Kerry's "Dukakis Moment"or How the Media Takes Talking Points from the RNC

[tritsofme]

I have a feeling that picture is going to be whored out anytime there is talk about Kerry throughout the whole Convention and right up to the election. They are going to try to make this his "Dukakis moment" in their continuing quest to crush Kerry. They won't be successful however, because this is not 1988, and we are not docile.

[RummyTheDummy]

1. Yeah I saw this as well

And it left me with the lingering question -- just what in the name of holy fuck were his campaign people thinking?

The future president of the United States looks like a god damned Oompa Loompa. Let's just hope there's no video.

[AwakeAtLast]

ROTFLMAO!!!! n/t

[fujiyama]

8. LOL

He's had some other goofy pics as well. Anyone see the Daily Show skit with him on the bike where he was talking to the kids?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. He Looks Like A Human Condom In One Of Those New Fangled Colors

Sheeshhhhhhhhhhh.

[jean]

2. ok, I give up. Just where were they sending John Kerry in this one???

[tritsofme]

4. He was visiting some NASA center in Florida nt

[DemBones DemBones]

3. WHat the heck is he doing/ where is he??? nt

[delhurgo]

5. Nah, I won't work.

The reason why the Dukakis in the tank thing worked was because Republicans were claiming that he was soft on defense, and his answer was a tank ride. It really was a ridiculous thing to do, and deserved the derision that it received. But that just shows you how incompetent that campaign was.

This picture looks kinda funny, but it doesn't mean anything more than that. Kerry isn't 'soft on the space program' or whatever and trying to fool the public into thinking he isn't by some dumb photo op. That pic was about a one day semi-story; its pretty much over already.

[RoyGBiv]

6. Well said...

The pic does make him look silly, but not at all in the same way that Dukakis looked silly.

I was so pissed off when I saw that picture of him on the tank. I knew right then the campaign was lost because I and everyone else realized what a lame attempt it was to answer those questions about "defense."

Bad memories. That picture of Kerry does not in any way make me think the same things.

[George_Bonanza]

10. Right on

[ProfessorPlum]

19. Funny thing is

Dukakis actually served in the military. Democrats have such a hard time actually playing up their actual service in contrast to the GOP's lip service.

[no name no slogan]

24. Gotta agree with you there-- goofy pics, different contexts

I worked for Dukakis in 1988 from the primaries forward, and the "soft on defense" stick was what Dubya's Daddy used against him.

The irony, of course, was that Dukakis had served in the Army in Korea from 1954-58, a time right after the cease-fire when the situation could have erupted again at any time. Compare that to Reagan's "service" in WWII, or how Bush I was forced into the service because his papa got busted trading with the Nazis.

You can thank Roger Ailes and Lee Atwater for the tank photo-op. Atwater's dead, but Ailes is now the president of FOX News. Makes a lot of sense, huh?

[POed_Ex_Repub]

7. Bush in a flight suit after going AWOL.. Declaring "Mission Accomplished"

Nuff said

[countmyvote4real]

9. Agree. That's the real phoney baloney. n/t

[eurolefty]

11. I thought this was a presidential election - not a beauty pageant.

What the hell is wrong with American people? :grr:

[tritsofme]

12. The FUCKERS at the RNC have already started!!!

Earth To Kerry

2004



1988




http://www.rnc.org/RNCResearch/Read.aspx?ID=4458

The talking points have been sent out, and the media will bend over ask for more.

[JI7]

13. there are a lot of funny looking pictures of Kerry

but as someone else said the problem with dukakis in a tank pic was not the pic in itself but that it was an attempt to show he was tough. the things kerry do that come out looking funny are just things he always does .

[thebigidea]

14. He looks like a member of DEVO.

If the pundits wanna talk costumes, there's a goofy child president who seems to love 'em.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. When I First Saw It At Drudge's Site I Thought It Was Photoshopped

I hope we don't see any more pictures like this in the future....

[thebigidea]

16. Washington Journal just showed 3 newspapers with it on the front page

Argh!

Well, there's an easy response to that....

just two words, too: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

[mzmolly]

25. Isn't it amazing that THIS is what journalism has become? Why question

the war when we can find funny pictures of our candidates?!

:wtf:

[George_Bonanza]

18. Kerry's weak on space, lol

Hey, the modern day equivalent to Duk-in-a-tank was Bush-in-a-flight-suit. The irrelevancy of this issue, in stark contrast to an event where ideas and platforms are actually discussed (the DNC), it's hilarious how the best the RNC can come up with is this.

[RamboLiberal]

20. I hear the damn whores have already used this photoshopped one

Bastards! And I want to slap the Kerry campaign for getting Kerry in to this photo - they damn well should know how this would play!

[Lavender Brown]

21. Oh, man...that is unfortunate.

But also, kind of cute. :D

[zulchzulu]

22. Two can play this game

[progressivebydesign]

23. He's touring a "clean room" in a company..

.. you know a company, a place where Americans used to have JOBS. The media can't be bothered to report too much about the companies firing people in droves.. but they CAN use that photo to make Kerry look goofy.

The Kerry campaign is finally fighting fire with fire, though. WHen those assbites at the GOP sent that photo all around to the media yesterday as a "dukakis moment", they responded with the photo of Bush picking his nose, and the one with Bush and Cheney in kimonos, looking like tweedledee and tweedledum... however, I DOUBT any of THOSE photos will show up in the paper!!