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Kerry, Hit From Inside and Out: Marital Strife, Personnel Infighting Battered Campaign
Wash Post ^ | 11/15/04 | Howard Kurtz

Posted on 11/14/2004 8:19:13 PM PST by Cableguy

Teresa Heinz Kerry hardly suffered from a lack of media attention during the presidential campaign.

But if a lengthy, behind-the-scenes Newsweek piece is on the mark, press accounts failed to reflect the degree to which she was a disruptive force in her husband's campaign who often looked "sullen," was deemed a "hypochondriac" by the staff and had a knack for "silencing a cheering crowd."

"On the campaign bus," Newsweek reports, "there had been constant talk of marital spats between the candidate and his wife. . . . Though they kept Teresa's sometimes erratic behavior out of their copy, when they were speaking among themselves . . . the reporters were increasingly vocal in mocking the candidate's wife."

It is difficult for daily journalists covering a candidate to report on the personal travails and staff infighting that envelop most campaigns. Some reporters who traveled with John Kerry said these stories are hard to pin down because campaign officials refused to discuss such details on the record. Others said it was risky to write stories that would alienate not just the candidate but the staffers on whom reporters depend for news.

"There were hints in the daily coverage that Kerry had problems with being decisive and Teresa was not completely helpful," says Evan Thomas, who wrote the Newsweek article. "But I don't think anybody tried to step back and look at the pattern of it. The press has gotten so consumed with the day-to-day that they've forgotten about or become uninterested in the whole Teddy White approach to reconstruction."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: drunkbillionare; kerry; kurtz; newsweek; raisins; teresaheinz
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To: Cableguy

mark


101 posted on 11/15/2004 4:44:25 AM PST by txrangerette
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To: Cableguy
"It is difficult for daily journalists covering a candidate to report on the personal travails and staff infighting that envelop most campaigns."

- Somehow, if the fighting had been between Dubya and Laura, I don't think the press would have had any difficulty at all in reporting on it - endlessly.
102 posted on 11/15/2004 4:49:53 AM PST by finnigan2
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To: ReadyNow

But that's better than Hillary's portfolio.


103 posted on 11/15/2004 4:51:48 AM PST by Grateful One
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To: maine-iac7
smeagol got the zot he deserved.
104 posted on 11/15/2004 4:53:31 AM PST by Max Combined (Clinton is "the notorious Oval Office onanist ")
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To: Cableguy
had a knack for "silencing a cheering crowd."

Nice turn of phrase.

105 posted on 11/15/2004 4:58:49 AM PST by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: jonrick46
Maria Teresa Thierstein Simoes-Ferreira-Heinz-Kerry

Wow! She must really be rich to have three hyphens in her name, but yet she couldn't come up with an extra one to use in "African American"?

106 posted on 11/15/2004 5:02:05 AM PST by Fresh Wind (All we are say-y-y-y-ing is give Beast a chance!)
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To: Cableguy; cyncooper
...Thomas recalls chatting with Newsweek Editor Mark Whitaker as exit polls pointed to a Kerry victory. "We just laughed and said, 'Oh my God, we have this piece that says the Kerry campaign was pretty badly run. What if he wins?' We just sort of shrugged."

If Kerry had won (shudder!) they would have done the fastest re-write in history, and would still be spoon-feeding us treacle about Kerry's "uplifting" campaign. complete with the "saucy" Mama T and the Band of Brothers schtick. What a bullet we dodged on this one!

107 posted on 11/15/2004 5:18:06 AM PST by EllaMinnow (For the first time in over 20 years, I'm not represented by Bob Graham! Go MEL!! Viva Bush!)
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To: Cableguy
I need to write Sen's Kerry and McCain to urge them to co author a book on "How To Find, Court,and Marry Rich Women"

It would sell millions and perhaps free them to become stand alone men.

BTW someone posted this query; If a man marrys a rich woman he is called a gigolo. If a woman marries a rich man she is called a goldigger. What do you call a man who marries a woman for a dead mans money? Gigadigger?
108 posted on 11/15/2004 5:18:28 AM PST by TUX (Domino effect)
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To: Cableguy

He is a lying traitor and he deserves everything he gets!

None of what he DOES get, is sufficient for his deception of the American Military or public!

He and his party, desire to abolish everything this Country has stood for, since America's inception!


109 posted on 11/15/2004 5:24:47 AM PST by LadyPilgrim (Sealed my pardon with His blood, Hallelujah!!! What a Savior!!!)
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To: EllaMinnow

Thanks for the ping.

You are right, of course. We would have been treated to dissertations on the "brilliance" of the campaign.

Oh boy, just have to add that I have MSNBC on and the new ad for Hardball is edited cuts of guests stammering. This is designed to make Chrissy look like he's backed them up against the wall asking his "hardball" questions. More smoke and mirrors from "journalists".

We aren't fooled, fellas.


110 posted on 11/15/2004 5:24:53 AM PST by cyncooper (And and angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm)
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To: Cableguy

Kerry is talking about running again in 2008. He would be 65 and Teresa would be almost 70. Now that would be hoot.


111 posted on 11/15/2004 5:30:41 AM PST by kabar
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To: Cableguy
Now lets be fair to Teraza. Its not easy being a billionaire and being forced to ride a bus. We just don't understand. ////>smirk
112 posted on 11/15/2004 5:31:27 AM PST by Ditter
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To: Cableguy
Shouldn't we know this kind of stuff before we vote? Thank god everyone saw how wishy washy Kerry was, and rejected him by a confortable margin.

I feel the same way regarding our soon to be resigning governor, James McGreedy.

The press knew how corrupt he was but decided it was better to have a crooked Democrate than an honest Republican.

113 posted on 11/15/2004 5:34:52 AM PST by mware
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To: Cableguy

Can you say "Leftist Press Coverup"? I knew you could. Can you imagine that if Laura Bush had been such a pain in the butt that these chivalrous hacks would have kept mum about it? HA!


114 posted on 11/15/2004 5:34:58 AM PST by kittymyrib
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To: Cableguy

Was this kerry fellow in Vietnam at one time. He came back a big hero didn't he?


115 posted on 11/15/2004 7:05:35 AM PST by tillacum (It is the military personnel who keep FREEDOM ringing.)
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To: Cableguy

This campaign might have put the last nail in the coffin of the marriage of the ketchup-people. Tah-Ray-Zah only started using the last name "Kerry" when he won the nomination and says she still loves Mr. Heinz! The only thing holding that marriage together is HER money, and sKerry is holding on for dear life!! Oh, well, there is always S00-EE-Suha -- I heard she is coming into some money!


116 posted on 11/15/2004 7:18:22 AM PST by Polyxene (For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel - Martin Luther)
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To: Waco

You are right Vietnam was just a part of plan. Go to 'Nam, get three Purple Hearts as quickly and get out. Come home and protest war. That way Kerry can play both sides. Typical for Kerry


117 posted on 11/15/2004 7:23:13 AM PST by graceland
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To: Miss Behave

They made a deal with the Kerry and Bush campaigns. If they were allowed inside the campaigns, they agreed they wouldn't publicize what they saw until after the election. Now, after the election we have a really interesting issue of Newsweek.


118 posted on 11/15/2004 7:24:19 AM PST by hg23
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To: Cableguy
Interesting tidbit from the article:

Kerry was both "cranky" and more indecisive than he was portrayed by the media. "I couldn't get the man to make decisions," said former campaign manager Jim Jordan. As late as days before the Democratic convention, Kerry was still "dithering" and presiding over endless discussions on whether to abandon public financing for the fall campaign before deciding against private fundraising. Top aides grew so tired of Kerry continuing to seek advice on issues they considered settled that they took away his cell phone.

Great. That's all we needed was another president who couldn't make a decision. Very reminiscent of Billy Jeff. I had said more than once to my husband that I was many similarities between Kerry and Klinton. This trait is one of them, and it's not a good thing to have an indecisive president. We dodged a bullet.

119 posted on 11/15/2004 7:27:30 AM PST by .38sw
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To: hg23

Thanks, hg, I'm aware of that. My comment was one of the general "what's up is down, and what's down is up" genre. And I guess that I have a problem with journalists calling themselves "professionals" in the first place. Journalism is not classically regarded as a "profession," as far as I'm aware. Maybe someone can tell me differently--set me straight on that one.


120 posted on 11/15/2004 7:56:12 AM PST by Miss Behave (There's a WMD hidden in Suha's double chin.)
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