August 31, 2004
RIDICULE AS A POLITICAL WEAPON:
Delegates mock Kerry with 'purple heart' bandages: Democrats: GOP 'mocking our troops' (CNN, August 31, 2004)
Delegates to the Republican National Convention found a new way to take a jab at Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's Vietnam service record: by sporting adhesive bandages with small purple hearts on them.Morton Blackwell, a prominent Virginia delegate, has been handing out the heart-covered bandages to delegates, who've worn them on their chins, cheeks, the backs of their hands and other places.
If you were a Democrat mightn't you think it wise to just shut up about the mockability of your candidate? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 31, 2004 9:00 AM
Ooh, that strikes me as a bad idea. Bush has been carefull to take the high road complementing Kerry on his service, mocking the purple heart, even Kerry's, seems dangerously Ted Rallish.
Posted by: Amos at August 31, 2004 9:19 AMAgree with Amos - this make cause a bit of a backlash since the media will focus on this and enable them to ignore the strong speeches by McCain and Rudy.
Posted by: AWW at August 31, 2004 9:33 AMMedia backlash is always a bonus for Republicans.
Posted by: oj at August 31, 2004 9:36 AMAmos
I have said that I would just as soon they drop any discussion of medals. So I agree with you.
However you have to admit that 3 purple hearts in 3.5 months in Vietnam, without hospitalization, without drawing blood, is sort of odd. Hemorrhoids?, Migranes? I mean what the heck it is kind of funny.
Posted by: h-man at August 31, 2004 9:39 AMAgree with OJ. Once the media starts focusing on the band-aids, people will need to know what the joke is. Once they know what the joke is, the media has done a service to those who think Kerry didn't deserve his PHs. It's a win/win.
Posted by: NKR at August 31, 2004 9:41 AMHeard on NPR that the Repubs have asked him to stop distributing them.
Posted by: The Other Brother at August 31, 2004 11:01 AMReminds me of that episode of MASH where Frank Burns puts himself for a Purple Heart for getting a shell fragment in his eye - an egg shell fragment. Of course, the difference is that Frank Burns would have made a much better president than Kerry.
Posted by: Governor Breck at August 31, 2004 12:12 PM>Reminds me of that episode of MASH where Frank
>Burns puts himself for a Purple Heart for
>getting a shell fragment in his eye - an egg
>shell fragment.
That episode was taken directly from a military urban legend I'd heard in Reader's Digest several years previously.
I've checked a couple other sources, and most agree that in 67-68-69 or so, Purple Hearts were being handed out for any wound or injury, no matter how minor. It apparently got so bad that after Vietnam the military tightened the requirements for a Purple Heart -- I now think the wound has to be serious enough to sideline you for at least two days.
Posted by: Ken at August 31, 2004 12:45 PMWhy do Republican delegates hate veterans?
A little case of envy?
Sad. Pathetic. Sadly pathetic. Pathetically sad.
Posted by: mklutra at August 31, 2004 3:38 PMExcept W looked so cute in his little fly boy suit. No chance of mocking him on that one.
BTW - We cannot win the war on terrorism. Yes we can. No we can't. Yes we can. No we can't. Yes we ....
Steady leadership in times of change. Unless I miscalculated and its all a catastrophic success.
Posted by: mkultra at August 31, 2004 3:41 PMmk:
The genius of the flightsuit was that it mocked the AWOL charge.
Posted by: oj at August 31, 2004 3:52 PMI wonder why all those veterans who were wearing those bandaids hate veterans. Very odd...
Posted by: Timothy at August 31, 2004 4:46 PMThose band-aids aren't mocking all veterans, just one in particular.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at August 31, 2004 8:04 PMYes, the Republican party is known for it's hatred of the military.
You better go, Mkultra, I think your UFO is signaling for takeoff.
Posted by: Amos at September 1, 2004 2:34 AMMkultra:
NB: The "...little boy flight suit..." was required equipment.
Oh, one other thing, they are worn by real men.
Posted by: Jeff Guinn at September 1, 2004 7:19 AMCan someone identify the episode (by # or date)in which Major Burns gets a purple heart for a "shell fragment" (egg shell)in his eye ?
Posted by: Jack Starn at September 13, 2004 7:19 PM