He's the host of the TV show known for its bleeped verbiage and on-stage fighting, but he's also the former mayor of Cincinnati and is a delegate to the DNC from Ohio. In fact, he's been attending Dem conventions since 1972.

This year, however, he's been so popular among Democrats and the mainstream media (is there a difference?) in attendance, he may even be upstaging some of the Democrats' noted political figures in Boston for the confab.

How popular? Let's just say when he went to Fenway Park to see the Red Sox play, he was greeted to chants of "Jerry! Jerry!" from fans.

That didn't happen to John Kerry. Nor has it happened to other Ohio delegates, either.

What's the attraction? Well, everybody likes to watch a good fight on television, so the cheers and popularity are understandable.

But this is politics, and that's another beast altogether.

For his part, Springer – who briefly considered a run for the U.S. Senate last year – says his notoriety won't help or hurt John Kerry.

He says, "Nobody is going to say 'I love that Jerry Springer Show, therefore, I'm going to vote for Kerry', or 'I dislike the Jerry Springer Show, therefore, I'm not going to vote for Kerry,'" according to the Toledo Blade newspaper. So, why is he getting so much attention?

"He certainly attracts a crowd. He can put people in the seats," Jim Ruvolo of Toledo, former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, told the Blade.

"He was handed a spot in Boston as a voting delegate for John Edwards because of the huge amounts of money he has brought into the Ohio Democratic Party, either directly through his own contributions or by making fund-raiser appearances," the Blade reported.

Springer is also working while in Boston - he's reporting nightly for Ohio TV stations.

Editor's note: