Duke-UNC Rivalry Extends Into Politics?

We knew that Duke University and the University of North Carolina had a ‘little thing’ going – and by ‘little thing’ we mean the greatest college basketball rivalry ever.

What we didn’t know was that this rivalry extended into politics, but that’s why we read Chris Cillizza’s blog at the Washington Post – because he’s one of the few reporters out there who brings a “sports sensibility” to his work.

Specifically, Cillizza has weaved the Duke-UNC (or UNC-Duke) rivalry into a story about Duke basketball coach Mike K … Kr … K … Kr … Krzyzewski (phew!) and an interview he gave on MSNBC this morning.

From today’s edition of Cillizza’s blog, The Fix:

There has been speculation for years about Coach K’s political leaning with most people convinced he is a Republican, particularly after he hosted a fundraiser for North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) in 2002.

(As Post research editor Alice Crites notes, Krzyzewski ’s partisanship is officially “undeclared” according to the North Carolina voter rolls.)

Krzyzewski’s alleged conservatism made the Duke-North Carolina rivalry all the more tense as longtime Heels coach Dean Smith is an avowed Democrat.

Wait … holding a fund-raiser for Liddy Dole makes you a Republican?

Look, people. In Washington and here in God’s Country, Republican is to Democrat as “puh-TAYE-toe” is to “puh-TAH-toe.” There is no difference.

What is there? A bipartisan bloodlust for your tax dollars.

Now Duke-UNC, that’s another story …

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