Simple. Iraq is all anyone cares about when talking about our services and that's what the crowd can relate to. Ever heard the term "Freudian slip"?
He probably was trying to make a joke about Bush and just fooked it up, but your argument is not very strong. Iraq is where the most troops are deployed. If you enlisted, that is where you have the greatest chance of ending up. Sure there are troops manning radar stations in Alaska, but it wouldn't have made sense to say you will get stuck in Alaska, no one would have a clue what was being talked about.
Wow... wow... Okay, let me see if I can explain this to you. It's becoming clear, however, you arent exactly a reasonable person on this matter. Whether it's your hatred for Kerry or your love of the Republican party, who knows... But let me address this for you one last time. If John Kerry was talking about American soldiers he would have said "you will get stuck in the military." As we have seen in long versions of the video (not the one released by Matt Desperation Drudge) Kerry was making jokes about George Bush. RIGHT before he went into this joke. You would have a point if Kerry was giving some speech on education, which I suppose is what people like Drudge and Rush Limbaugh would want you to believe by cutting Kerry's quotes off the way they did. But it is clear that he was continuing his jokes about Bush. "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." He was saying George Bush wasnt making an effort to be smart, he was intellectually lazy, which is why he got stuck in Iraq. Your question on Afghanistan completely makes my point. Thank you. He didnt say Afghanistan because that is a war he agrees with. Maybe Bush made mistakes there, but he didnt get us "stuck" in that country. Are you getting it now? Do you now see why he only mentioned Iraq? Matthew Dowd, not exactly a liberal, was on Hardball and said that this was the case. John Kerry volunteered to serve his country and has supported numerous candidates who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. He funded Jim Webb's GOTV effort in the Democratic primary, and knows Webb's son is there right now. It's stupid to even think that Kerry was questioning the intelligence of soldiers. You are blinded either by your hatred or your partisanship. I support Kay Bailey Hutchison and David Dewhurst (mainly because of his position on giving the death penalty to repeat child molesters) in Texas and I want Joe Lieberman to win in Connecticut. If I agree with someone on an issue or think they are doing a good job I don't care what party they belong to. I won't, however, accept lies, distortions, and smear attacks from people like Matt Drudge, Rush Limbaugh and people in the Republican party who are so concerned about retaining power they don't care who they try to personally destroy. This is what has happened in the past week with Jim Webb and John Kerry. The pattern is similar... taking quotes out of context to question their character and allow it to be disseminated through GOP mouthpieces... These end of the campaign tactics are bull**** and you should really think twice before accepting them as fact.
No... Is Iraq the only country America has fought a war in? If Kerry was attacking the military in general he would have said you will "get stuck in the military." He didnt... We havnt been in Iraq forever and we wont be there forever. By your logic he would only be attacking soliders who have been deployed to Iraq. That doesnt make sense.
Your anecdotal stories about friends in the military don't speak to the matter. I have friends that have smoked all their lives and don't have health problems so smoking doesn't cause health problems or so your line of logic would follow. You said Kerry called the troops dumb which he didn't, you said Kerry was giving his view of the IQ of our troops which he didn't and now you're talking about spin? That's right out of the Rove playbook. Do you really think nobody's been paying attention to this nonsense the last six years? Think again.
Bad logic and defense of your position. It would mean that Kerry is only attacking soliders in Iraq. That's dumb... For you inference (colored by your partisanship) to be true, Kerry would have had to say, "Or you will likely be sent to Iraq." It would also imply that Kerry was also talking about some sort of draft to get "stuck" in a specific area. You can only distort someone's words so much.
Promise? So you chastise me for saying that if it were a joke about Bush he would've mentioned Bush yet say that because he didn't say military it's OBVIOUS he was talking about Bush? Makes no sense to me. I don't read the Drudge Report. Thanks for stereotyping though. I've seen longer versions and don't believe for a second he was talking about Bush. It just makes no sense. "Don't study or you'll be president!" No. Judging from the response I think I'm not the only one either. He mentioned Iraq because it's foremost on everyone's mind. If you can't see that, I can't help you. So because he served in the military 30 years ago it's impossible for him to talk bad about the troops today? How so? Hello Mr. Pot. My name's Mr. Kettle. I don't hate anyone. I've never professed to hating anyone and I'm not the rabid partisan you assume me to be. ...so? Seeing as you're the only one who's resorted to cursing perhaps you're the one who should take a step back. Sir, maybe you rely on others to make decisions for you but I do not. I don't go online and wait for someone to tell me what to do. I am capable of making my own decisions. Just because you do not agree with them does not mean that I haven't thought about them and come to a decision on my own. I never came out in favor of the whole Webb book issue so I have no idea why you would bring that up. The fact is anyone can see that Kerry was NOT talking about George W. Bush. That's plain to see. Whether or not one wants to believe what he said about the troops is up for discussion. The fact that he just made a joke about Bush does not mean the following joke was about him. The fact is you're engaging in the same type of behavior you claim to despise from the Republican Party and it shows. As I've said before, I'm not exactly in favor of the Republicans winning this election for numerous reasons. I will most likely be staying home on election day. I have no horse in this race for the 2006 election as I've come to despise most of both parties.
Okay, you go ahead and believe that John Kerry thinks people who have served in the military are stupid. I mean it totally makes sense...if you you rationalize it enough even if the facts dont support you, right ? Your inferences are correct. Kerry thinks people in Iraq are idiots, including Jim Webb's son. By the way, if you dont see the similarities between these Webb and Kerry attacks then you arent paying attention. Meh, whatever... Believe your ridiculous inference. It's false and always will be, but you are entitled to holding it tight for whatever reason. I'm officially done here because this doesnt matter. Though I will leave you with this... Just to give you some perspective. Spoiler
I really don't understand the tempest in a teapot over Kerry's comments. Obviously, Kerry doesn't think our service men and women are stupid. Just as obvious, however, is Kerry's apparent inability to know when to keep his foot out of his mouth, and not needlessly give Rove something to play with. I don't think it will make a hill of beans in the way of a difference in the election, but it pisses me off that Kerry can't control his idiot mouth for another week. The substance of the whole thing is that there isn't any substance. Keep D&D Civil.
How is this obvious? In 2004, he accused our troops of going door to door and "terrorizing" Iraqi families. In the Vietnam era, he accused our troops of being murderers and rapists. Yesterday's comments seem totally consistent with past practice for John Kerry. He's a traitor pure and simple, who looks down upon servicemen.
KO: Bush is too stupid to realize somebody's calling him stupid. I might add I love how Repubs take criticisms leveled at them and magically turn them into criticisms of the troops. What was it Kevin Tillman said again? Oh yes...
I'm not defending Kerry this time, this is absolutely obnoxious. I mean, I get that wars are fought by the powerless, and that poor and undereducated people are overrepresented on the frontlines (see: McNamara's 100,000...). It is a brutal reality of the military. But for god's sake, Kerry has impeccibly bad political instincts on a national level. First of all, the phenomenon to which he is referring in NOT funny, it is not a good joke, and I think his comment DOES insult the OEF OIF vets. They can take it, they are tough, they'll live - but that was not a thoughtful remark, and McCain is right - he should take it back. And why, one week before an election, is dude making himself a headline? We need MORE reminders of loser democrats with no vision or leadership capabilities or facility with the English language? We're about to hand the Republicans ass to them, and you start talking trash to Tony Snow? SHUT UP. SHUT UP SHUT UP AND GO AWAY. It is like that rebuttal right after Bush's idiotic Republican National Convention speech in '04 - Kerry could have come to the mic with a little grit and hustle nad - god forbid, truth - and tore that bogus infomerical convention into shreds. Everyone was watching. But no. Kerry fumbled and ambled, bullcrapped about the Son of A Millworker running mate, thanked Aunt Reba and her thirteen batches of cookies, and just donkeyed around for a half hour. He's totally tone deaf. Because the last thing we need is the embodiment of our party's shortcomings reminding everyone how tepid and unfocused we can be. Let Rush Limbaugh keep making fun of Michael J Fox, for god's sake, dont give them this sort of whacking material. It is not even over something substantive, it is an extremely ill-conceived off handed remark. I can take the vitrol, but do not pour gas if you're not making a serious point or helping someone out - this is just typical off key rambling. He is painful to listen to and watch.
What Kerry said was wrong, but this was even worse. Kerry: I propose a $10 minimum wage. I swear to God that almost gave me a heart attack.
What I can understand is why these politicians say things knowing its going backfire on them even if they are joking. Especially around this time.
The Republicans are desperate and Kerry has given them something to cling to. There isn't much substance to this but elections are often turned on things with little substance. It was a stupid thing to say and one would think that on a day that US forces were forced to back down by supposed Iraqi allies it wouldn't make much news but in politics words are often more important than actual events.
I spanked on that issue back when it happened. Kerry's information came from a red cross report. He was quoting an unbiased report. Just like you can't do about his comments in Vietnam, once again wtih the red cross statements you can't deny that those things happened. If you can't face the truth I hope you get a dose of fortitude for christmas.
Why is this hard to believe? If you are getting C's at Yale, or any school for that matter, you either aren't studying/trying, or you're an idiot. And George Bush is President...so clearly it happens.
