Boston has it pretty good these days. Bruins and Celtics aside, Beantown has put the spirit of New Englanders at an all-time high. The Red Sox finally broke “the Curse” and won their first World Series since 1918, and the Patriots have one two Super Bowls in three years. But it wouldn’t be right if a year went by with at least some disappointment in New England. We lost the biggest competition of them all-the bid for the White House.

Massachusetts’ hopeful John Kerry fell just short of winning the most honorable title in the country. He had a grueling campaign, but eventually the buzzer sounded, and the clock ran out. I know that there’s probably a good chuck of you New Englanders that didn’t vote for Kerry, but as a whole, every New England state went democratic. No matter what side you were rooting for, you have to at least consider the connection between politics and sports.

Take the rivalry between the Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The New York Yankees representing capitalism, with tyrant Steinbrenner buying every player they want, not even allowed to have facial hair. And on the other hand, you have the Boston Red Sox. The underdogs. Shaggy, carefree, self-described as a “bunch of happy idiots.” The underdogs beat capitalism on the sports field, but monopoly won in the voting booths. True, since 1918, the Yankees have won the 26 World Series. But that really doesn’t matter.

The only thing that keeps hope in the fight against capitalism is that one time when the little guy finally wins one. You can be sure it won’t be another 86 years before we have another Democratic president-the world would implode long before then under the Republican watch.