Posted on 11/02/2006 4:45:35 AM PST by Molly Pitcher
Let's not get lathered up worrying about what Sen. John Kerry meant when he contrasted the value of book learning to the value of getting shot at in a foreign war. Instead let's assess the public reaction and its possible impact on Tuesday's elections.
Parsing Kerry's words is a waste of time. Did he mean a lack of education might make one, like George W. Bush, an ignorant warmonger? Or only that hard work and hitting the books will keep one far away from the violent desert sands of volatile Iraq? Most informed speculators have adopted the second interpretation. But who knows?
Kerry blundered badly, and that's the point. He canceled campaign appearances with Democratic candidate hopefuls. Even Sen. Hillary Clinton -- probably for her own opportunistic reasons -- called for Kerry to apologize to American troops. Finally he did.
By now, quick Internet distribution and TV broadcasts have made common currency of the photograph of U.S. troops forming a line in the sand (literally) and holding a banner that reads, "Halp Us Jon Carry We R Stuck (c and k printed backward) in Irak."
The soldiers' message was clear, and apparently so was John Kerry's. Yes, he might have simply left out words from his statement that would have made it clear he was talking only about the president. No matter. These troops and their families took Kerry's "joke" as a direct insult. Unfortunately for Kerry's Democratic Party, a fair number of otherwise unmotivated Republican voters, and some independent ones, likely took offense, too.
The pregnant question now is whether the Kerry goof will rescue an entire election for the GOP. Perhaps not. Still, it has unquestionably put the brakes on the alleged Republican freefall that pollsters and pundits have been declaring for weeks. At the least, the senator's remarks might reverse Democratic fortunes in scattered close races, especially in the South.
Look at the places President Bush has campaigned in the last week. One key congressional race is in Georgia's District 12. Our latest InsiderAdvantage survey showed former Republican Congressman Max Burns barely trailing incumbent Democrat John Barrow.
In the same state, Bush also stopped off to help former Congressman Mac Collins as he tries to unseat Democrat Jim Marshall.
As little as a month ago, neither of these Republicans was given a chance of winning. But both of these districts have strong military ties and big blocs of independent swing voters. Deft use of Kerry's remarks could be the fillip needed to energize disenchanted Republican or lethargic independent voters to weigh in for the pro-military Republicans.
In Florida, the topsy-turvy race to replace resigned and disgraced Republican Congressman Mark Foley is suddenly being viewed by top political analysts as up for grabs. That, even though Foley resigned too late to take his name off the ballot and substitute the name of the Republican replacing him as the candidate. That means state Rep. Joe Negron must persuade voters to check the name of the now-reviled Foley in order to elect Negron. But it's a Republican district, and the electric voltage of Kerry's misstep could persuade voters to reject the conservative Democrat Tim Mahoney.
Then there's Tennessee. Democratic Congressman Harold Ford Jr. is in a nationally prominent battle against Republican and former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker. Within 24 hours of Kerry's statement, Ford was distancing himself from Kerry's remarks in a big way.
Ford has slipped slightly in the last week's polls. The last thing he needs is to be defending John Kerry instead of attacking Bob Corker. Complicating matters for Ford, he's trying to become an African-American, Democratic senator in a Deep South state. That's news in itself. He doesn't need bad news creeping in from points north.
In today's political world, major gaffes become minor blips overnight. Kerry's ill-spoken words may get drowned in a cascade of negative TV ads and the overwhelming volume of political news in these last days before the election.
The task at hand for the Republicans is to be bold enough to take Kerry's statement to the airwaves and into the field for grassroots, get-out-the-vote efforts. They might do well to recognize the power of images over mere words, or, in this case, an image of words -- misspelled words. Those soldiers' banner could become history if it makes for a surprise banner year for Republicans. Regardless, the Democrats aren't likely to soon turn to John Kerry for any more "halp."
His "conditional" apology is another insult to all Americans and doubly so, our troops.
What about his 1971 "testimony" and Genghis Khan lies and insults? Where is the apology?
Especially since it could have been written by a Kerry staffer who was trying to salvage his boss' carreer.
old blueballs kerry can't help it. this is what happens when teresa doesn't give him any conjuval visits.
A good omen, hopefully!
It was reported this morning on the Imus show, by Charles McCord, that John Kerry, in 1974, criticizing the all volunteer military, said that only the poor and illiterate went to the military. They read his transcript on air. Now, why is the media repeating and contrivance and a lie, that Kerry did not mean what he said? Why does this not bolster the commonly know fact that John Kerry reviles the military. But the MSM keeps trying to rehabilitate this bastard with their lies, all the while we know what we heard.
Lucky bastard!! It doesn't matter anyway, he must have run out of viagra.
Posted by Texas Songwriter to katieanna
On News/Activism 11/01/2006 8:01:44 PM PST · 326 of 341
I have heard all I need to hear from Mr.Kerry. He dissed the military and then he said, "I apologize to no one" in his first "explaination".
Let's all think linearly and logically.
1.Kerry takes a movie video recorder to Viet Nam, stages and directs himself out of harms way, and says he did it to enhance his future political carear.
2. He fakes 3 injuries, after 4 months in Nam goes home on "highly suspect" Afteraction Reports which garnered him 3 Purple Hearts, (never spent 1 minute receiving medical attention in a clinic or hospital).
3.Links with Jane Fonda and protests the war and his compatriates.
5.Works with the North Vietamese and for that has photos put in a North Viet Nam museum celebrating the victory over the United States.
6. Goes before the United States senate select committee and "trashes" over 500,000 veterans of the Viet Nam war.(And never recants his wordsL.
7. Upon becoming the democrat nominee, Swiftboaters came forth, (all but 1 alive) and tell of the lies in Kerrys' testimony before the Senate committee.
8.Lies in his book "Winter Warrior" about a 'secret' mission into Cambodia where he was sent by President Nixon at Christmas when he could not possibly have been in Cambodia.(media never asks a question about it)(then has his election campaign workers try to 'buyback' all copies on e-bay)
9. Just 18 months ago accuses 150,000 American soldiers "terrorize women and children busting down doors going into their homes."
10. Lies throughout the 2004 campaign.
11. And now, "The MSM tells us that it is inconceivable that Kerry would speak ill of the military. That we are not to believe what we heard. That given his history of a 'Benedict Arnold' type behavior, we are simply hayseed rightwingers if we put it all together to interpret what Mr. Kerry said as exactly what he said. We are "part of a republican hate-smear machine from Mr. Roves department." Mr. Kerry is not the problem, we are the problem, they would have us think. We didn't hear him say, "....if you don't do well, you get dumped into Iraq."
Here is what happened. Kerry thought he was speaking to a 'like-minded' group of people who he tried to play to in a way he thought was safe and would not be widely reviewed. He let his guard down for a few minutes and "truly" spoke his heart to a group who he thought, to the man, thought exactly the same way he does. Then upon being caught, he feigns self rightous indignation, continues his lies and prevarication, dumps on the republicans. Now here we sit with Kerry saying "I am sorry the American people were so stupid that they did not understand me and could not read my mind." You know damn well that is what compelled him to open up and for once in his sorry life tell people, not a boxed, canned lie, but the truth. And the truth is that he hates AMerica, he hates the military, he hates American institutions, and he hates the conservatives in this country.
So did Good Morning America. MSM finally comes through! Of course they then went on to "explain" Kerry had botched a joke, and trying to cover it up as no big deal.
That would not be a real apology. That would be a lie, since his slap at the military was clearly intentional.
A real apology would be "I'm sorry I've had such a negative attitude toward the military over the years. I hadn't realized how much good they actually do." It would have to be coupled with a continued demonstration of good will toward the military. Most likely, Sus scrofa will develop wings long before Kerry makes a real apology for his statements.
Yesterday Wolfie Blitzkrieg "announced" that it was over. The MSM is so arrogant to assume that people are now instructed to switch their thoughts to something else.
That's Goeble's machine in action, stuck on stupid.
What's a movie video recorder? In 1970, video equipment was rather large and expensive. I don't know exactly what John Kerry would have been carrying, but I would expect him to have been using an 8mm movie camera and a separate tape recorder (amateur equipment for recording sound directly on film was not yet available).
Does anyone know if any copies exist of Kerry's Vietnam footage and audio?
I'm not sure of spelling the name Goebels?
Sorry about that.
Of course even if the dirtbag meant to insult GWB, isn't that typical anyway? He was obviously trying to make Bush sound dumb, when any objective person knows he is an intelligent man. But beyond that, when is the last time anyone heard GWB *ever* personally insult the brains or looks of any liberal? He never stoops that low. But of course the lefties couldn't function if they didn't resort to gutter tactics like that.
LOL! There's a visual I could have gone my whole life without!!!
The MSM is the one who started all this "dumb" business for a very simple reason: they couldn't find anything on GWB and so, when they couldn't be objective they switched to subjective.
None of the liberals wants to compare GWB to JFnK or Gorey alwhore academic accomplishments because GWB wins hands down.
On a lighter note, Word's spelling didn't like JFnK and offered "JUNK" instead!! LOL...I almost ordered the change.
He didn't publicly apologize. He "apologized" on his website. And that was an "I'm sorry you're too stupid to understand what I was saying" apology, not a real one.
He must know he is in trouble - to suddenly start emphasizing religion.
Now sKerry needs to 'apologize' for saying he would NEVER slander our troops, when that is all he has ever done.
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