The Village Idiot

[monsoon]

I sometimes wonder how Kerry got as far as he did in politics as he doesn't seem particularly savvy to me. I was amazed when nominated to run against Bush in 2004 that one of the first statements out of his mouth was "I don't need the South to Win". As a result he lost every state from Texas to Virginia. A win in any of them would have given him the election. Most of you know that I am very hard on the GOP for where they have taken this country in the last few years, but I also fault do nothing politicians like Kerry for letting them get away with it.

In any case, he has taken it to a new level by making this speech that pretty much insults the troops. Today he finally got around to apoligising for this gaffe, but he sure burned up a lot of political capital by refusing to do so for 36 hours. The sad thing is, this is a person who did serve in combat in very dangerous situations. Something that almost every GOP leader up to the President has managed to avoid.

He wants to run again for president in 2008, but I like to quote Ann Richards on this. "You can stick him with a fork because he is done". What do you guys think of this limousine liberal's latest screwup?

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Other Democrats are telling him to shut up already. It was a silly thing to say, though the Republicans are spinning it another way than what Kerry meant. It's obvious he meant no will towards the troops.

The Republicans are good at playing the game, Kerry is not.

[Gusterfell]

I'm with moonshield on this one. Kerry was telling a joke, and bungled the punchline. According to his office, the scripted line was supposed to be "You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush." You cen hear him fumble over the wording in the clip, and its clear he's gone off-script. That clip cuts off before you hear the audience laugh and applaud. They obviously got the joke, despite its poor delivery. Why can't the Republicans do the same?

[nowensone]

He's quite a disappointment, and clearly has horrid speech writers, strategists, and campaign managers. In the 2004 election, all he had to do was shut up and let Bush hang himself, but no, he had to act like an idiot and mutter the tried and true phony politician's empty bullsh!t rhetoric and pass off blame on anything that even looked like it might touch him. It was pathetic during the debates, Bush couldn't even form coherent sentences and thoughtful responses, much less do what we refer to as "debate", but Kerry found a way to screw that up. He has no business being president, only slightly more so than Bush does IMO. The Democratic party needs to give him a real cease and desist order before he erases the advantage they have gained from Bush, DeLay, Abramoff, Foley, et al.

[monsoon]

I guess my two questions is why did it take him so long to apoligise for it, and what in the hell is he even doing in the campaign. He represents failure and I can't imagine the democrats are so clueless they don't realize this.

(I certainly don't think he meant to insult the troops.)

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Why can't the Republicans do the same?

[nowensone]

I guess my two questions is why did it take him so long to apoligise for it, and what in the hell is he even doing in the campaign. He represents failure and I can't imagine the democrats are so clueless they don't realize this.

(I certainly don't think he meant to insult the troops.)

[peaceloveunderstanding]

His reply was rather biting:

http://www.johnkerry.com/news/releases/release.html?id=33

[monsoon]

^Exactly. This is why he never connected with the people and lost the election against what has to be one of the worst presidents in American history.

[Gusterfell]

...what in the hell is he even doing in the campaign. He represents failure and I can't imagine the democrats are so clueless they don't realize this.

[dimebag1980]

I actually thought it sounded like he was talking about Bush, not the soldiers. At any rate, it obviously angered some people so I don't know what to think. I don't know if he intended that statement for Bush or for the troops, but I personally didn't think he was talking about the soldiers.

[nowensone]

Where was the outrage from these right-wing hypocrites when George Bush was on stage looking for WMDs under tables and chairs a couple years ago? "Where are the WMDs? Under here? Nope. Maybe over here." That was more insensitive than Kerry's joke, considering that Bush tried and failed to make the case for the war to begin with.

[JDC]

Bottom line: Kerry served in Vietnam, Bush did everything he could to avoid doing so.

[Gusterfell]

I wouldn't call what Kerry said offensive, and personally, I don't care, but as far as political expediency and sense of timing, it is plain moronic, and of course republicans are going to jump on the opportunity. It's like he's GOP in disguise.

[tamias6]

The Republican party is trying to make Kerry into a laughing stock as a desparate attempt to stop a changing that will happen in Congress. Bush and his cohorts in crime know that if the GOP loses control of Congress to the Dems, the system of checks and balances will be restored and that Washington D.C. will no longer a Republican free for all. So I'm not buying into this neo-con ploy. I've always tried to the best of my abilities to vote for whom I feel is best suited for elected office and good for America. This election will be no exception to my way of voting.

[nowensone]

Bottom line: Kerry served in Vietnam, Bush did everything he could to avoid doing so.

[monsoon]

^I think the best thing the Democrats can do now is tell Kerry to go get on his boat or go hang out at his country club, and simply disappear from the public view.

[Pillsbury]

I like John Kerry. I voted for John Kerry. I had a big John Kerry bumpersticker on my car until recently.

Having said that, John Kerry is his own worst enemey and in many ways the enemy of the Democratic Party. Every single time Kerry says something like this, it simply affirms in the minds of most Americans that Democrats are elitist pigs who think they're better than everyone else.

John Kerry, you're a good man. But shut up and stay away from microphones until next week!!!!

[Charlotte_native]

The Dems have told Kerry to stay home. At least read yesterday, all campaign stops he had planned were cancelled. He is not the man to be sending around boosting the Democratic Party and this, it appears, will be the final straw.

I don't think he intended what the spin has made of this, but they will spin anything and he is too easy a target. It has been blown far out of proportion, and he isn't running so what he says doesn't matter, but likely most people now have thier minds made up who to vote for so it is doubtful this will affect the elections much. If it does, amazing.

Funny how a party that has sent troops to places where they die are not held as accountable as people who just talk about them.

The worst part about this, for me, is the Democrats have done such a good job this campaign of keeping their feet out of their throats.

[torgo]

What a huge blunder that was. It probably was supposed to be a joke rather that an insult to the military, but what really amazes me is that he said it at all. Why would you say anything that could be so easily misconstrued like that so close to the election? Its very easy to see how a member of the military could be offended by that. If I were a democrat I would be furious with him. The vast majority of the country, even if they hate the President, have a deep respect the military. What a bonehead.

I think he is done for the '08 race. Granted, he never had a serious chance to get the nomination anyways if you ask me.

[Charlotte_native]

I think he is done for the '08 race. Granted, he never had a serious chance to get the nomination anyways if you ask me.

[cinco]

Where was the outrage from these right-wing hypocrites when George Bush was on stage looking for WMDs under tables and chairs a couple years ago? "Where are the WMDs? Under here? Nope. Maybe over here." That was more insensitive than Kerry's joke, considering that Bush tried and failed to make the case for the war to begin with.

[nowensone]

You know, all this to me really highlights one thing - it is still nearly two years until we can get a new president, and yet many people, Republicans no exception, have been ready for a new one for at least a year already, which puts us back pretty close to the last election itself. Amazing to me.

[tamias6]

Ha! I was already sick of Bush the moment he raised his right hand for the second time back in 2004.

You know, all this to me really highlights one thing - it is still nearly two years until we can get a new president, and yet many people, Republicans no exception, have been ready for a new one for at least a year already, which puts us back pretty close to the last election itself. Amazing to me.

[Gusterfell]

Ha! I was already sick of Bush the moment he raised his right hand for the second time back in 2004.