I thought he was concentrating on Florida? This seems a pretty petty point, even for politics.

Almost as bad as swastikas I'm sure.

I dislike the Yankees as much as the next guy but some people need to get over themselves. To me it would be infinitely worse if Giuliani's folks showed up in Red Sox jackets. Being honest is more important than being a Red Sox fan, I would think. If you are a baseball fan and don't already know Giuliani is a Yankees fan, you deserve to have your vote taken away from you anyway.

While I agree the issue itself isn't important AT ALL, it's incredibly foolish for his supporters to do what they did. This rivalry does matter to some people. One ought to play to one's audience. Don't wear Yankees OR Red Sox stuff; dress professionally, or at least neutrally, and avoid the issue altogether.

This rivalry does matter to some people.

Of course it does, in the context of baseball. In the context of a presidential election, you have to be either insane or incomparably stupid to have it matter to you in the least.

My god aren't there enough really issues to consider without something so childish and so quintessentially Boston? These people probably don't know how to work a voting booth anyway.

My god aren't there enough really issues to consider without something so childish and so quintessentially Boston?

Aside from steroids in baseball? I can't think of anything else I want from politicians.

Of course it does, in the context of baseball. In the context of a presidential election, you have to be either insane or incomparably stupid to have it matter to you in the least.

My god aren't there enough really issues to consider without something so childish and so quintessentially Boston? These people probably don't know how to work a voting booth anyway.

T.J.'s point, which I agree with, is that wearing Yankee garb is just dumb. It's not like these volunteers have to choose between wearing Yankee crap or Red Sox crap.

Dressing like Red Sox fans would be foolish pandering. Dressing like Yankee fans would be needless antagonizing. Dressing like adults would have been a reasonable choice.

It obviously shouldn't be important. But is it really too much to ask to avoid stupid?

We're not talking about the head of his campaign here. We're talking about freakin' volunteers. Seriously, if this is how bad of a hard on some folks up there have for the Yankees, the problem ain't the freakin' Yankees or somebody from New York wearing a Yankee hat in New Hampshire.

Can you image if people were running around The Bronx in Red Sox hats?

Just imagine the raging indifference.

Yep. Rudy is really adept at crisis management.

It's trivial and meaningless. I think it's amplified because the negative image of Guiliani is that he's a guy who'll run his program over you no matter what you think of it because he thinks it's right, dammit, and he's Rudy Giuliani. One can argue the image is unfair or unjustified, but the negative side of his persona is this imperial attitude. Having his supporters run around New England in Red Sox caps might remind people of his negatives.

It ain't the hats that bother people as much as the management style associated with it.

The fact itself is stupid, though

Well, it was someone with "knowledge of the situation" that gave this story to the Post reporter, not a NH resident, which means it was probably a Romney or McCain aide.

I agree that it is stupid to wear Yankees' stuff when you are trying to garner votes in Red Sox country. My point of reference is that I grew up in Alabama. From birth you were forced to choose your allegience to either the Crimson Tide or the Tigers whose battle cry is for some reason "War Eagle". Now would a smart candidate for Governor send his volunteers into Auburn country wearing Crimson Tide regalia, or to Tuscaloosa wearing the Orange and Blue? I agree that in the big scheme of things it is a minor thing, but it brings immediately a negative, and you don't want that. It obviously isn't as bad as wearing a KKK robe into a Black Church, or as inherently politically unsavvy as touting Islam to a fundemental Christian group, but it still is a form of nose-tweaking that doesn't help you win votes.

We're not talking about the head of his campaign here. We're talking about freakin' volunteers. Seriously, if this is how bad of a hard on some folks up there have for the Yankees, the problem ain't the freakin' Yankees or somebody from New York wearing a Yankee hat in New Hampshire.

And yet, each of their votes count the same as yours. If you're trying to get people to vote for you (or your guy), it's just common sense you don't associate that candidate with something the bulk of those voters dislike.

It ain't the hats that bother people as much as the management style associated with it.

The fact itself is stupid, though


Exactly. If someone is not willing to avoid an insult during a campaign, what would they do once they are actually elected.

Of course there is this new theory that the wearing of Yankees hats by pollsters have no effect on ballots in play.

Now would a smart candidate for Governor send his volunteers into Auburn country wearing Crimson Tide regalia, or to Tuscaloosa wearing the Orange and Blue?

Barkley intends to send everyone out in Orange and Blue and toilet paper all the intersections.

it's just common sense you don't associate that candidate with something the bulk of those voters dislike.

Well then I guess Giuliani is screwed regardless then. Or did they not know he was from New York until now?

Of course there is this new theory that the wearing of Yankees hats by pollsters have no effect on ballots in play.

Zing!

Being honest is more important than being a Red Sox fan, I would think.

Rudy did make some noise about rooting for the Red Sox in the world series. He was either being dishonest about that, or his Yankee fandom needs to be questions. Either way, and for plenty of other reasons, I hope his campaign meets a quick end.

Well then I guess Giuliani is screwed regardless then. Or did they not know he was from New York until now?

Not having spoken to every resident of NH, I don't really know. But considering Giuliani has as much reason to covet the stupid voters as the sharp ones, it would have been wise had his team informed volunteers not to wear garb of the hated rival when going door to door in the state. My point has nothing to do with whether it should matter, and everything to do with whether, in a few cases, it might.

This is a bad move simply from one of the most important things about politics: connecting with your voters. They need to think "Golly, this millionaire is just like me."

When you are wearing Yankees stuff in Red Sox country, it, subconsciously or consciously, will defeat that.

It's trivial and meaningless. I think it's amplified because the negative image of Guiliani is that he's a guy who'll run his program over you no matter what you think of it because he thinks it's right, dammit, and he's Rudy Giuliani. One can argue the image is unfair or unjustified, but the negative side of his persona is this imperial attitude. Having his supporters run around New England in Red Sox caps might remind people of his negatives.

It ain't the hats that bother people as much as the management style associated with it.

The fact itself is stupid, though

Knowing completely minor and politically irrelevant citizens who live in Vermont and are perpetually harassed because they moved from NY and wear their Yankees gear, I daresay the pervasive New Englander objection to Yankees gear is not based on an analysis of "management style."

Rudy did make some noise about rooting for the Red Sox in the world series.

Because they were an American League team. A very common trait of folks from his generation. My dad has always been very much the same way.

Anyone know the actual number of Giuliani volunteers in Yankee hats. 100? 1? 3? Can the ever specific "person with knowledge of the situation" elaborate. If it's 1 or 3 I've seen molehills make better mountains.

But considering Giuliani has as much reason to covet the stupid voters as the sharp ones

Not true. The stupid ones are far more likely to vote for Pat Buchanan by accident. Or cast a write in vote for Jim Rice.

I'm voting for Henry "Dangling" Chadwick and writing in "Dimpled" Chad Bradford!

Of course it does, in the context of baseball. In the context of a presidential election, you have to be either insane or incomparably stupid to have it matter to you in the least.

I hear ya, but I think "incomparably stupid" is stretching it. There are plenty of folks who take sports more seriously than politics. That's the way it is. I'm not defending, I'm just saying.

I was born in NH and live in Maine, and if someone showed up at my door in a Yankees hat asking me to vote for Rudy, I'd assume he/she arrived on a bus a few hours ago and couldn't give a crap about me except I'm a registered voter. That'd turn me off. It's not the simple fact that he/she's a Yanks fan that would bother me.

It's trivial and meaningless. I think it's amplified because the negative image of Guiliani is that he's a guy who'll run his program over you no matter what you think of it because he thinks it's right, dammit, and he's Rudy Giuliani. One can argue the image is unfair or unjustified, but the negative side of his persona is this imperial attitude. Having his supporters run around New England in Red Sox caps might remind people of his negatives.

I doubt the negative image of Rudy has much to do with the anger. It's just common sense that you don't wear Yankees stuff while trying to convince voters in New England to vote for a candidate from NY. It's a slap in the face. Of course this isn't an important or significant issue, but it was a braindead move by his volunteers and their managers.

Or cast a write in vote for Jim Rice.

At this time in our nation's history, we need to be feared!

One wants their president to appear to be unbiased about any part of the country. So this move could have a tendency reinforces the opinion the Rudy is for NY and NY only.

I was born in NH and live in Maine, and if someone showed up at my door in a Yankees hat asking me to vote for Rudy, I'd assume he/she arrived on a bus a few hours ago and couldn't give a crap about me except I'm a registered voter.

Why isn't that your standard assumption regardless of what candidate they represent and what hat they're wearing? Let's face facts, what reason is there to give a crap about you (or me) except for the fact that you're a registered voter?

And Giuliani conceded New Hampshire roughly about 18 months ago so I think in many ways he probably doesn't care if any of these people vote for him. I'm guessing the folks that ran to the newspapers with this nonsense weren't likely going to vote for him to begin with, what with having volunteered for the Romney campaign and all.

I watched the debates on Sat. night (I know how to have a good time), more because my son wrangled a press pass to the Spin Room representing his college paper/web site. He met Tim Russert and sent my wife a text that he just discussed Chuck Norris' wife with Chris Matthews. We will definitely get the details of the latter when we talk to him. :)
Anyway, who came across as more full of himself, Rudy or Mitt? They both give me the creeps. Mitt seems to have all the arrogance of Dubya without any of the charm.
Who was more disinterested, Fred Thompson or Bill Richardson?

I came away with new respect for Obama and for Huckabee, less for McCain (too snipey) and Edwards (too demogogue-y).

Why isn't that your standard assumption regardless of what candidate they represent and what hat they're wearing? Let's face facts, what reason is there to give a crap about you (or me) except for the fact that you're a registered voter?

Yeah, but don't you think you should at least give the appearance that you give a crap?

Seriously, if this is how bad of a hard on some folks up there have for the Yankees, the problem ain't the freakin' Yankees or somebody from New York wearing a Yankee hat in New Hampshire.

what are you talking about? The story did not report a single instance of any voter in NH being offended. there is enough actual evidence of people in Boston (not sure about NH) being over-obsessed with the Yankees, but this Post criticism of the Rudy campaign has none of it.

the NY Post is just playing off the earlier Giuliani baseball thing, and using some anonymous quotes to criticize him. they dont cite any reaction from any single human living in NH to the volunteers wearing NY hats.

here is the ENTIRETY of the article:

January 7, 2008 -- BOW, NH - Some Rudy Giuliani volunteers bused here from New York City struck out as they went door to door in advance of Tuesday's Granite State primary while wearing caps or jackets of the hated New York Yankees.

"Some people really don't think," said a person with knowledge of the situation.

"You're in the middle of Red Sox Nation wearing stuff from their enemy. It's absolutely ridiculous.

"Can you image if people were running around The Bronx in Red Sox hats?" he added.

Giuliani reps didn't immediately return calls for comment.

Giuliani, a longtime Yankee fan, raised eyebrows in his home state this fall, after the Bronx Bombers were eliminated from the playoffs, when he said he would root for the hated Red Sox to win the World Series because they are an American League team.

Voros, were you in Florida? Did you vote there? Well my very intelligent mother (college degree even!) was/is, and she thinks she voted for Pat Buchanan because of the butterfly ballot. Stupid people, indeed.

Voros, were you in Florida? Did you vote there?

I was not in Florida, but considering what went down there, I think it's better than 50/50 that I actually did vote there.

Did she not see the arrows, or was she in too much of a hurry to cast votes in more important elections in the following pages of the ballot? A truly intelligent voter would have ripped the ballot out of the booth, stormed out, threw the ballot at a local pollster and screamed "get back to me when you can give me at least one name on the ballot who isn't a stark raving lunatic!"

Imagine how pissed the Socialist Workers were when they cast their vote and wound up voting Libertarian?

Did she not see the arrows, or was she in too much of a hurry to cast votes in more important elections in the following pages of the ballot?

Sorry, that's a terribly designed ballot. Sure, if you study it, it's not complicated. If you haven't heard about the issue for the past 7 years and don't feel like spending an hour in the voting booth, I can easily see how you make a mistake.

Of course it was, but so what. It's par for the course when it comes to the government. Most things the government designs are poorly designed. The qualifications for the woman who designed it were pretty much non-existent and the same thing happened in 1996.

Doesn't change the fact that carefully scanning the ballot would have allowed you to vote for president correctly in under a minute, and that ultimately if you failed to do so, it's nobody's fault but your own.

I'm always concerned that my low 80ish IQ will cause me to vote incorrectly in elections (either because I make a mistake and vote for someone I didn't intend to, or that I vote for the person I did intend to and that person turns out to be the next Hitler). I've successfully circumvented this problem by not voting on subjects on which I know nothing about (which includes politics, and basically everything except baseball statistics).

Doesn't change the fact that carefully scanning

You don't even need careful scanning. The arrows are right ####### there!

Keith Law lives in Boston?

he's on ESPN and they're uisng the Boston skyline as a backdrop.

I don't think he lives in the city, but I know he's said that Fenway Park is a fairly short drive from home for him.

Probably won't have much real effect on the outcome, but it was certainly thoughtless on the part of the volunteers. There aren't a whole lot of places where emotional reactions to Yankees gear are more likely than in New Hampshire, and, while in the ideal Borg universe we'd all toss out our emotional reactions when considering who to vote for, the universe we're in now doesn't work that way.

Anything that makes people not vote for Giuliani is fine by me.

Since everything Giuliani does is scripted (remember the "phone call from Judi"?) I wouldn't be surprised if this was planted by his campaign. "See, Rudy still loves those Yankees! Just like he did on 9/11!! And his supporters are loyal just like he was down at Ground Zero!". Reprehensible creep.