[Redcloak]

The heart and soul of this story is Kerry's inability to really connect with the common man. Yes, Kerry looks like a grinning boob in that bunny suit; but who wouldn't?!? For cryin' out loud! The guy's getting up close and personal with a space shuttle! If you take any "common man", dress him in a bunny suit, and turn him loose in the space shuttle, you'll get that same goofy grin every time. But Kerry is so image conscious that he cannot embrace the very same reactions any of us would have in such a position. This is why he always looks so stiff and posed. What you see in the bunny suit is one of his rare, natural moments. Why he should want to run away from that is beyond my ability to comprehend. My only guess would be that after 30+ years of playacting at this public persona, he's unable to stop.

[Frank_Discussion]

Or perhaps, or in concert with your reasoning, he's an idiot?

[js1138]

If you take any "common man", dress him in a bunny suit, and turn him loose in the space shuttle, you'll get that same goofy grin every time.

The problem for Kerry is that it connects with his image in some deep and mysterious way.

There have been other images that defined a president or candidate -- Ford stumbling on the airplane ramp comes to mind. It's not the photograph; it's the way it reinforces what we already think.