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October 31, 2006Kerry will take the fall if the Dems failJohn Kerry has now made two statements concerning his extremely ill-advised remarks made yesterday before a group of (one might presume) Kos and DU-loving college students: “You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.” He compounded his mistake with a defiant sort of meltdown and then - sensing that wasn’t working- with a second, mealy-mouthed, “it was a joke about Bush that got mangled.” You know what? It doesn’t really matter if he “really meant” President Bush or not. Kerry has just demonstrated that for all of his vaunted “nuance” and supposed intelligence, he’s not really ready for prime time. The guy who spent 20 years in the senate moving no real legislation beyond “special days for special people” might be a smoother speaker than Bush, but he’s got his own deficiencies in the speaking area, and he’s showcasing them. There is an art to good politics and there is a rule, too - and it’s a really simple one, but so many politicians can’t follow it, particularly if they have delusions of genius. The Rule goes like this: If you screw up, whether because you’re an idiot, or you’re just having a bad day, or a mic was left on - whatever - and you say something deplorable (even if it just sounds deplorable but you meant it well…) you admit it, you make a joke at your own expense and you apologize - even a half-assed apology will usually do. And then the whole thing usually goes away. If you don’t do that…if you go for “the coverup” or you insist on making excuses, blaming others, etc…it doesn’t go away. It just gets bigger. It’s true for every politician. It’s even true for Bill Clinton. This is The Rule for Scandal, and it goes for everyone. Unless (and this is the only, only, only exception to the Rule) your name is Hillary, in which case you can wear a pastel colored suit with a cashmere cardigan tied around the shoulders of your suit jacket (!) and say pretty much any garbage you want to about the gaffe - usually something defensive and scolding - and everything goes away, anyway. Love means never having to say you’re sorry. Meanwhile, the utterly artless John Kerry has just handed the Democrat party and the press their absolutely PLATINUM excuse, among the several they are preparing, for any surprising failures in next week’s election. If the Dems don’t pick up the 30-50 house seats they’ve been talking about, or they lose a few races the press is currently calling in their favor, the excuse will be that John Kerry’s Stupid Flub did ‘em in. And that will end any presidential aspirations he might have had for ‘08. Austin Bay understands The Rule for Scandal and he writes wisely: Why didn’t Senator Kerry just apologize? “I’m sorry for what I said. I meant to crack a joke and it came out sounding like an insult to US troops. Forgive me. We owe our defenders so much.” Absolutely correct. That is ALL Kerry had to do. And it would have gone away. There was some joking around a while back that if Kerry got serious about running again, he’d find a horse’s head in his bed. He may have just put one there, himself. DJ Drummond takes this opportunity to envision a Dem win next week Blue Crab Boulevard asks Did Kerry Torpedo the Dems? and Tom Bevan calls it a gift. We’ll see. The press will do all it can to help bail him out - again. Meanwhile, Flopping Aces takes a look at John Kerry’s life and gives one the impression that - in the end - perhaps John Kerry is just your basic yutz who was born well and married even better. That’s supposed to be bad, right? It would be bad if he were Bush, certainly. Heh. An NRO roundup of sorts: Jim Geraghty wants to start calling TKS The Kerry Spot again. Kerry has really, really stirred the hive. Michael Ledeen, who has well-educated family in Iraq had this to say: …it underlines the near-total alienation of the American intellectual elite. I dare say that the leading news and editorial rooms, like the offices of the major universities, are full of people who quite agree with the notion that our troops are stupid and underprivileged. Each time one of our children ships out to the Middle East, we get condolence calls from friends and relatives. They simply cannot fathom it, it is so totally removed from their own experience and from their own narcissistic lives. They do not know uniformed people, they have only a totally misleading stereotype. This 21-year Navy Vet was further insulted by Kerry’s clarification. A sure sign you need to stop talking and follow The Rules as I have explained them! Related: http://theanchoressonline.com/2006/10/31/kerry-will-take-the-fall-if-the-dems-fail/trackback/ 26 Responses to “Kerry will take the fall if the Dems fail” |
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October 31st, 2006 at 3:34 pm
The Kerry ‘joke’ is another in a list of other comedic bombs (thank you, before the election.) Approximately 6-8 weeks ago Kerry was interviewed by Bill Mahar about his vacation in Vermont. Mahar commented that he could have killed two birds with one stone by having gone to New Hampshire (implied that he could have stumped for ‘08). His response: he should have gone to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. and kill one bird. The guys is a riot.
October 31st, 2006 at 4:18 pm
“If the Dems don’t pick up the 30-50 house seats they’ve been talking about, or they lose a few races the press is currently calling in their favor, the excuse will be that John Kerry’s Stupid Flub did ‘em in.”
…but the real reason will be that, despite the staggering incompetence of the Executive Branch and the seemingly boundless corruption of the GOP-led Legislative Branch, voters remained unconvinced that the Democrats could do any better.
October 31st, 2006 at 4:41 pm
[…] UPDATE#7: I am so glad I have a consistent wireless signal now because this story is getting BETTER AND BETTER!!! Now Senator Kerry is saying that his statement calling the US Troops uneducated was a botched joke. As I see it the only botched joke here is Senator Kerry’s election hopes - it’s over for him politically. That sound-bite and video sequence will be in each and every political ad played by both his GOP competitor and by, horror of all horrors, his competitors in the Democrat primaries. | Permalink | TrackBack […]
October 31st, 2006 at 7:07 pm
October Surprise
Meglio di un piano diabolico architettato da Karl Rove. Meglio di un endorsement per i Democratici pronunciato da Osama bin Laden. Meglio di dieci sondaggi favorevoli in Virginia. Meglio del job-approval di Bush che schizza, senza motivo, all’80%. Le…
October 31st, 2006 at 8:50 pm
Your comments are always “spot on” as my teachers in Britain used to say … I don’t really have to comment on these unspeakable things Kerry keeps saying … just refer people to your blog. It’s always excellent. (with a son six flights from being “battle ready” I really can not even allow myself to listen to Kerry - ever.
October 31st, 2006 at 8:50 pm
Thank you ANCHORESS…
Kerry’s expression, anger, snobbery, dishonesty, is very consistent with many Democrats these days…
Very misguided.
But your link to Mr. Drummond’s expression is not working.
He is a mighty poster, and thought your readers would appreciate the proper link.
October 31st, 2006 at 9:00 pm
And Democrats Picked Kerry Because He Could Win
Well, he can just stew in his juices for his Freudian slip. He has a history of making derogatory comments about the military, and he finally got caught doing it right before an election.
October 31st, 2006 at 9:01 pm
Bush and American Legion Demand Apology From Kerry For Insluting Military
It looks like he has outraged more than just the President. The American Legion is demanding an apology as well.
The National Commander of The American Legion called on Sen. John Kerry to apologize for suggesting that American troops in Iraq ar…
October 31st, 2006 at 9:36 pm
[…] The Anchoress » Kerry will take the fall if the Dems fail […]
October 31st, 2006 at 9:53 pm
The Anchoress answers John Kerry
At least she speaks to the mess the man has made… with truth:There is an art to good politics and there is a rule, too - and it’s a really simple one, but so many politicians can’t follow it, particularly
October 31st, 2006 at 10:31 pm
[…] Related Links: Scrappleface - Kerry smart , Angel - He said what?, Jay - moonbat meltdown, RW- he’s still supporting the troops, Anchoress - Kerry will take the fall […]
October 31st, 2006 at 11:53 pm
I gotta say, I find this amazing. Everyone knows he wanted to zing Bush, and what he said was a zinger to Bush (because Bush is certainly “stuck in Iraq”)… but if the press reports the truth, it will be trying to bail him out?
Truth really does matter; even if John Kerry was politically foolish and fumble-tongued, it’s clear he wanted to bash Bush, not the troops. Mock him as a fool for thinking of another Presidential run, but geez.
I seem to recall that when Maureen Dowd misinterpreted a Bush comment about how a certain group of people were no longer a threat (she took him to be saying “al Qaeda”, he meant “the members of al Qaeda we have captured”, and both interpretations were supported by what he said), people jumped on her for being horribly dishonest. So why is it fair to misinterpret what John Kerry said?
November 1st, 2006 at 12:04 am
No one is misquoting John Kerry. John Kerry is now saying he misquoted himself, that he “mangled a joke…” That’s his story - second go round - and he’s sticking to it. But it only became his story when his remarks - which had gone unreported in the MSM, suddenly “became” a story.
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You can buy the “I meant Bush” or not buy it. I’m not buying it. Why? Because John Kerry has a looooong history of being very ungenerous and insulting to our troops. And he was playing to a college-audience he believed would be receptive to his remarks.
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Dowd WAS terribly dishonest. In simply repeating what Kerry said and questioning his excuse…what’s dishonest?
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Kerry didn’t “Clarify” his remark until he had to. If he’d really mispoken, one might assume he’d try to still go for “the laugh” by adding something like…”or you’ll end up in the White House, sticking ALL of is in Iraq.”
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Kerry meant what he said. Then he got caught.
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Bottom line: Bush is tongue-tied and prone to malapropisms. Kerry is a plodding and mindless speaker who says stupid things (”I should have gone to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and killed the bird with one stone…”). One of them gets castigated for every flub, one of them gets protected.
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That’s just the way of the world. If Kerry had a joke to make about Bush, he’d have made it, and he would have been very clear that the joke was on Bush. There is no evidence that he “used” this “joke” before. On the tape, he doesn’t look like he’s setting up a punchline…he looks like he’s being mournful and quite serious.
November 1st, 2006 at 12:18 am
[…] Kathy had linked to a letter to Jonah Goldberg on my previous post on the matter. I will not replicate it here, but I must say that the man who wrote it is absolutely right. Kerry should indeed pay for it with his political career. (And yes, both The Anchoress and I share the same thought: that any future presidential aspirations for Kerry have now and forevermore been flushed down the “john”, so to speak… and that the Dems will now make sure of that.) […]
November 1st, 2006 at 6:12 am
How electronic voting works (an Illustrated Guide)
For those readers not familiar with the details, I thought I would describe how electronic voting works, why it’s secure, and therefore why Democrats — I mean we — can trust it implicitly.
November 1st, 2006 at 9:15 am
John Kerry is the “anti-statesman”!
November 1st, 2006 at 10:03 am
[…] When confronted, the mufti called on sympathetic figures to come his defense, hoping that might mitigate some of the damage. His daughter and some supporters demanded that the ‘old man’ be left alone. John Kerry too, refused to apologize and then shamefully paraded disabled war vet Max Cleland out front to take the incoming hits along with a retired female general (the statement she made studiously avoided addressing Kerry’s charges) in the hope they would deflect attention away from Mr Kerry’s remarks. […]
November 1st, 2006 at 11:55 am
Excellent post. I did one today, too. I’m calling for Kerry to resign. His time on the stage has long expired.
November 1st, 2006 at 12:01 pm
…you admit it, you make a joke at your own expense and you apologize…
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You know, it isn’t that hard. You stand up and say, “So I looked at the tape, and geez, that sure came out totally different than what I was trying to say! I kept hoping this was some sort of gag where somebody put words in my mouth, but, no, that was really me, letting out the clutch before my brain was in gear… I sure am sorry, and that wasn’t what I meant at all, and I promise to try to be less of a knucklehead in the future!”
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Kerry could have done it, Eason Jordan could have done it. Everyone has had the experience of having things come out that weren’t what they meant, and everyone of good will would simply chuckle sympathetically and move on.
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(I do have to admit to enjoying the Ace of Spade’s take about the “study hard or you might turn out to be president” motivational speech.)
November 1st, 2006 at 12:11 pm
Kerry did what I would best describe as a Freudian slip-and-fall.
November 1st, 2006 at 12:57 pm
The fallout grows: Some Dems line up against Kerry
Here is a list of the more recent fallout to the Kerry comment calamity.
Kerry cancels Mankato appearance
The dueling rallies scheduled for Mankato today on behalf of Republican congressman Gil Gutknecht and Democratic challenger Tim Walz lost some of…
November 1st, 2006 at 1:18 pm
The Troops Respond to Kerry (picture), It doesn’t look like they are buying his excuse
John, still think that the the troops have confidence you support them? I don’t think they are buying the "botched joke" excuse.
John? Show some friggin humility and apologize. Geeez!
(from drudge)
Previously:
The f…
November 1st, 2006 at 1:22 pm
[…] NO Democrats have apologized for his blunder. And yes, it’s a blunder. 7 days before a General Election? Yep, it’s a blunder alright. Some Democrats are distancing themselves and rightly so. He’s just hanging out there, with dwindling support. Even his speaking engagements are suddenly shrinking. If the Democrats lose ground next Tuesday, they will turn on him like a pack of dogs. You just watch. […]
November 1st, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Kerry Apologizes on MSNBC (kinda)
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.
…
November 1st, 2006 at 4:28 pm
“You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”
Yes, ‘Weirdo, I see where it’s OBVIOUS that this was a “zing” directed at Bush. How could I ever doubt you Democrats? “Truth” to power! Keep it up…keep on telling the “truth”….make it more “truthy’ even! We won’t start examining every thing you say. Heck, now I even believe Kerry’s testimony to Congress when he said that Nixon sent him on a secret mission to Cambodia on Christmas Eve 1968–almost a month before Nixon’s Inauguration! I glad our press never picked up on that! It might have sunk him in the 70’s!
November 6th, 2006 at 4:04 pm
The Continuing Saga of John Kerry’s Unapology
As if John Kerry’s seemingly endless series of defiantly unapologetic apologies for insulting the intelligence of our troops wasn’t bad enough, he had to top it off by using his website to feature a Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorial that tries to…