Quote:
Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
P.S. On another post of yours, I don't know if Kerry has made the right move or not in fighting back against the SwiftVet allegations and trying to paint a picture linking it all to GWB. I do know that the word is that the controversy was hurting Kerry in swing states, and among some groups (such as veterans) where Kerry had been doing much better than Bush could afford him to do. So, the campaign felt that they had to fight back somehow to clearly refute what they could and tar the rest with the brush of partisan hackery. Remains to be seen if it will work.
Second, Kerry can't "laugh off" allegations like these -- not in an environment where we're at "war", national security is a top issues, and when your campaign has highlighted your service. Third, the world has changed, and the constant churning of the cable news, Internet blogs, etc., means that these stories don't just fade away. It is different even than in 1998. Kerry tried to ignore it for weeks, and it didn't help. The net effect is not helpful, but arguably better than remaining silent (if this makes Bush look bad too).
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This may be the first time this topic has been discussed on this or the other board. Basically, what I'm suggesting is that sometimes a modern leader needs to let out a hearty laugh. The problem with John Kerry is that he can't laugh or smile or giggle like GWB, RR (or Clinton for that matter). He should have set up a great scene with the media as follows:
Media: Mr. Kerry, can you comment about 216 Swift Boat Veterans blah blah blah?
Kerry: Laughing so hard that he turns red and has trouble laughing, "it should surprise no one that not all veterans are Democrats". This or any other humorous non-sequitir would do wonders, as long as its accompanied by a great laugh and smile.
Picture all the times that Clinton laughed so hard he looked silly. If you walk around with a smile (a la RR, for example), people will fall silent on the rare occasions that you aren't smiling.
Will we ever see a picture of John Kerry taking off a hat and waving to a crowd or reporters after his head has been half-shaved?
That's all I'm saying. Basically, he has to treat this like politics. By treating it seriously, he's making it look like the allegations (and 216 veterans) are serious. By treating it like a joke, he'd be treating the 216 veterans as humorous.
What questions do we really need answered from these specific incidents? Cowardice? (No) Stupidity? (No) Recklessness? (Puhleeze).
Can the guy treat things that (while possibly true) sound like slander as humorous? He needs a flippin laughing coach and new strategists. Right now, he's acting guilty. Of what, I don't know. Well, at least going to Vietnam and serving doesn't make him guilty of anything in my book. So why is he acting guilty?
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