Posted on 10/04/2004 12:03:24 PM PDT by MississippiMan
The issue of what Kerry brought with him to the podium is not a petty one. A candidate who had simply a list of talking points on paper would be at a huge advantage vs. the other participant who played by the rules.
Based on the most recent reports here, it sounds as if even Fox News is about to forget and drop the issue, since they've declared that they're 99% certain the object in question is a pen.
It's hard to fathom what's going on here, unless they're viewing an incomplete clip of what took place. For even the low-resolution copies of the event that are posted online make it blatantly clear that, yes, he had a PEN (OBJECT 1) in his RIGHT hand, but he also removed a LIGHT-COLORED RECTANGULAR OBJECT (OBJECT 2) from inside his jacket with his LEFT hand. He then handles the object in a fashion that suggests UNFOLDING, and places it on the deck of the podium.
As mentioned already, I am a digital forensics examiner. I have a state-of-the-art forensic video system. I have briefly examined the low-resolution clips of the event, and at first impression, OBJECT 2 appears to be a folded sheet or sheets of light-colored paper. It is DEFINITELY rectangular. It is DEFINITELY light-colored. And it is DEFINITELY distinct and separate from OBJECT 1.
I would very much like to examine a high-resolution version of the clip; ideally this will be an uncompressed digital video file digitized from a digital broadcast master. If anyone has any connections or access to one of the networks or C-SPAN or whatever, and can obtain said file, it would be immensely helpful.
This is about playing by the rules, folks. I for one am sick and tired of sitting back and watching the rules broken without consequence. It is high time to hold people accountable. That applies to the candidates and the media, whether the media member in question is CBS or Fox News Channel. If it's wrong, it's wrong. And if they're reporting that Kerry brought nothing but a pen to the podium, THEY'RE WRONG.
MM
Kerry should be able to bring in whatever materials he wants and it still should be a slam dunk to crush this clown, given his words and deeds over the past 30 years. That's where our focus should be. This is the easiest, slam dunk Presidential election for the Republicans in recent history, and the fact that it is even close at this point reflects very poorly on the Bush administration's public relations team.
During the debate Kerry appeared to be taking lots of notes. Maybe he was just memorizing lines from his cheat sheet?
"Oh THAT. No, that wasn't a pen, it was Tereza's recipe for Mango Chutny."
Continued harping on this will not be productive.
I think Kerry is a dishonest creep but we should drop this it's a non-starter. We should use our energy toward more productive areas. Call a friend or relative that is on the fence and get him out to vote for W! That is better than persuing this windmill.
Does the Fox News images also show the President putting something on his podium or unfolding a piece or paper? They both look like they're doing it.
BINGO. Now THATS a battle worth fighting.
Um, thinking up lines like "he spoke from his heart?"
BTTT
The contenders were each given paper and pen to write with that was at the podium in advance.
just called the commission on presidential deabates. Their comment line was FULL. A man answered and said he would empty it out so I could leave a comment. I left my comment with him. I told him that Kerry had an object in question that he did not pick up from the podium, not a pen and suggested that he was cheating. I also told him that he should be prepared for more comments of the same and that I would do my part to help this spread like wildfire on the net and blogs, and that if they wanted the debates to have any credibility they should get to the bottom of this!
If you can't get anywhere with Fox,
Gersh Kuntzman wrote the article in the New York Post about the object being a pen. He says, "But the mystery was solved when The Post reviewed a Fox News Channel feed from Thursday's debate: Kerry pulled out . . . a black pen. " Obviously, the New York Post has the video.
http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/31273.htm
Chris Shaw is listed as the contact for editorials and news.
cshaw@nypost.com
The Kerry campaign is so smug in its comment to Drudge, "See you at the inauguration". It's disgusting.
Where's Abraham Zapruder when we need him?
But who even puts their pen in a right hand pocket, unless you are left handed?
How, exactly, is anyone going to prove what he took out of his pocket? And then what?
Wasted energy. We've got a guy offering nuclear fuel to Iran, who wants to be President of the United States, and we're whining about what he had in his pocket. If you want the media to sit up and take notice of something, tell them to take notice of Kerry's insane policy plans.
This race is as close as it is because the dems will lie, cheat, and steal to win it. The Republicans high horse and "playing by the rules" will do them no good come November if Kerry wins this election.
Ouch! I didn't blast them quite so much. Said I was a registered voter who always voted and I was concerned, told him the footage was shown over the weekend by Fox news and they should investigate that this was very serious. If he had cheated it should be discovered and if he hadn't he should be cleared. I'm surprised soemone is still answering the phone. Thanks for calling. Hope more people do.
I figured the MSM would/will do nothing but the commission has a reputation to uphold. I would bet they have a small staff and it wouldn't take much to overwhelm them.
Sounds like a job for the Bush campaign - if they take it or not.
As I see cyberspace, this is a community to discuss and pursue everything. I even questioned whether Bush had a cheat sheet.
Sheana,
There's no recourse. Period. You're playing right into the Dems hands by taking the focus of WHAT Kerry said at the debates. If he cheated, he cheated. It doesn't change the fact that his ideas border on insanity. We should be screaming it from the rooftops that this guy is bad news for the future of our country. Instead, we're focused on this.
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