/:D

:D

I’m wondering: what his supposed idealism is a sham?

Er: what if his supposed idealism is a sham?

Whether it was a gaff or not, the story sticks because Kerry’s personal feelings about military personnel are already established. The reasons for his antipathy is perhaps less so, though it’s not hard to concoct plausible (if necessarily tenuous) theories.

Whatever Kerry’s issue was, I think it may have blossomed before he went to war. If I heard correctly, he was active in the anti-war movement before he ever set foot in Vietnam (though I’ve never heard him point that out).

The more I juxtapose that with his preferred narrative of a bright-eyed young man disillusioned by the reality of war, the more absurd the narrative becomes. So what was the real John Kerry about during the war?

Likely, Kerry went to Vietnam with idealistic notions of emulating John Kennedy (and perhaps if to serve his country, only secondarily). There, rather than the gallant Hollywood comrades he expected, perhaps he judged many of his fellow servicemen to be, in his eyes, vulgar and simplistic folk.

Yezz… mingling with the hoi polloi…

I’m wondering: what his supposed idealism is a sham? What if he saw his role there specifically to gather intel on the “enemy” – the U.S. military – and report back to his anti-war comrades once his umpteen weeks were up? And to arrogate the moral authority of a Vietnam veteran in the process so that when his turn came to speak, his preconceived notions about Jenjiss Khan’s army could be served up to a credulous public with the aura of plausibility? What better assignment for a committed anti-war activist with ambitions for higher office? (“Objection your Honor, argumentative…”)

At best, they were clearly not refined enough to meet his ivy league standards; at worst, they were a pack of working class rednecks and farmboys whose mere presence sullied the ideals of his PT-109 fantasy.

Between his questions to McCain and hearing other shows where he expressed his opinion on how to handle North Korea, he simply can not be taken seriously.

Likely, Kerry went to Vietnam with idealistic notions of emulating John Kennedy (and perhaps if to serve his country, only secondarily).

This is from an Irish Times article dated Feb 26, 2004:

In fact, like many well connected white boys, both tried (understandably) to avoid action in Vietnam by volunteering for safe branches of the US armed forces. Bush joined the air force reserve in Texas, to protect the US from Mexico; Kerry volunteered for the US navy, at a time when it seemed the Vietnamese were as great a threat to American seamen as Papa Doc’s Tonton Macoute were to the Eskimos of the Yukon.

Then one day some bright spark decided to surprise the Vietcong by sending boats up the Mekong Delta’s many waterways. Ah. But boats, however, need sailors: so, suddenly, it seemed, the war had come to seamen. Lots of gallant, wanly Wasp smiles from Jeff and Clark and Kent on the quarterdeck. No matter; when the time came, Kerry did his bit, and no doubt deserved his medals.

When you lose the BBC and Andrew Sullivan…

I may not find myself the only conservative moving slowly and reluctantly toward the notion that Kerry may be the right man – and the conservative choice – for a difficult and perilous time.

–Andrew Sullivan

From Thinkprogress, we hear Kerry talking about this this morning on Imus. (see the video)
He says he apologized for the botched joke, but I really don’t hear an apology for the people offended.
It is a start, but in my opinion, not enough.
…

When he flip-flops and apologizes in a few days it will be too little too late.

I have never seen Michael Barone as exercised and agitated as he was on that Fox All Stars segment last night when it came to the Kerry story. He was flat out hot about what Kerry said, to the point of trying to jump in when Mort seemed to be cutting Kerry too much slack. I think this really pisses people off, and it wouldn’t have such resonance if people weren’t already sure that this is what Kerry actually thinks.

I feared that McCain’s condemnation was a trap — he would condemn Kerry, but then would almost immediately forgive Kerry and accept his explanation, thus dismissing the story in the minds of most. So far, he’s not granting Straight Talk……

This country doesn’t need these libs in charge of our destiny!

Its my pleasure.

And this is the video Kerry posted on his website. It makes him look bad, but there isn’t a whole lot he could do about it unless he edited out the reporters’ voices.

It takes enormous gonads to segue from reminiscences of Vietnam to an accusation that the GOP is trying to change the subject. Then to Katrina and Michael J. Fox…

What a tool.