April 6, 2004
RIGHT AGAIN, MR. BARZUN:
IS KERRY IN CHARGE?: Democratic Spirits Are Summoned (RUSS SMITH, Apr. 06, 2004, NY Press)
There is a multitude of very weird subplots in the 2004 presidential campaign, which isn't really that surprising since the early nomination of John Kerry has given political reporters a lot of free time. Where to start? I'm partial to Kerry's phony conversion to NASCAR enthusiast when he'd rather be playing polo with European royalty. The senator's professed enthusiasm for the popular music that Joe Lieberman would like to see banned from the airwaves is also almost as rich as his wife. Kerry, 60, making the requisite visit to MTV's "Choose or Lose" March 30 forum, told the station's Gideon Yago the following: "I'm fascinated by rap and by hiphop. I think there's a lot of poetry in it. There's a lot of anger, a lot of social energy it. And I think you better listen to it pretty carefully, 'cause it's important." [...]Mark Steyn, writing in the Chicago Sun-Times on April 4, said of the candidate's MTV adventure: "Anyway, as I said, I wouldn't call Sen. Kerry a liar. But I did get the vague feeling…if it had gone on a minute or two longer, the candidate's nose would have cracked my TV screen, extended across the coffee table and pinned me to the wall." [...]
George W. Bush, who was never down with the music of his and Kerry's youth, doesn't have to fool around with such malarkey. The day after his opponent praised the "anger" in rap, Bush hosted three dozen baseball Hall of Famers at the White House, an event that he no doubt considers a perk of the job. Jawboning with the likes of Sandy Koufax, Ralph Kiner, Al Kaline, Bobby Doerr, Stan Musial, Dennis Eckersley, Rod Carew, Paul Molitor and Juan Marichal had to be a lot more fun, and sincere, than Kerry's appeal to youngsters who probably won't even vote.
Posted by Orrin Judd at April 6, 2004 5:31 PM
REUTERS/Jason Reed
After reading the entire article, I'd have to say that Russ Smith pretty well captures how I feel about Kerry's campaign.
Falsehoods and Ted Kennedy as the public face of the campaign sum it up; Why in the world isn't Kerry reaching out to the undecided moderates who will swing this election ?
Claiming to love rap music and 'Old School' is just juvenile, and demonstrates the wide gap that exists between Boomers' and Millennials' views of PR and advertising, and their respective abilities to see through verbal manipulation.
Posted by: Michael Herdegen at April 6, 2004 5:59 PMIs there any act more Presidential than throwing out the first pitch of the season?
Posted by: Foos at April 6, 2004 6:33 PMYep: blowin' up terrorists. :D
Posted by: Just John at April 6, 2004 6:55 PMDid he throw another strike? Two events sold me on Bush. One was the pitch at the Yankees game after 9/11. Takes a set of big ones to smoke it down the middle with millions watching. The other one was the fleeting look in his eyes (just before he smiled) when he noticed Gore invading his space during the 2000 debates. A millisecond only but you could tell that he would have loved to deck him. That's what an alpha male is, people.
Posted by: Rick T. at April 6, 2004 7:21 PMPerhaps not so much an alpha male as a mature man. Kerry's middle-aged catering to teenage fashion is a sign of something amiss.
Posted by: Peter B at April 6, 2004 9:02 PMHeck, hosting all those ballplayers, now that is definitely a perk. So is blowing up those terrorists.
Posted by: pchuck at April 6, 2004 9:39 PMOh come on, you mean windsurfing isn't as manly as the first pitch? :)
http://outside.away.com/outside/news/200426_1.html
Posted by: kevin whited at April 6, 2004 10:00 PMThe Democrats already sent out a press release last week chiding Bush for the Sammy Sosa trade to Chicago, though it would seem that -- given the expectations for the Cubs this year -- if they keep that line of attack up, come World Series time GWB might actually win the north side of Chicago...
Posted by: John at April 6, 2004 10:45 PMThe Democrats already sent out a press release last week chiding Bush for the Sammy Sosa trade to Chicago
Is that for real? If so, it doesn't surprise me, considering how the Dems seem determined to rehash every controversy of the last century and somehow blame the Evil Republicans (TM) and Bush. The whole party is about to all turn into the kind of Grampa SImpson type geezer who does nothing but complain and give lectures about "when I was your age..." Maybe they should take as their campaign slogan that ancient Firesign Theater line-- "Forward, into the past!"
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at April 7, 2004 12:37 AMJohn:
Well, he has two votes now anyway. At least it's a start.
Posted by: Rick T. at April 7, 2004 11:21 AM