John Kerry: "I have a plan"

[PretzelWarrior]

And what's more...I vow to never equivocate on an issue again. Unless it bears some form of afterthought. In which case I may indeed find myself in a position of equivocating. As it were.

P.S. threw you for a little loop now didn't I? Post edited for the sticks in the mud who reside at DU.

[Hippo_Tron]

1. I'm not laughing

[Erika]

2. Nor am I n/t

[PretzelWarrior]

7. congrats on your successful "senseofhumorectomy"

hopefully there will be no side effects.

If we can't laugh at ourselves and build on it...the terrorists have won.

In this sentence, Terrorists = GOP fearmongers.

Seriously. If you get people to laugh and see how nonsensical most of the theatrics really are there in Washington and out around the country...all the false indignation, etc...then you take away their power to control you.

Kerry has many laughable qualities. We should just move along. And we already know the throwaway joke every GOP or conservative worth his salt is going to breing up re: Kennedy and Mary Jo...so just roll with it.

[Erika]

9. Don't laugh at Kerry. That simple

He served honorably. Don't laugh at him. Got it?

[PretzelWarrior]

10. so did Eisenhower. but people made fun of him.

Gosh.........I would have figured the whole Kennedy taking him for a drive thing would get more people's dander up than the first portion.

[Erika]

13. Leave vets alone. Got it? n/t

[Donald Ian Rankin]

60. I strongly disagree

Having been a soldier does not automatically entitle someone to respect, and it certainly doesn't entitle them not to be made fun of.

I don't think the OP was either clever or funny, but there has been plenty of humour mocking Kerry that was - caricaturing him as Lurch was spot on - same as for any other candidate, and the fact that he was a decorated soldier doesn't have anything to do with it.

The disproportionate respect many Americans pay to and demand American soldiers, compared with both other Americans and non-American soldiers, is something I think is unhealthy.

[meganmonkey]

64. Okay, instead of laughing at Kerry can I

laugh at you :rofl:

Whooops, I already am :rofl:

[Psephos]

3. LOL - I am. :-)

Humor is the best medicine.

Meanwhile, I'm glad we got the Murtha thing right. Now let's get serious about those first 100 hours in January.

Peace.

[Erika]

4. That wasn't funny

Kerry has been seriously maligned. We don't need to add to it.

[MnFats]

5. hmmm...i enjoy biting, smart barbs against any and all but..

...this commits the unforgiveable sin of NOT being funny.

[PretzelWarrior]

8. yours may be the harshest of critiques

for the fact that it may actually be true. Oh well. I bet even George Carlin had some "hello, is this mike on?" moments in his standup career.

[Erika]

11. George Carlin never laughed at Vietnam vets

Get it?

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Erika]

18. If you want to laugh at Kerry, go to the GOP boards

Not here.

[snowbear]

6. Waaahhhh... I don't get the joke!

I can't laugh... because I don't understand the joke...

Dummy me.. :dunce:

[MADem]

12. Well, that is profoundly ....... STUPID. Kerry is a SENATOR, Murtha is a Representative.

Kerry would not vote for Murtha. Or against him, for that matter.

They are in different chambers of Congress.

Is it too late to just delete this absurdity? With luck it will sink like a stone.

It's not funny, it's just........... dumb.

[PretzelWarrior]

14. clearly you are a "subject only" reader

I made it clear in the inside.......ah never mind.

[Erika]

16. Don't laugh at vets. It's not funny. Get it?

[MADem]

17. The message part was even worse. You should delete the thing if you can.

I happen to like my two Senators. I think they're among the best in the Senate.

It's just not funny. At all.

[JI7]

19. this kind of reminds me of those NeilLisst cartoons

[Trajan]

20. Well ... if this were a poll ....

Its pretty unanimous .... NOT funny across the board ....

[PretzelWarrior]

22. too soon?

lol. buncha stick in the muds, I tell ya.

[Trajan]

21. Is this 'Kerry Hatred' week ? ....

I mean cmon .. you just changed the message of your thread to something even meaner ....

WTF is wrong with you ? ...

[PretzelWarrior]

23. I don't hate him

he just says a lot of things that are unintentionally funny. and now that Dems have won both houses.......I'm enjoying some delayed impact reaction or something.

I mean, can you imagine how he would be pilloried the past week if Dems HADN'T won? ooooh boy.

I'll have you know Kerry got my contributions and vote in both the primaries and general election in 2004.

[Erika]

24. You set up Kerry as a butt of your jokes

You laughed at him. We don't laugh at vets. Got it?

[JI7]

25. why did you edit your post

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Erika]

28. I've never seen anyone here laugh at vets. Get lost. n/t

[JI7]

29. you can make fun of them but depends on what

if you make fun of Kerry by attacking his service as right wingers do then it's not ok. not just on his service but things which are right wing talking points.

[PretzelWarrior]

31. nice save at the end there, dude.

because you realized....oh...he never cast aspersions on Kerry's military record...just his way of talking in circles.

So you included in your wide net 'any things which are right wing talking points'.

You guys may find yourselves more at home in Freep land. John Kerry is not Jesus Christ. ALthough I have a feeling you'd have less of a cow over me funning on the messiah than you would my jokes re: Kerry.

[Erika]

33. Democrats don't laugh at vets. Dem or GOP

Got it?

[JI7]

35. because you asked me about veterans

and whether it's ok to make fun of them based on Erika's posts.

and yeah, i don't like it when right wing talking points are used to make fun of Dems.

and yeah, it's true i would have less of a problem with jokes about "the messiah" than Kerry. but tha'ts probably because i don't believe in it in the first place.

[Kiouni]

27. whats the difference between liberals and cannibals?

cannibals don't eat their own.

Another Du'er told me this joke last night and in following this thread I think its appropriate.

[Erika]

30. DU'rs don't laugh at vets

Period.

[PretzelWarrior]

32. are you a bot?

every post in this thread will be followed by an Erika post stating something along the lines of "DU'rs don't laugh at vets."

Here's a logical conundrum. I am a DU'r by definition. I am laughing at a guy who happens to be a vet. So either you're a liar or in denial. which is it?

[Erika]

34. Your logic fails you

A Du'er would not make a vet the butt of his jokes. Dem or GOP. Your basic fallacy #1.

[PretzelWarrior]

36. Hint: by definition I am a DU'er

I have posted here since early 2002. I have contributed in years past. I have a login with thousands of posts to my credit. Not much of an argument against the fact that I'm a DU'er.

I make many types of posts. Whatever enters my mind at the moment. I decided to post something about Kerry's tendency to sound inelegent and sometimes like he's unwilling to take a stand on an issue. You call that making veteran a butt of a joke. I'll play along.

THat leaves you with someone (me) who by definition is a Du'er who is making fun of a guy who is a veteran. (Not because he's a veteran...merely a piece of his history). Your claim is false.

What is more disturbing is how you shout slogans at me...someone you've apparently branded a heretic. And I'm wondering how you differ that much from religiously dogmatic and judgemental whack jobs aligned with the conservative movement.

[Erika]

37. We don't put down vets. Deal with your own histrionics, please

n/t

[Kiouni]

38. sound logic to me,

just because you served your country does not give you a free pass on life. I thank and respect veterans for their service but I don't place military service on a pedistal there are civilian jobs that i consider far more imporatant then what the millitary does.

[Erika]

40. Please, we have a spell checker... Thanks n/t.

[PretzelWarrior]

41. Don't make fun of Kiouni. he's a veteran.

[Kiouni]

45. You know

I was going to respond to this but I thought hey, this person just doesn't get it. If this is all you have to say about my argument then obviously pretzelman and I won the debate. I would celebrate but as this is soon to be deleted and you not getting it, I won't. By the way i just thought the original post was lame, but people have taken it too far. And its more about his "flip-flopping" then on his anti-military blundering.

[LittleClarkie]

57. Oh, he flip flops. There's a novel insight. Hadn't heard that one before.

I agree that it's mostly lame. I don't think saying "don't make fun of a vet" applies here unless the OP was making fun of his having been in Vietnam, or indeed kicking a dead horse, and bringing up the goofed joke, again.

I'm still trying to figure out why now, though.

It would be like pulling out the old chestnut that Howard Dean is a waffler. What IS the point, unless this is just how inane this place gets around primary time.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

55. Oh, I don't know about that...

Bob (the Boner) Dole and idiot wife Liddy crack me up with their holier than thou bullshit. Dole on Kerry and himself: "Not all war injuries are the same" (hint hint that Kerry's weren't serious enough).
And old Duke Cunningham made himself into the joke of the century, even though he was a hero in Viet Nam.

Lighten up a little...Kerry has done some silly stuff that he himself admits to.

[LittleClarkie]

56. It's just that the OP is so random

Why bring it up now, as if it's a brand new insight. If nothing else it's been beaten to death. What is the motivation to just out of the blue make fun of someone when there isn't even a most recent incident to hang it on?

[Infinite Hope]

39. Don't laugh at Kerry because he served admirably???

Wow. That sounds so Republican-esque. His service is not relevant to his laughable qualities. Further, nothing makes a public official exempt from criticism or mere humor. No one for any reason gets a free pass. That's what Republicans sought for Bush. "He's a patriot and is rescuing us after 9-11. You can't criticize him or laugh at how out of touch he is." Bullshit. No one is immune from criticism and certainly not immune from a mere joke. For those who can't handle a joke, I give you the same gesture I gave the Bushy-Republicans since 9-11 when claiming immunity from anything that wasn't praise.

[Erika]

42. You may feel like laughing at vets is fine and ok

Coultergeist got a big kick out of her statement that Cleland was so inept in handling a grenade that he became a triple amputee. It's all in your sense of humor.

[PretzelWarrior]

43. that's completely different and you know it.

for someone to mock a death row inmate as Bush did. or mock someone with Parkinsons as Rush did. or mock a disabled veteran about how he lost limbs is in a different camp altogether from making fun of Kerry's phraseology and stage presence.

[LittleClarkie]

53. Any particular reason you felt the need to do that NOW?

Really, my dear, it's soooo 2004. Just doesn't seem to be a point, unless the one on the top of your head counts.

(I keed, I keed!!)

[knowledgeispwr]

47. False comparison

You are comparing apples to oranges, in effect, making gross generalizations to make a point. This thread is just mocking how Kerry speaks. Like someone else said, saying we can't laugh at Kerry is doing exactly what Bush followers did saying we can't laugh, make fun of, or criticize Bush at all. If we can't laugh at ourselves, we're in trouble.

[Infinite Hope]

49. No one laughed at his service here. n/t

[wisteria]

62. Punk! When have you every risked your life for your country?

When have you ever saved another human being?
When have you ever fought against what is wrong and stuck your neck out anyway knowing you would be smeared and ridiculed for it?
Have your ever even been a decent human being?

[WildEyedLiberal]

44. Fuck this cheap Free Republic attempt at "humor"

No one's laughing at this stupidass "joke."

[ProSense]

46. Didn't see the unedited OP, but here is what Vets know about Kerry

Letter: Kerry is friend to veterans

Saturday, November 11, 2006

As a Vietnam veteran, I have seen firsthand John Kerry's unrelenting support of and genuine fondness for veterans.

It was Kerry who forced the VA for the first time to recognize the medical consequences of Agent Orange and PTSD. It was Kerry who guided the Congressional charter of the Vietnam Veterans of America through a reluctant Congress. It was Kerry through his GI Bill of Rights who forced increases in death benefits for families of troops killed in action, and forced an increase in base housing continuation for widows of troops killed in action (from an unimaginable 90 days to one year). It was John Kerry who, early on, pushed for body armor for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He may not be able to tell a joke, but John Kerry is the best friend veterans have ever had.

[knowledgeispwr]

48. Get a grip.

Now granted, I haven't seen the original version of the OP, but people need to get a grip and sense of humor. Bemoaning a joke about John Kerry is dumb.

[blm]

50. Actually - GOP counts that people won't recognize nuance and CALL it equivocating

even though nuance is a valuable talent for any REAL LEADER in a complex world. So they have to turn it into something else to distract those they consider DUMB enough to influence with their lies.

So - what influences you?

[TayTay]

51. So, where is the funny part?

The people who don't get the joke will be blamed even though it was a poorly written and not funny comment. However, the original writer believes that if you didn't laugh, then you are a 'stick-in-the-mud.' After all, not laughing at something poorly written, mean-spirited and dumb must be the fault of the reader, not the writer. That is the only politically correct response, right?

Maybe it's just a lack of clarity and talent on the part of the OP. Maybe, if the post as written had been genuinely satirical, people might have laughed and the preemptive slur on the reader as having no sense of humor wouldn't have to be made. (So insecure. Must lash out first. Cuz what if they don't like it, with cause. Then it would be the writer's fault. How sad.)

[LittleClarkie]

52. The least you can do, darling, is be amusing

This is just tedious. Furthermore, it's an old joke. It's dead, Jim. It's pushing up the daisies. It farts dust. Oooold.

[FrenchieCat]

54. Ok...time to hide a thread!

and take my own advice!

[Mass]

58. I am probably dumb, but I dont get it.

Does it mean something, because if yes, Kerry in his worst moments is still clearer and more funny than you are.

(What provoked this thread? Purely random need to take a jab at Kerry or something specific?).

[Mass]

59. Ok, I get it now. You do not like how Kerry speaks.

It's your right.

Do I need to agree with your caracterization or am I entitled to think you are wrong and have never seen Kerry live?

(Thank you to all the posters who made clear what this post meant, because, once again, the OP is neither funny nor clear).

[wisteria]

61. Senator Kerry does indeed have and has had a plan for Iraq.

Where have you been? Hiding behind a rock? Kerry/Feingold. It is the most comprehensive , detailed and well thought out plan and many of his points and suggestions are being discussed and considered now.

Was this post suppose to be funny? Well it wasn't and it was actually hurtful to all those wonderful people who really understand and support a true maverick senator.

If all you can find to ridicule him on is the suggestion that you have a difficult time understanding him- well I think that says more ABOUT you than it does about Senator Kerry. What kind of a jerk, takes swipes at a man who has had our backs since the elections and has not stopped fighting for what is right and just? What kind of a person, really piles it on and does the Republicans proud?
NOW LISTEN TO THIS, ANY DEM COULD HAVE BEEN AND STILL MIGHT BE THE VICTIM OF A LIE AND A DISTORTION,AIMED AT TAKING THEM DOWN. GETTING THEM WHERE IT HURTS THE MOST AND RUINING A RELATIONSHIP THEY HAVE WORKED HARD TO DEVELOP OVER TIME.
IF YOU THINK THESE TYPES OF SMEARS ARE FAIR AND FUNNY, THEN I QUESTION YOUR HUMANITY AND YOUR ABILITY TO DETERMINE WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG.

[PretzelWarrior]

63. whoops. didn't mean to start this kind of thread

good responses from some. and was able to draw out how passionate Erika is.

[seabeyond]

65. yes kerry has a plan and baker is now implementing kerrys plan

[The Magistrate]

66. Locking

Flame-Bait.