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Thursday, November 13, 2003

But he didn't take Pedro out ... 

Posted by Hei Lun : 10:11 PM

Mickey Kaus says the Democrats can beat Bush in 2004 by ... comparing him to Pedro Martinez! Did a good job, but time to go to the bullpen, and all that. Someone from the crowd at the Rock the Vote debate had asked John Kerry about Grady Little's decision to leave Martinez in the seventh game of the ALCS, and Kaus thought Kerry should have taken the opportunity to make the Martinez/Bush comparison:

To most voters, after all (as opposed to most Democratic primary voters), Bush has not on the whole done a terrible job, nor is he a bad man. He responded effectively to 9/11, including using innovative strategies to wage a necessary battle in Afghanistan. He passed two major pieces in his domestic platform (education reform and a big tax cut). He responded to a recession with a lot of stimulus, even if you think the tax cuts were inefficient or inequitable. In short, he pitched well enough in the early innings.

But now, with at least a temporary victory in sight, it's beginning to look in Iraq as if he's getting in a jam. Specifically, we seem to need foreign assistance to finish the job of rebuilding after Saddam, but we can't get it because Bush has alienated our potential allies (in part by waging the war without their approval). And his administration in general is looking a little tired (without Karen Hughes, for example, or much to say on domestic policy apart from jarring Medicare and Social Security changes that are probably either infeasible or unpopular).

You get the idea. In 2004, Bush will want to stay in the game and finish the job. He's Pedro Martinez. The voters have to decide whether to keep him, or thank him for several well-pitched innings and bring in a reliever. They're Grady Little.

Little stuck with Martinez, with the well-known result. Voters, Democrats can say, shouldn't make that mistake.
Kaus works in a Don Zimmer reference as well. And this is what he says on a reader suggestion:

Reader C.K. says the question was a metaphor but Kerry is Pedro Martinez. "The questioner is asking Kerry, in an oblique way, whether he should quit the race and allow the party to consolidate its support around the new front-runner, Howard Dean." ... Hmm. Seems plausible. But Martinez is, you know. good. ...
Wham! Kerry might be done, but that doesn't mean we can't continue making fun of him.

Lastly, Kerry said this about the Marlins' beating the Yankees:

And the reason it's extra special is that's the first legitimate victory out of Florida since 2000.
So does that mean he considers Bush's Florida win legitimate? Or is he just not an English major?
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