Hmmm, oh yoo-hoo! Mr. Registered, come out and play....
Posted on 08/02/2004 5:44:30 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
I believe that, like entertainment, political campaigns have Jump The Shark moments where you can trace the decline of a candidate's chances. For Gerald Ford in 1976, it was when he said Eastern Europe wasn't under Soviet domination. For Richard Nixon in 1960, it was when he showed up at the first debate with JFK without makeup to hide the thick shadow of his beard.
Perhaps the most famous political Jump the Shark moment was in 1988 when Michael Dukakis, in a double digit lead over George Bush, appeared atop a tank wearing a tanker's helmet that made him look like Snoopy. Arguably there were two other possible Jump the Shark moments in the Dukakis campaign. One was his emotionless response to a question about what he would do if his wife were raped. And a much less known Jump the Shark moment was when Dukakis appeared in public while power walking. There is absolutely NO dorkier exercise that power walking. You walk while wildly swinging weights in both hands. The net effect is to make the power walker look like the ultimate nerd.
So what is John Kerry's Jump the Shark moment? It must have already happened since he got a NEGATIVE bounce in the polls coming out of the Democrat convention. Was it when he wore that Sperm Cell outfit at NASA? Or perhaps that wimpy pitch at the Red Sox game where he was later booed? Or was it his overlong convention speech? Please give your ideas on John Kerry's Jump the Shark moment.
I think it happened way back when Kerry decided to play the "war hero" card as his main selling point to a party that has no particular respect for war heroes. But then, that IS about all he's got...
I think voters have been waiting for a chance to walk away from the Kerry campaign. The Bubble Boy photos were their excuse.
Here in the northeast the the anti-Bush sentiment is very strong. This means that for lots of folks who don't pay a lot of attention they just assumed they would be voting for Kerry. Now they have seen, with the photos and the convention, what a loser Kerry is and they are having serious second thoughts.
If Bush starts to get some separation in the polls the effect will be to pull in more and more of these folks who do not pay much attention. The separation in the polls will then increase substantially.
The idea that the electorate is decided is nonsense.
Maybe but since the alphabet networks weren't covering it, probably not the speech. Could be the "shove it" comment, but I doubt it.
Lots of choices:
The Bunny Suit
The acceptance speech that was all rhetoric and no substance
The dour looking marine having a talk with Kerry at the Wendy's
Although the media praised Max Cleland's speech, I thought his reference to the Bible he gave Kerry was perhaps the most transparent remark of the night.
Reminded me of a car salesman we encountered one time. We had stopped at a car lot after church to check out a car, and the car salesman spotted a Bible in our car. During our discussion of the car deal, he said, "I just want you to know I talk to the 'man upstairs.'" We promptly excused ourselves from the deal and left. That's what Cleland's speech reminded me of...a shifty "say anything to make a deal" car salesman (no offense to any reputable car salesmen reading this, LOL.)
Actually on waterskis.
I think the "we have an economic plan but are keeping it secret until after the election" is it. In my lifetime, I have never seen a political comapaign keep secret what they intend to do once in office.
His wife presenting as a bipolar raving lunatic is not helping either.
Racing through his convention speech while gesticulating wildly, yelling, and covered in "flop sweat."
I think the whole convention was a prime time FREAK SHOW. Terayza, the Deaniac, Rev. Al, Algore, Jimmy Carter, Michael Moore, Dennis the Menace, Bill/Hill.
I think people watched it and said "no way am I letting these wack jobs run the country !"
THe Salute - Reporting for Duty!
The day he decided to Run.
When this gets disputed, someone let me know how, Sanctimonious Self Serving Blowhard, with a 20 year Liberal Dove record in the Senate, beats a Strong President in wartime....
I just looked it up this weekend.
It's the moment something begins to go downhill. As others have said, it came from Fonzie jumping the shark -- that's when people think Happy Days was "over," even though it kept trying.
Dan
in retrospect - can you imagine how dorky the whole Vietnam theme was considering his attack on his mates in general during the Winter Soldier offensive? The contrast is surreal. He actually helped the enemy win the war and now acts like we should be proud of him.
The salute and his incessant Vietnam blather.
Hmmm, oh yoo-hoo! Mr. Registered, come out and play....
This will do.
Al Sharpton's speech reaffirmed the real face of the democrat party.
Reason? Women.
Females who are paying attention see Kerry as the ex-boyfriend or ex-husband who was seeing someone else on the side. He clearly talks as if he has something to hide. Unlike Clinton, Kerry is not adept at this, and it shows. Women who went for Clinton simply don't like this guy, and their vaunted female intuition is sounding an alarm.
IMO...It was his "girly-man" effort at throwing out the first pitch at the Bosox-yankee game.
What was intended to be a "I'm a regular guy" publicity stunt turned into to Kerry outing himself out to be a poser dork in front of millions on TV.
The GOP couldn't have bought that kind of negative publicity.
Bush's numbers at Tradesports.com have been on a steady rise since.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.