Boston -- For a moment last night at a fundraiser held in Boston's Symphony Hall, one had to wonder whether President Obama had singlehandedly turned the state of Massachusetts from blue to red. In that moment he re-learned an important political lesson: know your crowd and, well, don't joke about the Red Sox.
"And finally, Bos, I just want to say thank you for Youkilis," joshed the president near the beginning of his 40-minute speech.
That line elicited what sounded like booos in the room*. Rarely does one hear the President of the United States get booed at a fundraiser, but many of the 1800 people in the room who paid at least $144 to be there, didn't take kindly to the president joking about Kevin Youkilis, the beloved Red Sox sluggah** who was traded this past weekend to the Chicago White Sox.
The trade still smarted and the president touched a nerve. He tried to back out of the ill-timed joke:
I'm just saying. He's going to have to change the color of his sox. I didn't think I'd get any boos out of here. But I guess I should not have brought up baseball.
That didn't stop the jeering crowd either. Finally the president said, "My mistake. You've got to know your crowd."
It took one woman yelling out, "We still love you!" to break the humorous tension in the room. The crowd laughed and the president moved on to his stump speech and standing ovations.
But yes, Mr. President, you've got to know your crowd.
*Reporter note: There was some debate in the room among the reporters -- and some pushback today from press secretary Jay Carney -- as to whether people were booing or chanting Youk! Youk! Frankly, it sounded like booing to me, and whoever did the official White House transcript thought so, too.
**Ill just apologize now for spelling it sluggah.
(Photo: @bmw/Flickr/Creative Commons)
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Too soon?
For a number of years fans in Philadelphia have used the excuse of "his name sounds like booo!" to (Bronx)cheer one of their own.
Philly's catcher is nicknamed "Chooch", and to an out-of-towner he is regularly "booed".
As was last's year's left fielder (now a Yankee) Raul Ibanez. "Raaaooool!"
I cannot speak to how he is "cheered" in the Bronx. . .
I'm old enough to remember the curious cheers in Yankee Stadium for Moose (Moooooooose) Skowron.
Wasn't that a David Letterman joke, "They're not booing, they're saying 'Dave! Dave!'"
All of this over the most boring sport ever created in the history of mankind? The mind boggles.
I see your baseball and raise you cricket. Beat that!
Curling... I win.
I see your baseball comment and raise you an afternoon of golf on TV.
I raise you both: Bowls.
Children, please: Poker. (What? It's on ESPN)
I call: Dressage!
they were chanting Yoooouuk (but they never seem to get around to the "k" sound)
either way, he still didn't know his audience
Red Sox fans are serious. Don't mess with those guys.
Clearly, this is going to move MA to the toss up column.
The guy cracks a joke. And then we discuss it for days. Good God.
Know your audience, indeed. Baseball fans who get upset with a joke and actually boo someone, especially the POTUS, have me wondering about our priorities. This may seem an extreme reference, but this is what we fight wars over: inconsequential differences and rigid beliefs. What difference is there once they take off their 'SOX?'
Know your blogs... .anyone check Faux nation to see their interpretation .
Obama murders Red Sox fans or something like that.
Ah ha! That's it. Never could understand why fans always boo'ed this player (no, not a baseball fan). They weren't booing at all. And I'll bet they weren't booing the Prez either.
Boos or "Youks" aside, look and hear the differences between Romney's crowds and the President's crowds.
The President wins everytime. He's more engaging, more positive, delivers a good punch line (most of the time), and gets his message through.
Romney looks like he's talking to children, and it's a very condescending look. He has this smirk that just tells you he thinks of his audience as beneath him, and he's put out by even having to speak to anyone, especially a crowd.
After listening to Romney, you're not energized, you're left going O.o ?
You want to see a roomful of smirks? Just wait until Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are in the same room together. I'm actually hoping that Ryan is nominated for VP. The 'Ryan Smirk' wil lgo viral.
For months (at least) Boston talk sports radio has been screaming for Youk's head. He was apparently an extremely disruptive force in the clubhouse. It's possible that some of those boos were reflexive reaction to the mere mention of his name (kinda like Tea Partiers' reaction to Obama's, come to think).
And politics always comes down to inside baseball.
If anybody has bent over backwards to not offend ANY one, it would be Obama. I can't think there has ever been a nicer guy that the public takes so much joy in shredding for anything that comes out of his mouth. I still love him but he's too nice to be in politics - I'm waiting for the time when he finally tells the people to Yoooouuk it :)
I have heard yelling for "Blue," and for "Bruce," and when done loudly and by a crowd, it always sounds like boos...However, this having happened in Boston, I could totally believe that it was indeed booing. Not to offend, but on my only trip to Boston years ago, I encountered rudeness from total strangers at a level unequaled anywhere else I have traveled.
Clearly you've never been to New York or London.
Another case of looking only at portion of the entire event. If you watched the entire exchange, both the President and his audience had a big laugh at the expense of the Red Sox. Remember BoSox fans did not want Youkilis traded. He is one of their icons for 2004 and 2007. Their booing is as much of the Red Sox as of the President, and they accepted his tease of their distaste for the trade. Clearly, this is not politics, it's sports fandom which any real fan gets even if political pundits don't.
Amen. Amazing how pundits are really trying to make hay over this. They weren't booing the President in a hateful manner. This was all in good fun.
Boo-urns!
At DCI, that's Drum Corps International, events, it is traditional for the crowd to greet the Bluecoats with Bluuuuuuue! They're not Booing, they're Bluuuueing! Even though several other corps have blue in their names, only the Bluecoats receive this cheer.
Of course Fox is already running with this story, where were they during all the booing of George W Bush.
Touchy bunch huh?
What we need is more gristle and less fat, toughen up, quit sensitivity training and take up tanning hides or slaughtering rabbits.
Blame those heathen native americans just like those cowards that tossed the tea did!
Alright enough of the jib unfurl the mainsail.
they were saying "yooooouuuuk" -- even visiting team announcers have made the mistake of thinking Sox fans were booing one of their own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up4LTKxe0PA
He knew what he was doing, it was good natured joking, and he knew he'd get a strong reaction from the crowd. He can dish it out-and take it.
Bullpucky!!! I know good-natured faux-booing when I hear it. There is no there there. Even rabid Red Sox fans can take a joke. At least give them SOME credit for knowing that. Sheesh.