Just Pick a Team Already

Did I really hear Hillary Clinton refuse to answer a question last night about which team she'd root for in a hypothetical World Series? I'm a fairly impartial person, but not when it comes to the Cubs. And Hillary grew up in the Chicago suburbs, she's a North-sider. Of course she'd root for the Cubs. Wouldn't she?

RUSSERT: Senator Clinton, what about a World Series - Yankees and Cubs? CLINTON: Well, you know, I've worried about that because I think, given the Cubs' record, which of course, I hope it happens, but it could very well be a sign of the coming apocalypse, were that to ever occur. It would be so out of history that you would have the Cubs versus the Yanks. Then I'd be really in trouble. RUSSERT: But who would you be for? CLINTON: Well, I would probably have to alternate sides.

OK, I see a political argument for not talking about specifics on Iraq, or taxes, or other policy issues. But, is there a politically expedient reason to not have a favorite baseball team? Thinking like a Cubs fan, maybe the safe route is to go with the Cubbies on this one. There's a lot of sympathy for the team, it has been about a hundred years since they've won a World Series. Who couldn't get behind an underdog like that? Then again, Cubs fans are used to disappointment (and I don't say that happily), while Yankees fans expect to win. In that case, if Hillary backs the Yanks, Cubs fans might be more likely to forgive and forget (and wait till next year). Yankee fans might not only NOT vote for her for President, but impeach her from the senate, too. In the end, though, does it matter? Can a candidate for president really not get behind a team for fear of losing votes?

Scott Cameron

Tags: Cubs | Hillary Clinton | Yankees | debate | democrats