John McCain Accuses Barack Obama of Flip-Flopping on the World Series

The Illinois senator said over the weekend in Philadelphia that while he was a Chicago fan, "Since the White Sox are out of it, I'll root for the Phillies now." On Monday in Tampa, Obama was introduced by a Rays pitcher and said, "I've said from the beginning that I am a unity candidate, bringing people together. So when you see a White Sox Fan showing love to the Rays — and the Rays showing some love back — you know we are on to something right here."

Speaking in Pennsylvania, Mr McCain said: "Now, I'm not dumb enough to get mixed up in a World Series between swing states.

"But I think I may have detected a little pattern with Senator Obama. It's pretty simple really. When he's campaigning in Philadelphia, he roots for the Phillies, and when he's campaigning in Tampa Bay, he 'shows love' to the Rays.

"It's kind of like the way he campaigns on tax cuts, but then votes for tax increases after he's elected.

When he declared, “I am a White Sox fan,” the audience of several thousand people playfully booed and groaned. And that, of course, provided the entrée to his punch line.

“You don’t want somebody who pretends to be a Red Sox fan as president of the United States,” Mr. Obama said. “You want somebody who is a principled sports fan. Even when his team is losing, he still stands up for them.”

With baseball season drawing to a close, time is running out for Mr. Obama to capitalize on a moment from a presidential debate late last month in New Hampshire: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton suggesting she would “alternate sides” between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs if they faced one another in the series. (That scenario, not surprisingly, did not occur, so Mrs. Clinton was sparred.)

Mr. Obama’s reference to baseball last night was not the first time he has sought to get a little mileage out of Mrs. Clinton’s less-than-declarative answer about her team loyalties. Speaking to a giant outdoor rally in New York City on Sept. 26, he declared: “Even your senator from New York wasn’t clear about the Yankees. I know who I’m rooting for!”