Death of a Salesman: Can John Kerry sell John Kerry?

Slate ^ | 1/27/2004 | William Saletan

[cookcounty]

" Kerry has an ACU rating of 6."

A certified extremist. Far from "the mainstream." His record is deep, long and inescapable. He's better for us than Dean.

[cookcounty]

"I couldn't decide whether to laugh or wince as Kennedy, the lifelong legislator, exalted Kerry's "two terms" in Vietnam—then corrected his description, incorrectly, to "two sessions." (Pssst, Senator … the word is tours.)"

For the record: Kerry did not serve 2 tours in Vietnam. He seved aboard a Navy ship in the South China Sea. Then, later, he went to Vietnam for 3 1/2 months where he commanded a Mekong Delta river patrol "fast boat." He asked to leave VN, citing the fact that he had (already!) been awarded 3 purple hearts for wounds, the nature of which he has refused to disclose to the public.

[Bigg Red]

Good article. Thanks for the post.

I loved this line describing pumpkin head Teddy:

It's strange that a man who charged into enemy fire should prove so physically inferior, as a politician, to a man whose greatest athletic feat during the Vietnam era was swimming ashore at Chappaquiddick.

[Polybius]

He asked to leave VN, citing the fact that he had (already!) been awarded 3 purple hearts for wounds, the nature of which he has refused to disclose to the public.

Minor shrapnel wounds....

Boston Globe, 6/16/2003: .........Along with Kerry's unquestionable and repeated bravery, he also took an action that has received far less notice: He requested and was granted a transfer out of Vietnam six months before his combat tour was slated to end on the grounds that he had earned three Purple Hearts. None of his wounds was disabling; he said one cost him two days of service and the other two did not lead to any absence.

Not to disparage what he did for his Bronze Star and Silver Star but his Purple Hearts sound like the old MASH episode where Frank Burns put in for a Purple Heart for "shell fragment injury" after he got an egg-shell fragment in his eye while making an omlette.

[Rummyfan]

Bump for later....

[nutmeg]

I loved this line describing pumpkin head Teddy:

It's strange that a man who charged into enemy fire should prove so physically inferior, as a politician, to a man whose greatest athletic feat during the Vietnam era was swimming ashore at Chappaquiddick.

Same here! That's what prompted me to ping my list to the article. Rush read that line on the air at least two times, chuckling as if he couldn't believe what he was reading. LOL

[jmc813]

Physically, Kerry's repertoire is painfully limited.

Bill Maher made a gret observation when he said that Kerry looked like "one of the talking trees from The Wizard of Oz".

[lepton]

The fact that he's doing so well is testimony to how woefully inadequate his comrades are.

Yeah, but celebrity has its own allure. Think of any number of cultural fads.

[cmotormac44]

would slipping on the engineroom ladder and scraping my shin at Normandy during German shellfire get me a 'purple heart' if I applied for it?--it didn't keep me out of action for long either--sounds just like a kerry deal-

[Polybius]

would slipping on the engineroom ladder and scraping my shin at Normandy during German shellfire get me a 'purple heart' if I applied for it?--it didn't keep me out of action for long either--sounds just like a kerry deal-

It's worth a try. :-)

[HIDEK6]

Sorry I didn't know Kerry when I was in 'Nam 35 years ago. I cut my hand with a machete while I was trying to chop up a pineapple. I've always laughingly shown off the scar as my "war wound."

And to think I could have gotten out of the bush three months earlier!

[Smartass]

[Smartass]

A PICTURE IS WORTH ATHOUSAND WORDS...

[Smartass]

60s MAKEOVER FOR SALE AT ANY PRICE!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

[devolve]

^{WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?}


       _{Teddy the Great Patriot} 

[potlatch]

Lol, I've been hunting for this one. Anything that hides one inch of Teddys face is a blessing!!

[potlatch]

Wow, psychedelic!! Peter Max could have designed that!!