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 ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

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:

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?

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

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