Reposted from the George W. Bush thread, courtesy of J.C. Dithers. The truth in a nutshell
To:MKTBUZZ who started this subject
From: J. C. Dithers Sunday, Aug 22, 2004 10:07 AM
View Replies (2) | Respond to of 607799
What the voters now know about John Kerry.
When the campaign started the nation regarded John Kerry as a Vietnam war hero. Here is what the people have learned now that they didn't know before:
(1) John Kerry's three purple hearts were for very minor "wounds" not requiring a day of hospitalization. The injuries were so superficial that the average person would treat them from their medicine cabinet (bacitracin and band-aids) and not even go to an ER. This creates a subliminal perception that Kerry was a cry-baby or medal-grubber .
(2) John Kerry, whole and healthy, petitioned out of a one-year tour in Vietnam eight months early, citing an obscure "three P/H" policy (clearly intended for serious wounds). In doing so, he left behind his "band of brothers" to finish their tours on their own. No matter how you spin it, this diminishes Kerry as a "hero."
(3) John Kerry told a story about being in Cambodia at Christmas ("seared in my memory") that was patently false. It was not faulty memory, because he began telling it as soon as he came home, including on the floor of the Senate. This raises serious doubts about John Kerry's veracity
(4) When John Kerry came home he became an anti-war activist. American citizens of today might have vaguely known that, but most didn't know (or recall) the details. It has now become "seared" in the public mind that he accused his former comrades of atrocities on a massive scale and branded his government as war criminals. A picture of Kerry with Jane Fonda lingers in the mind as an image of a man who gave aid and comfort to the enemy while soldiers fought on in Vietnam or languished in POW camps. This calls into question John Kerry's patriotism
Regardless of how many swift-boat vets come forward to defend Kerry's conduct in battle, IT WON'T CHANGE THESE PERCEPTIONS. At best, Kerry will be seen as a brave but very flawed personna. At best, Kerry will regain a small amount of the reputation he started with and has lost since the DNC.
Kerry made a huge mistake by focusing attention of what he did 35 years ago when he was 25 years old. What he has lost is far greater than anything he has gained. |
