Open Mouth, Insert Foot
Right. I thought not.
There's nothing in your statement that remotely appears to be a joke. I can't even imagine the inflection and body language that would be required to communicate "I'm being funny here," but you didn't have it.
Instead, what we have is yet another national Democratic leader -- one not even on a ballot this fall! -- going for a below-the-belt cheap shot instead of treating voters like they have a brain.
Speaking of a "brain" ... once again the media gloat over foot-in-mouth disease (Kerry's case is terminal) while there are much bigger (and more painful) stories about the same subject, languishing in the background.
Andrew Sullivan points us to one ... I had read several stories about the US pulling back in Baghdad, but they've all focused on the conflict between our government and the elected Iraqi government. Sullivan alerts us to the fact that by pulling back, "commander-in-chief [Bush] has abandoned an American soldier to the tender mercies of a Shiite militia." Yes, the "no man left behind" rule has been tossed in the bin by leaders (ours) who've not fought in a war. (tip)
Finally, Firedog Lake points to a YouTube clip of competing "jokes" ... Kerry's lame attempt versus Bush's "lost WMD" at the Washington Press Corps Dinner (where the mainstream media attendees laughed). And yes, it's true, but so what?
Republicans stay on message, even when the context around that message goes into the toilet. Democrats seem to have only one message: vote against the other guy. That's not enough to win elections.
Comments
The “joke” was supposed to be if you’re uneducated and dumb, you end up getting US stuck in Iraq, like Pres Bush. The implication is that Bush is uneducated and dumb. Makes sense in that context.
However, let’s stop pretending. When I was in high school, the military was for the guys who were too dumb or too poor to get into college. I doubt things have changed that much. America’s “best and brightest” are at MIT, Harvard, etc. They are not down at the local recuiting office.
Hello, Jay:
You may be right — Sen. Kerry may have been trying to ‘make a joke’ at Bush’s expense. It’s not clear — because it was a thoughtless and rude comment.
Your biases are showing also. Remember, “grunts” aren’t the only people who are in Iraq. About a third (I think) of the forces are Reservists, Guardsmen. Papers used to regularly profile the everday joe-jane — not stupid! not uneducated! — who have been called up.
My cousins are there. They aren’t “stupid” or “uneducated” — they were raised in military families and believe that military service is an honorable PUBLIC SERVICE.
And then my best friend’s daughter – who graduated top of her class at West Point – are you going to call HER stupid and uneducated, too?
Kathy
Our troops are in danger in Iraq yet the politicians at home are politicizing them. Twisting the slip of a dumb joke into something against the troops is reprehensible at best. Shame on Republicans and anyone else who would exploit Kerry’s stupid attempt at a joke.
“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” Thomas Edison. We need to ask who gains by exploiting this remark. Think about the value factor. Who does this value and who does this devalue! Kerry meant to devalue the Bush bunch for the way they are conducting the war which may or may not be fair game in politics. The word “troops” Kerry never used – he used the words “stuck in Iraq”. The Bush bunch is using the word troops and they omitted the word Iraq, to devalue Kerry and 50% of the population that do not vote Republican.
The Republicans are filling in hurtful words to accuse Kerry of insinuating the troops are uneducated. What a stretch! Republicans will forever be associated with planting the thought that half of America thinks the troops are dummies who had no where else to go!
They have gone so far as to outright say a vote for a Democrat is a vote for terrorists. So half of our citizens are now reduced to Terrorists? What a ‘uniter’ Bush turned out to be. Now it’s our turn to say:
“If you are with the Bush bunch you are against half of all the citizens of The United States of America.”
2800+ are dead AND nearly 10,000 are maimed for life. How many more will it take to satisfy their political greed? How long will we let the Republicans use the Democrats as a scapegoat to rail against the 50% of Americans who do not Vote Republican?
Voter imposed term limits! Vote em out – Vote em all out!
Bettyjean Kling
(posted by uspolitics at direction of writer)
Bettyjean Kling:
Until Kerry’s handlers came up with the “bad joke” excuse,
youBushbashers could only see his stupid insult for what it is. And, until then,youfound it incredulous that someone who presumed to be the President of the United States could make such a demeaning statement. Now,youthink have an excuse to hide behind. Sorry. That dog doesn’t hunt. Kerry has a history of lying about our military and he got his clock cleaned by the Swift Boat Veterans, who exposed him for the lying fraud that he is. It is unfortunate that citizens who are willing dupeslike youhave the opportunity to vote.(Ed: Personal references struck. Criticize the idea, not the person.)
The simple fact is that the words that came out of Senator Kerry’s mouth denigrated our troops and offended many people, including, I should certainly think, most soldiers who heard the words. Regardless what he meant to say, he said what he said and he should have apologized to our soldiers immediately when the problem first arose. He refused all day and night and only under pressure from his own party did he finally offer a parsed apology today. He is one of the congressmen Abe Lincoln had in mind. As for your CNN poll: CNN (just like the New York Times, in my opinion) is a traitorous organization and extremely left leaning so what would you expect from one of their polls? CNN showed the film of our enemy shooting GIs–they claim it was news and they have a responsibility to show that. I do not believe they have ever showed film of GIs actually shooting and killing bad guys. Who are they trying to kid? However I do agree with your assessment: The ” It is a case of Dumb and Dumber”, but you were wrong on one thing, it’s senator Kerry who was “Dumb” for saying what he said, and “Dumber” for not come right out and apologize to our military members and their families once he realized he had made a mistake of putting his big foot in his mouth.
By the way, I took the liberty of sending this email to senator Kerry’s office also.
I do like for him to know how I, myself think about him. Because, I am from Vietnam, and I have been through the “Tet Offensive”, and “Evacuated ” the last day of April 1975. In part thanks to Senator Kerry, who negotiated with the enemies in Paris while we were still at war with the enemies, he should have been put on trial for treason, instead because of his family’s name and fortune, he climbed the ladder instead, so he could look down on everyone else. I am also glad that you have the email address of these extreme left leaning. It’s nice to shoot two birds with one stone.
Regards, Josephine Stockton
(posted by uspolitics at direction of writer)