The reason Mike Dukakis, John Kerry, Al Gore and this LaHood guy don’t get away with the “manly” photo-ops such as riding in a tank, hunting or putting on a bike helmet is that their audience KNOWS its all a stupid stunt, things they never do in real life.
The same audience knows when Sarah Palin is hunting or fishing that she has been doing it all her life and its not a stupid photo-op.
It’s part of why the Left goes so berserk about Sarah. They know, perhaps mostly unconsciously, but they know, that she shows up their men in Alpha Male bona fides. Not a good place to be.