The 2016 political season has been bizarre, confusing and wacky, and that’s just on the Presidential level. There are plenty of other races going under the national spotlight that are equally bizarre, including this one from Missouri.
At stake is a Senate seat contested by Democrat Jason Kander and incumbent Republic Roy Blunt. In this political season where anything goes, Kander’s campaign manager has accused a high school volunteer of Blunt’s of being… a Washington Nationals fan?
Wait what?
Firstly, Blunt tweeted out this picture of a volunteer named Jackson coming down to help the campaign after his baseball practice…
Thanks for stopping by after baseball practice to phone bank for @RoyBluntMo, Jackson! #TeamRoy #MOSEN pic.twitter.com/gwEAqeRfRq
— Blunt Brigade (@BluntBrigade) May 4, 2016
If you’re just scrolling through your Twitter feed really fast, that does look like a Washington Nationals hat. But upon closer inspection, those aren’t the normal Nats colors.
Kander campaign manager Abe Rakov replied that “a Washington Nationals hat is the perfect thing to wear to fit in” at Blunt HQ, because Blunt is a Washington insider who doesn’t care about you, Average Missourian.
A Washington Nationals hat is the perfect thing to wear to fit in at @RoyBluntMO headquarters. #mosen https://t.co/BEVL8wFmUa
— Abe Rakov (@AbeRakov) May 4, 2016
Most locals noticed that the hat was not that of the Nationals, but that of Webster Groves High School, who aped the Nats logo for their own.
@aberakov @RoyBluntMO that is a Webster Groves High school baseball cap. Maybe if you kept up with the community like Blunt. You would know
— Matt Haug (@matthaug12) May 5, 2016
Burn!
In a video, the volunteer had to “clear his name” from being a Nationals fan in order to put out the raging fire of this controversy.
“My name is Jackson, I’m a senior catcher at Webster Groves High School, home of the Statesmen. I came out to make phone calls yesterday to encourage others to support Roy Blunt. Little did I know the Kander campaign would accuse me of being a Nationals fan. This is why people hate politics. Go Cardinals!”
Go @Cardinals! #STLCards pic.twitter.com/yOm8HQoq98
— Jackson Berger (@jackson_berger3) May 5, 2016
We should mention that those Webster baseball uniforms are pretty ugly, but that’s not important right now.
Roy’s son and former Missouri Governor Matt Blunt also chimed in because that’s how this works.
Disappointing that this fine young Missourian & @Cardinals fan @jackson_berger3 was disparaged as a Nationals fan. https://t.co/e5ORaLlM68
— Matt Blunt (@MattBlunt) May 5, 2016
“Disparaged as a Nationals fan”. Remember that one the next time the Cardinals and Nats play one another.
Rakov will wear a Webster Groves cap in that city’s Fourth of July parade in order to make good to that community.
The lesson to take away from all of this? This political season is stupid.
