DEM FLASHED 'WRITE' STUFF AT DEBATE (KERRY PULLED OUT A BLACK PEN?)

New York Post ^ | 10/04/04 | GERSH KUNTZMAN

[kattracks]

October 4, 2004 -- Was John Kerry trying to pull something at the debate last week?

That question was burning up the Internet yesterday after a slo-mo review of the footage showed the Massachusetts senator taking an object out of his right pocket before the first question.

Was it a cheat sheet — as some conservative bloggers claimed — or was it something innocuous?

Either way, it would violate the debate rules agreed to by both campaigns: "No props, notes . . . or other tangible things may be brought into the debate."

Many blogs offered links to the "Pocket-gate" footage. One, INDC Journal, even posted frame-by-frame stills purporting to show Kerry pulling out a notecard and placing it onto the podium.

But the mystery was solved when The Post reviewed a Fox News Channel feed from Thursday's debate: Kerry pulled out . . . a black pen.

[Advil]

YES HE DID. I've been shuttling back and forth on the high res video, and that's where he did it. It's in the RIGHT HAND. Not maybe, not possibly, he clearly has this "thing" in his right hand as he walks up. He mixes it with what he is pulling out of his pocket. It's a classic card cheat. You make sure that everyone is watching the obvious move with one hand while you slip something in with the other.

It's really there. Use Quicktime, blow it up on your screen and play it back and forth. You can't miss it. It's absolutely, undeniably, there.

This man's campaign should be over, tonight.

[Lib-Lickers 2]

come on dude read the article,,,,,,,,,,,Was it a cheat sheet — as some conservative bloggers claimed — or was it something innocuous?

Either way, it would violate the debate rules agreed to by both campaigns: "No props, notes . . . or other tangible things may be brought into the debate."

[Retief]

How reliable is the New York Post? This was the newspaper that reported on its front page that Kerry picked Gephardt as his VP, not Edwards.

The NY Post gets it wrong again.

[Advil]

And incidentally, I'm not saying that he doesn't have inappropriate items in both hands, but I leave that up to you all. I'm just joining the thousands of you in confirming that this is no conspiracy, and no joke. There's something there.

[Lib-Lickers 2]

what it looks like to me being fair and balanced is the white squared off object is his oversized sleeves more exposed when reaching into his pocket to get his illegal black pen,,,,,,,,, there have been faked photos going around,, check Drudge's photos,,

[Lori675]

Someone tell Bush in the next debate to mention all the military equipment Kerry voted against when Reagan was President. I couldn't believe Bush didn't bring this up.

[mdmathis6]

I sent an email to the news editor at the post...asking them not to "CBS" them-selves and investigate a little more thouroughly!

[Advil]

That's fair, but I'm not looking at photos. I'm watching a replay of the video itself.

[Selkie]

Why would they call it a black pen anyway ?

Kerry and Bush both are clearly seen using the same type white pen in the debate. (cause Im totally anal and just went thru the debate tape again)

[dandelion]

Precisely. Kerry still violated the rules of the debate when he took ANYTHING out of his pocket and put it on the podium. Not earthshaking, but it was a blatant violation of the rules.

[NYCVirago]

Why would they call it a black pen anyway ? Kerry and Bush both are clearly seen using the same type white pen in the debate. (cause Im totally anal and just went thru the debate tape again)

Great point! The Post really blew it on this, IMHO.

[igoramus987]

How reliable is the New York Post? This was the newspaper that reported on its front page that Kerry picked Gephardt as his VP, not Edwards.

The NY Post gets it wrong again.

NY Post is usually on our side. However, the reporter may not be. Note in the article, although the debate rules specifically mentions pens are illegal, it is not included in the article.

[piasa]

Well, conceivably a glint of light off of a shiny pen could look like a line. And if it is in motion, it could look like a smeared line... which under perfect conditions could appear as a series of white lines parallel to each other - so closely that they look a white rectangle. (Recall how a point of light lke a star appears as a line and not a point in time lapse photography.)

But in the case of a pen the glare is more likely to look like a white off-of-square parallogram or rhombus since the human hand usually doesn't move in just one direction in space.

Since pens are also a violation of the debate rules, the Kerry campaign should have said the white shape was just a goofy shirt sleeve cuff.

[Selkie]

If you go thru hi res freeze frames of th efootage there is a split second where kerry placing whatever he had gotten out of his jacket with his left hand on the podium, that he raises his right hand onto the podium too.

I wish someone had a good clip of this.

[newzjunkey]

This is not a pen! (QuickTime)

[Advil]

Even if, for some reason, you discount the items he is either holding in one hand or pulling out of his coat... you can see him holding it afterwards. There's also a neat little "flip" action right before shuffles it down onto the podium. Either a flip notebook, cell phone, or PDA. Take your pick. Any of those sink him.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

oversized sleeves...faked photos going around...

I haven't seen any "faked photos." Drudge doesn't mention anything either.

The only "fake" is Kerry's debating technique.

And even Seinfeld's "puffy pirate shirt" didn't have sleeves that big.

Kerry reached into his pocket as he turned his back to the audience. It was a practiced move. If there hadn't been cameras to the rear of him, he would have gotten away with it.

[Route66]

I assume we'll have many freepers going over all available footage from beginning to end. How fortunate that we got the camera angle from behind and to the left of the podiums or we would never have seen this.

I'm wondering if he may have actually pulled a pen from the pocket as a cover story in case he was questioned, but there was definitely something else there as well. He also clearly had something in his right hand as he rounded the back of the podium. Some say it was a handkerchief but even that could have concealed something else.

Whatever the slight of hand, after he reached the podium he was handling a solid rectangular object which he laid on the podium surface. He made a motion which at first appeared as if he was unfolding something. After looking at it many times in the high res version, I now think he was either pressing a button or, as my son suggested, doing a flip motion. Either way, I am beginning to move away from the idea that this was a stack of note cards and leaning toward believing that the object was an electronic device.

I have no doubt that better minds than mine are at work on getting to the truth of this. I look forward to the results.

[jimboster]

That is definitely not a
pen. Unless it's a new kind that unfolds

[Route66]

Great minds think alike... :-)