Kerry’s courage: The reality, rhetoric don’t match

Union Leader ^ | 9/03/03

[kattracks]

ANNOUNCING his candidacy for the office of President on Tuesday, Sen. John Kerry wasted no time before mentioning that he was a Navy combat veteran in Vietnam. In fact, his service, as usual, was the first thing about himself that he highlighted.

Kerry made his announcement in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., with the retired World War II aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown as his backdrop, for two reasons: to be sure that no one who watched the speech live or on television could miss the connection between John Kerry and the U.S. Navy; and to collect votes for the South Carolina primary.

The central buzzword of Kerry’s address, which seems destined to be the focus of his campaign, was “courage.” He began by noting his courageous service in Vietnam, and segued to the courage that a President needs to deal with national security and the economy in today’s world. The unmistakable message: I am the right man for the job because I am the most courageous.

This would be a good message for Kerry if his political courage were as undaunted as his physical courage. Unfortunately for him, it is not.

Kerry was a courageous warrior, but he is a notorious political coward. His long history of equivocation makes him appear irresolute and wishy-washy. He loves to try to please everyone, and he has yet to realize that this indecisiveness has cost him a great deal of credibility and support.

Much of that support has been shifted to Howard Dean, who gives the impression that he is nothing if not decisive. If Kerry wants to win this nomination, he must begin living up to his own rhetoric.

[Radix]

If Kerry wants to win this nomination, he must begin living up to his own rhetoric.

Perhaps Kerry will find his own rhetoric before he begins to live up to it.

The man is absolutely without standards of any sort.

[Miss Marple]

Did you watch the announcement yesterday? Absolutely phoney, from the shipmate who "just happened" to be in the audience and who just coincidentally just "happened" to be a black minister WITH A TYPE-WRITTEN PRAYER SPECIFIC TO THE OCCASION TO READ ON STAGE, to the military members in uniform scattered throughout the sparse crowd, to the removal of his jacket before he spoke (a la Howard Dean). Ugh.

Glad your son is home by the way...saw a great picture of him last night. You must be so proud!

[governsleastgovernsbest]

He began by noting his courageous service in Vietnam

Huh, so Kerry is a veteran? Why hasn't he mentioned this before?

[kattracks]

Well, I guess he knew that touting his accomplishments as a Senator was more important, and stating his solutions to the problems facing the US in Iraq and elsewhere too.

Oh wait...... nevermind.

[Semper Paratus]

"Clinton Lite"

[isthisnickcool]

Idiot whacked out chick marries guy that is heir to a squashed tomatoe fortune. Rich guy is a Democrat for some dumb reason. Since he is wealthy and can do whatever he wants he might as well do dumb stuff. Like marry nutty chicks and be a Democrat.

Dude gets whacked when gravity does what it does while he is sitting in an airplane. Rich dude is dead. Bummer.

Wack chick gets dead rich guy's money. She is bored. She finds another moron named John Kerry and marries him. She attempts to make herself a clone of husband number one. JFK, second hubby, gets elected Senator. Then runs for president. Gets stomped.

Moral of story? If you are very rich you can attempt all the cloning you want but just because you are rich don't expect the cloning to work. Especially when what you are cloning ain't worth cloning in the first place.

[Jim Noble]

The problem is that the people Kerry needs to vote for him in order to be nominated have nothing but contempt for his service.

Every time he talks about this, he loses ground.

[ProudGOP]

Idiot whacked out chick marries guy that is heir to a squashed tomatoe fortune. Rich guy is a Democrat for some dumb reason.

John Heinz was a Republican. Theresa Heinz was a Rino up until about a year ago.

[em2vn]

He has in every one of his speeches since the lead up to the war in Iraq. He is just trading on the memory of men better than he.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Sorry I couldn't make his speech as it was too far ( 15 minutes away from me ).

[MinuteGal]

Whenever the breathless TV reporters mention Kerry's name, they have to throw in "war hero". Makes me sick.

Didn't this guy make a pretense of throwing his medals away at a peacenik rally? Some "hero".

Leni

[visitor]

The ONLY eventuality not planned for in Iraq was the dems' and dems'witted vitriolic attacks against our president and use of our military in The War on Terror therein encouraging the enemy.

Dems DUPLICITY...rto

[judicial meanz]

It takes about 15-20 minutes to become a hero, and being a hero is subjective. IN my opinion, being a hero entails a lot more than going to Vietnam and getting your "ticket punched" with the appropriate tours, medals, and citations to allow you advancement in the future. This was common in the Vietnam era, and still exists today. John Kerry is definitely not an Audie Murphy.

As far as I am concerned, John Kerry is a sick, malicious parody of a veteran. I know a lot of people who have earned the title "Hero" and deserve it better than he does.

He came home and joined the Anti War movement as soon s he could, and made a mockery of the people he served with. He isnt a hero in my book.


Judicial Meanz

US Navy veteran

[isthisnickcool]

John Heinz was a Republican. Theresa Heinz was a Rino up until about a year ago.

Oh, egg on my face. I thought Heinz was a Demo. Thanks for the correction.

[Let's Roll]

Better put some ketchup on that egg ... ;-)

[WorkingClassFilth]

Nice article!

This is the correct response for wiener that found his private stock of ketchup. Nice return for the service cliches Mr. Viet Nam likes to brandish.

[isthisnickcool]

Better put some ketchup on that egg ... ;-)

I've never understood the ketchup/egg thing. Yuk! My better half puts CHEESE on apple pie. Go figure.

[wingnuts'nbolts]

Kerry is much ado about nothing!

[Richard Kimball]

These guys are heroes. Unfortunately, many of us who merely survive receive the accolades for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I don't want Kerry as President, but he went there. I feel the same way about John McCain and JFK. Politics aside, the reason many of us get to sit home on our fat happy asses is because other people were getting shot at. That still, doesn't mean I want Kerry as President.