Impact
What many people are asking themselves is: will Kerry’s remarks have an impact on the coming elections in the US for Congress. I think that Joe and commenters here at TMV made some good points: it will – most likely – not have a great impact on independents but one of the other problems for the GOP is / was that it was not able to rally its base. John Kerry’s remarks, however, might provide the GOP with an opportunity of doing so.
Personally, I do not consider that to be ‘wrong’: John Kerry made an idiotic ‘joke’. In politics one should choose one’s words very careful: he either did not or he thought he could get away with it. My view, after watching the video at Hot Air and reading up on this ‘controversy’ is that, indeed, it was a failed joke. He was making fun of Bush, not of the army. Assuming he misspoke: it was still a stupid mistake. A joke like that is tricky (and highly arrogant by the way): leave one word out of it (‘us’ in this case) and you’re saying something that can be disastrous for you and your party -> as happened with John Kerry.
Anyway, the AP reports:
Democratic Senate candidate Bob Casey cautiously defended Sen. John Kerry on Wednesday, saying controversial remarks he made about troops in Iraq were a mistake that his Republican opponent was trying to use to revive a desperate campaign.
Kerry had been scheduled to stump for Casey, but changed his schedule amid controversy over comments in which he said people unable to succeed in the U.S. educational system would likely “get stuck in Iraq.”
“He botched a joke. He was honest about a mistake that he made,” Casey said after speaking to several hundred students in a packed auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania. “He didn’t make a mistake like this president did” with a failed strategy in Iraq.
[...]
The decision to call off the Kerry campaign event was made by the Massachusetts senator, not Casey, both camps said.“We made a decision not to allow the Republican hate machine to use Democratic candidates as proxies in their distorted spin war,” said David Wade, a Kerry spokesman, in a statement.
Well, that seems to be the right decision to me. John Kerry should lay low for a while. From a Democratic perspective at least until after the elections.
Rick Santorum – politically understandably, perhaps even rightfully – used Kerry’s remarks to attack Casey. The problem for Santorum, of course, is that he is a Republican and outspoken supporter of George W. Bush. He – generally at least – supports (just about) Bush’s entire Iraq policy, etc. Iraq is a mess, it will most likely escalate further and further until, presumably, Iraq will have fallen apart (in three parts) or until one sect grabs power and installs another dictatorship (or something like it).
John Kerry made a stupid mistake and one could link Kerry to Casey. But Kerry and – more importantly – Casey are, at least, not supporting an already failed strategy in Iraq. What’s more important I ask you?
28 Responses to “Impact”
So, Kerry makes a bad ‘joke’ about Bush, is accused by republican hacks of insulting our troops, and the blogs are full of it.
Meanwhile the President says if you vote for the dems the terrorists will win. Apart from insulting the patriotism of millions of us, this statement also insults our intelligence. Who exactly are these terrorists we apparently support? The Sunnis? Shias? These groupings have only one goal, to take control of whatever is left of Iraq after US troops finally pull out. They have no interest in attacking America and never did.
The Kerry ‘Joke’ gets msm coverage 24/7.
Meanwhile the Vice president states that the terrorists are timing their attacks to influence the election. Again, who is he referring to? Al-Sadr and his Mahdi army? His goal is Saddam’s old job, not to bomb America.
But what do you think about the Kerry ‘joke’?
Meanwhile Al Qaeda’s role in Iraq is winding down. They achieved what they set out to achieve- US troops caught up in the middle of a civil war with no way out.
Should Kerry apologise?
With nothing more to offer, our leadership resorts to what has always worked in the past- lies and distortion. In an ordinary election year, this might be considered par for the course. In a time of war, with thousands of young American lives at risk, it is criminally insane.
Meanwhile, the best minds in the blogosphere ‘judiciously study’ the ins and outs of the Kerry non-insult, and our soldiers continue to die.
True and I pay attention to that. Not just Americans are dying, but Iraqis are dying massively as well.
However, it is – whether you like it or not – also important to talk about what Kerry said.
I think Boehner blaming the generals for the problems in Iraq was a much more provocative statement but the establishment media will ignore it or play it down and keep talking about a f’d up Kerry joke.
Conservatives and their apologists are desperately hoping they can spin the Kerry mistake into an election winner. forget about Iraq, forget about Katrina, forget about the broken borders, forget about the debt,forget about republican corruption in the WH……..Hold the presses folks this election is all about a poorly told joke by John Kerry.
This election is not about John Kerry, despite what you have been hearing on your radio, seeing on your TV, and reading in your newspaper.
The actual conduct of the war by the Bush Administration is more important than some dumb joke.
It’s more important than a so-called racy passage in a thirty year old novel.
It’s more important than anyone’s visit to the Playboy mansion.
It’s more important than whether an actor in a TV commercial took his Parkinson’s medication.
The fact that these things get extensive coverage tells you how dumb or slanted–and in which direction–our media is.
The fact that the President is going to retain Donals Rumsfeld for the rest of his term in office has gotten drowned out. By intent or omission–the effect is the same.
What bothers me is how the media is still covering this. One local morning news show was still saying this morning not that Kerry apologized for a botched joke that was taken the wrong way but that Kerry “apologized for questioning the intelligence of those serving in our military”.
If they could get the story straight, that would be one thing. As long as they keep from telling the truth about what his original statement was, this could continue to harm the Dems simply based on false information. After all, the 30 second highlights on the local morning news will be all that a lot of voters see.
Kerry is doing the right thing for damage control. Hopefully, this puts the whole thing behind us so we can focus on the issues that really matter rather than on a badly botched joke.
“However, it is – whether you like it or not – also important to talk about what Kerry said.”
No, not really – as Truflo pointed out above there are many, many, many much more important issues that should be covered this in-depth out there. Sadly, for better or worse, this is what the American media has become – an echo chamber of the scandal “de jour” as perceived by the right-wing in order to draw attention away from the incompentence, corruption and failed policies of the past six years. Kerry’s remark is certainly important if he were running for office next week or applying for a job at Comedy Central. But to poor so much energy into a “scandal” involving a flubbed statement while the Presidents policies result in (literally) billions more debt and thousands of deaths is just sick and insane.
Here’s another speech with a flubbed moment – why didn’t the media cover this 24/7 and demand an apology to all Americans from the politician involved?
“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.â€?
Too bad Kerry wasn’t more nimble in his response, but then that’s part of his problem as a politician. Better would have been to quickly apologize for the words that came out of his mouth, and then turn around and start demanding apologies for GOP jokes, or turn around and clearly say what he actually did mean.
How important is it to talk about what a person said when it’s known he didn’t mean to say it, and it’s mostly understood he didn’t mean what he actually said?
Insofar as it’s important to talk about this, the importance is as an object lesson in modern politicking. But how do you do that in a fair and balanced manner without sacrificing the essence of the issue? The “on the one hand this and on the other hand that” often only serves to obscure the reality of what happened.
I agree, jjc. The same clumsiness with which Kerry handled this gaffe is what cost him the election in 2004. If anything positive came out of the whole mess, it is that he effectively took himself out of the race in 2008. I am a registered Democrat, but am not sure I could have voted for him if he won the nomination. He appears to have very poor timing and his outburst of anger against Bush and Rove, came four years too late. I think democratic strategists were correct when they said “Kerry has already cost us one election, he should keep his mouth shut, so that he doesn’t cost us another one.”
I think Kerry’s apology yesterday closed the book on this issue. The real effect was that it cost the Democrats a day’s worth of news cycle. Beyond that, not much else.
What I find frightening is that this non-issue sucked the spotlight back onto the Media Maneuver Apparatus directed by the administration.
On the very same day, our soldiers in Baghdad were given orders to dismantle their barricades and stop searching for kidnapped American soldiers in Sadr City-orders that came from the head of a sectarian militia. Our soldiers are reduced to providing security for a faction in a civil war as they are kept from performing their duty to rescue their fallen commrades by a faction of that faction.
On that very same day, President Bush reaffirms his continued support for Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfield and says he intends to rely on their leadership until his term is up in two years and the media ignores the most damning example of the poor decision making which has lead us to the situation we are in in Iraq.
But Kerry muffed a joke.
Kerry is a high profile democrat. When he says something like he did, consequences will be there. It is a big deal, because Kerry is a big name. Analyzing politics is not just about what you guys seem to consider the ‘uber-issues’. Analyzing politics is also about what certain leading politicians say and do: even when they are not a Republican President.
Yesterdays’s talking point: Kerry must apologize!
Today’s talking point: Kerry’s apology cannot be accepted!
Maybe tomorrow they’ll be back to how Michael J Fox is a big faker.
Or how Nancy Pelosi is scary.
BYG Anything but – Rumsfeld will not be leaving-so we are still staying the course. Cheney approves waterboarding -thus approves torture. or the GOP is in its last throes–my personal favorite!
Un.be.lie.va.ble.
It’s easy to see why so many voters especially young voters are being turned off of the political process, the simple notion that a blown joke has more importance than the War,Debt, health care,Illegal immigrants,education costs is simply ridiculous and young people know it. When they see issues like this being pushed so hard , they see it for what it is, an easy way for politicians to avoid talking about the REAL problems facing American society.
Kerry should have done whatever it took to limit the number of news cycles consumed by this situation (echoing some comments above). Bogarting the national conversation was extremely irresponsible.
The reason that Hillary, Ford, and other democrats had to come down on Kerry, was because much of the National/Local news did not report the “botched joke” explanation on the first day, implicitly buying in to the GOP spin. His “i will not apologize” added to the reporting that he was denigrating the troops, set this situation into a bad tailspin.
I also have a thesis that the MSM has been fooled into believing that they might have a ‘liberal bias’, by years of beatings by the right wing. So when they have a chance to slam a Democrat, they feel they must take it, to ‘balance’ things out.
Corvus- I agree. Probably the reason they are avoiding them is lack of political courage. The problems we are facing in Iraq, Iran, North Korea, etc are complicated and intractable. No easy fix. Same for the 9 trillion dollar debt, 250 billion deficit, dire predictions about global warming, loss of jobs due to illegal immigration and globalization, energy crisis, burgeoning terrorism.
Wouldn’t you rather talk about Webb’s racy novels, reaction to Kerry’s apology or how Allen treated his first wife before their divorce? Plus its a ratings bonanza for the 24-hour newsfests. Distraction is the new political discourse.
MvdG
As a factual statement, I will agree. I’m out of step with many of my left-wing cohorts on this, but I think we on our side will be better off when we accept the reality.
Having said that, I think it’s instructive to compare this Kerry kerfluffle with the Trent Lott gaffe at Strom’s B-day party.
Partisans of each man will claim he didn’t mean what he said, that there were extenuating circumstances of some kind. No matter how much evidence there might be to that effect, the other side can be expected to be very reluctant to concede.
I think the distinction to be made is the issues involved. In one case there’s a history of racism involved. In the other there’s disdain for the troops.
Anybody think those are comparable? I think Michael Stickings said elsewhere that disdain for the troops is (I’m paraphrasing) a manufactured issue, a right-wing talking point. There are no lynchings, harrassment, discrimination, or denials of access or opportunity attached to disdain for the troops.
And in the end, is it s more disdainful to decide that military service is good for some others but not for one’s self, or to note that military service is an option exercised by those with fewer other options for whatever reason?
In short, what makes this issue worth pursuing?
jjc,
Disdain for people who volunteer to put their lives on the line for us isn’t important? I’m not belittling racism as an issue, but wow, I find it a very weak argument that if a senior Senator doesn’t have respect for the troops, it shouldn’t be as important of an issue as racial bigotry is.
I agree with the other part of your argument, BTW. As I already admitted to Kim, I do realize that partisan bias makes people (myself included) tend to accept the word of people from our own party at face value, while we tend to be more suspect of people from the opposite party.
Senator Kerry left a word out of a joke.
President Bush has provided poor wartime planning and execution.
Who’s disrespectful?
While all the hawks and Right wingers make this a story, the MSM ignores that the US ignores that the Sadr miltia may have a US soldier hostage. And in a political move we withdrew US troops manning checkpoints trying to find the US soldier. Israel launched a war in Lebanon over a similar situation. Why is Kerry a story and this is ignored. This kidnapping and consecion(sp) has bigger implications than the Kerry joke gaffaw.
Forty-two percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans said their equipment was below the military standard of being 90 percent operational. Thirty-five percent said their Humvees and trucks were not up-armored when they arrived in-country.
The military faces severe manpower shortages: Currently, the Army has “close to zero combat-ready brigades in reserve� and the National Guard is “in an even more dire situation than the active Army.� Sixty-three percent of all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans believe the Army and Marine Corps are overextended.
Given the facts above If I were wearing boots on the ground in Iraq I would have been more insulted by the remarks made by John Boehner(R-OH). With all the challenges facing these young women and men in the war it’s hard to believe John Boehner would blame the military for all the problems in Iraq. I hope in his next interview he’s pressed to elaborate or explain how exactly the Generals and their troops blew it.
Rudi- You are 100% right- this story should have gotten a lot more coverage–isn’t the fact that it was ignored and this soldier abandoned because of political capitulation by our gov’t to Maliki and Sadr a bigger insult to the troops, than Kerry saying if you don’t finish college you could end up in Iraq???
The cnyical thing is that if the US Iraqis soldier is killed and tortured before the election the story will hit the front page of the papers and bloggosphere. Right now it’s too nuanced and complicated for mass consumption. Isn’t the BLOND GIRL still missing in Aruba? Who will win ‘Dancing wtih the Stars’?
CNN has this:
I didn’t mean to imply that they had abandoned the search- just the checkpoints after Sadr and Maliki objected.
Oh, I agree, Kim, I was upset by that too. I was also inclined to agree about there not being enough press coverage, but I’m starting to see hope that it might be a case where they think it best to keep relatively quiet while they try to find leads and hopefully, get him back.
Honestly- CS- do you really think thats the real reason this hasn’t hit the news??? Or do you think the Republicans are trying to get as much mileage as possible on Kerry’s gaffe? When I watched today he was still the hot topic-especially on Fox. The gaffe was replayed, then the apology, then the talking heads went on and on about how H. Clinton was trying to kick him to the curb before the ’08 election. They were loving it! Not to say that the Dems didn’t think the Foley scandal was an early Christmas gift, so trying not to be uberpartisan here.