You don’t usually see a president get booed at a fundraiser in his honor, but that’s what happens when you try to make jokes about sensitive trades involving the Boston Red Sox while in Beantown.
Obama started off his remarks at Symphony Hall Monday night by noting the assembled political bigwigs and heavy hitters (of the non-baseball variety), before concluding his intro with gratitude for the deal Sunday that sent Red Sox slugger Kevin Youkilis to the Chicago White Sox, Obama’s team.
“Finally, Bos, I just want to say thank you for Youkilis,” Obama said, with the official White House transcript noting that at that point the audience interrupted with booing.
Too soon, Mr. President, too soon!
“I’m just saying, he’s going to have to change the color of his ‘sox,’” Obama tried to recover, getting a few laughs amidst the boos.
Then he admitted, “I didn’t think I’d get any ‘boos’ out of here, but I guess I shouldn’t have -- I should not have brought up baseball. I understand. My mistake.”
But the booing continued. As a die-hard Red Sox fan who once profiled Kevin Youkilis as a standout Jewish player on the 2004 team, I understand the sentiment.
So Obama repeated, “My mistake” -- also not a phrase presidents utter too often.
“You’ve got to know your crowd,” he continued, this time to more laughter.
And then he got absolved by at least one audience member, who shouted out : “We still love you!”
On the other hand, I don’t think it’s been conclusively proven that she wasn’t a Yankees fan.
- Hilary Leila Krieger