Posted on 08/19/2004 8:15:00 AM PDT by goodnesswins
Kerry creates his own windstorm Candidate greets crowd at HR Marina
Photo by Janet Cook An estimated 300 people ventured to the Hood River waterfront, adjacent to the marina, to get a glimpse of Kerry -- or an autograph, handshake, or hug. Television cameras and sound booms help frame the scene.
By JANET COOK News staff writer August 18
Saturday’s uncharacteristically cool, damp and windless weather nixed long-held plans by presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry to spend the day windsurfing in Hood River. But the Massachusetts Democrat, who was in Medford on Thursday and Portland on Friday, came to town anyway, keeping a lunch date with long-time friend and Underwood, Wash., resident John Chao, publisher of Hood River-based American Windsurfer magazine.
Then, before heading back to Portland, he stopped at the Hood River Marina to greet an enthusiastic crowd of more than 300 people — many of whom had waited on the beach by the Columbia River for hours for a chance to see him.
The crowd passed the time raising and lowering umbrellas during intermittent rain showers and watching several Coast Guard boats, which had been brought from Portland to patrol the river in case Kerry went windsurfing, ply the Columbia.
Around 11 a.m. the crowd watched as Kerry’s black SUV, accompanied by several vans carrying press and Secret Service agents, and flanked by police on motorcycles, crossed the Hood River Interstate Bridge to Washington.
A few people on the beach left, but the majority of the crowd stayed put. About an hour-and-a-half later, the entourage came back across the bridge and turned into the Marina. Loud cheers rose from the partisan crowd. A man standing on the boat dock played “Hail to the Chief” on a trumpet.
The crowd remained behind a row of low concrete barriers, but Kerry got out of his SUV and immediately stepped up and over the barricade and joined the crowd, where he began autographing everything from T-shirts to flyers. He bantered back and forth with people as he shook hands and held babies.
“Hey John, come back to the Hatchery when you’re president — we’ll save you a parking space,” yelled someone from the crowd, referring to the popular windsurfing launch site at the Spring Creek Fish Hatchery in Underwood. Some people apologized for the lack of wind, others implored him to beat George W. Bush in November.
Hood River resident Marian Dinsmoor, 87, was guided through the crowd by a Kerry staffer. She got a hug from Kerry and asked the senator if he’d received a newspaper clipping she’d mailed to him.
“It was from the Christian Science Monitor,” Dinsmoor said later, “about how Kerry isn’t doing enough in the Southern states.” Dinsmoor, who described herself as “for Kerry 100 percent,” said she was “trying to help him.” With Dinsmoor was exchange student Mario Koeppel, 17, from Germany, who is living with Dinsmoor and her daughter, Leslie Melby.
“It was awesome,” Koeppel said. “I met the next president of the United States.”
Hood River resident Al Brown pulled from his wallet an original card from Vietnam Vets Against the War — an organization Kerry helped start in the 1970s — for Kerry to sign.
“I’ve been carrying this around for 30 years,” Brown said, handing it to Kerry to autograph.
Kerry spent about 45 minutes with the crowd. As he stepped back over the concrete barricade, he paused and told the crowd he might return early this week to windsurf.
“Can you promise me some wind on Monday or Tuesday?” he asked. “More importantly, can you promise me some votes in November?” The crowd roared.
Before getting in his SUV to head back to Portland, Kerry spoke to reporters and made a statement about the recent hurricane damage in Florida. One reporter asked him if he liked kiteboarding or windsurfing better.
“It depends on what’s happening” with the wind, Kerry replied. “They’re both fun.” Kerry is an avid windsurfer and has recently begun kiteboarding.
Marianne Brevard, volunteer coordinator for the local Kerry campaign headquarters, was pleased with Kerry’s visit despite the uncooperative weather.
“The energy of the candidate was reflected in the crowd,” Brevard said. “He clearly loves our area and we look forward to John Kerry as our next president of the United States vacationing in the beautiful Columbia Gorge.”
Twelve-year-old Toby Morus of Hood River was equally enthralled with Kerry’s visit. He held a sign at the entrance to the Marina that read, “Bush Doesn’t Jibe.”
“I’ve been doing lots of work this year,” said Morus, who had a T-shirt autographed at the Kerry rally in Portland on Friday, which drew a crowd of 50,000 people to Waterfront Park. “We’ve got to get George Bush out,” he said. “I don’t like the president’s actions on the economy and the environment.”
Brevard echoed the sentiments of many in the crowd Saturday.
“It was a very emotional experience for many of us to have the opportunity to shake the hand of our Democratic candidate,” she said.
Such insight from a twelve-year-old. Sadly, he was probably one of the more informed members of the crowd, which let's you know just how ignorant a pro-democrat crowd really is.
I bet the people who met Mondale in 1984 and Dukakis in 1988 have super swell memories of their encounters, too.
Pathetic. And he dared to speak to the VFW this week.
“I’ve been carrying this around for 30 years,” Brown said, handing it to Kerry to autograph.
I'm sure there a lot of Vets carrying around hatred for John Kerry and his spew for the past 30 years as well.
A_R
BUMP FOR SUPPORT SWIFTVETS HERE... http://www.swiftvets.com/
Baked beans will do that to you...
I read here yesterday that the VFW supported Algore last time around....no idea if this is true; it shouldn't be if those guys have any brains.
Then you smile, walk up and ask "Really? Which actions, in particular?"
Deer-in-the-headlights time. He hasn't developed the well-honed 'change the subject' evasion skills yet that pass for argument in liberal debate. Could probably make him a conservative in about thirty minutes.
Didn't look like they were supporting kerry. Kerry burned his bridges with Viet Nam Vets with his anti-war protestors.....he should seek favor with those who protested the war instead of being such a phony. Once again he wishes to trample all over our vets......
300 is sure a far cry from the 10,000 I heard reported last week.
You must be thinking of Portland....this is Hood River....city population is less than 10,000....
THANK YOU for that Thomas Sowell Essay.....agree 100%.....upon my college graduation all I could say was...."Now I'm beginning to know what I do NOT know!" LOL.
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