zevallos

                  Wow, my bad, I failed to pick that up.

                  Don’t forget the pitbull!

    • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

      Anybody else remember the SNL Weekend Update bit about negative campaign ads?

      ————————————————-

      Norm MacDonald: Well, now that Election Day is just two weeks away, here, with his report on Campaign ’94, Weekend Update political correspondent Al Franken. Al?

      Al Franken: Hello, Norm. Thank you.

      Norm: Now, Al, uh, you’ve been covering these midterm races?

      Al: Uh, yes.

      Norm: Any general trends seem to be emerging?

      Al: Uh, yes, Norm. This appears to be the roughest campaign year ever.

      Norm: Negative campaigning?

      Al: Oh, yeah. Yeah. I’ve been covering politics for a long time and this is, without a doubt, the most mean-spirited year I’ve ever seen. Now, take for example, Massachusetts, here Senate challenger Mitt Romney is spending millions of dollars on attack ads like this one. Watch.

      [Dissolve to ad with photo of a ruddy-faced Ted Kennedy accompanied by minor key music and a deep-throated, smarmy announcer’s voice over.]

      V/O: On October 14th, 1978, Ted Kennedy is seen puking in the parking lot of the U.S. Capitol. … On February 8th, 1983, Kennedy relieves himself on the leg of a Georgetown waitress. … Two years later, Kennedy passes out on the floor of the Senate, soiling himself in the process. …

      Kennedy — He’s a big, fat drunk.

      [Cheers and applause as we dissolve back to Al and Norm at the desk.]

      Norm: Yeah. Yeah, that was tough.

      Al: It’s a tough year. Tough year. … And it’s really become a no-holds barred contest. Uh, watch this. This is one of Kennedy’s attack ads on Romney.

      [Dissolve to another ad with minor key music and a deep-throated, smarmy announcer’s voice over.]

      V/O: [Image of Brigham Young] Mormon prophet Brigham Young believed that a man ought to have as many wives as he wants. Apparently, Mitt Romney agrees. [Side by side images of Young and Romney] After all, he’s a Mormon. [Upbeat trumpet fanfare as we dissolve to a photo of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Kennedy.]

      Ted Kennedy — One Wife at a Time.

  • http://www.workwithpete.com Pete

    John Kerry, reporting for duty!

    YEEEECCCCHHHH.

  • Mike Pop

    Yankee Universe baby !!

  • ceciguante

    john kerry’s a piece of shit.

    sorry, you started it.

  • owine

    As a resident of Massachusetts, he just gained my vote. Mostly because John Kerry sucks, but this didn’t hurt.

  • Bo

    Did you expect anything less from John Kerry???

    He’s a guy who shat on all his fellow soldiers and would say and do anything to get ahead.

    • http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos

      Karl Rove, is that you?

    • PhilK

      Key phrase = fellow soldiers.

      current president can’t use that one.

  • Geno

    Good God, is spring training here yet?

  • A.D.

    If you read the comments to that article from random people, they’re halarious… ppl are heated

  • Ivan

    no comments for game 2 of the LA/Philly series?

    • TheLastClown

      Can we just use this thread for the CS?

    • http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.

      We were having some technical problems. Sorry about that.

  • http://justinyates.wordpress.com justin

    This is by far the funniest post I’ve seen on this website…but here’s a baseball related question:

    If you sign C.C. Sabathia and have a chance to trade Hughes and Cano and (prospects) for Jake Peavey and Adrian Gonzalez do you pull that trigger?

    Pro’s:
    -Rotation 1) Sabathia 2) Peavey 3) Wang 4) Chamberlain 5) Pettitte/Moose/Farmhand (That’s a ridicuous rotation for the next 4 years or so)
    -You fill up first base with a relatively (compared to Tex) inexpensive and ostensibly productive player
    -You keep the payroll within the under 200 million marker and probably dominate for the next couple of years

    Con’s
    -Trading away Hughes and Cano (both of whom I think will be very, very good one of these days)
    -Being unsure of how Peavey and/or Gonzalez will perform in NY/AL East
    -I actually can’t find too many cons

    Discuss