Chad Hedrick, Olympic speedskater: "We're Bush people"

[theHandpuppet]

Oh yes, heard that one before I even finished my morning coffee. Chad Hedrick, gold medalist in speedskating, was being interviewed on the Today Show when he remarked his biggest thrill was meeting Pickles. (Cut to shot of Hedrick's dad looking on, complete with ten-gallon hat, then one of Pickles.) "We're Bush people," said Chad.

Well, Chad, after you're through competing in your events in Torino, a fit young man like you ought to head right on over to the recruiting office where you can prove just how much of a Bush family those Hedricks really are. And y'all make sure you come back from Iraq with all of your limbs in case we need you for the next Olympics. Yee-haw!

[distantearlywarning]

1. Yeah, I liked him until I heard that.

Now I just don't think I can root for him anymore.

[Thtwudbeme]

6. I didn't

His weirdo remarks, his over-emotional stuff that seems fake---the weird look in his eyes...

Plus, he seems to have no real love for the sport--just wants to win.

I never liked him.

[Blue_In_AK]

43. I agree with you...

I could tell he was a Bushie right after he won the race. He just has that "look."

[Roxy66]

57. Oh wow...I thought I was just being weird about him.....I thought the same

thing from the moment I saw him......fake wild smile or something. I could quite put my finger on it.

[Thtwudbeme]

2. Hey, I posted the first night he skated and said I thought he was weird-

somethings not right about that guy.

I don't like him.

[theHandpuppet]

9. Yes, I had the same feeling

Even before I had any idea of his politics. There was something "off" about him... as if he were mildly retarded or something. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there's definitely something "off" and it's not just his politics.

[Thtwudbeme]

12. I think he's a loony loose cannon

To put it bluntly.

I have never heard an athlete say...."well, I was sitting in a casino gambling, and started watching TV--lost a few hundred bucks--but, thought...hey, I could do that!"

I mean, shit. I have been drunk and thought I could be a great sweeper in curling, but I don't have the money or the time to just go out for a medal.

He shames people who have worked their whole life just to get to compete.

This guy is an asshole.

[wicket]

14. "I have been drunk and thought I could be a great sweeper in curling"

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Thtwudbeme]

16. OK, tell me you have NEVER gotten ripped

and thought you COULD be a great curler!!!

;)

[wicket]

18. of course- that's why I was laughing so much!!!!

;) :rofl:

[hwmnbn]

20. Yep, I know I coulda been a great curler....

but it's that sweeping crap that put me off. I won't push broom for anyone else. I know I would've had to do that to pay my dues and rise through the ranks.

Regardless:

"You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody!..."

[BrotherBuzz]

48. I once got ripped and found out I was a great Hurler

:puke:

[demgurl]

49. Hey! Lay off the curling jokes.

I actually have trophies in curling, thank you. :spank: ;)

[Missy M]

3. That is only one of the reasons I don't watch the Olympics...

or the Today Show.

[ShortnFiery]

4. I hope you fall on your ass, Chad ...

After all, you're talking out of it. :P

[long_green]

5. Well, at least I don't have to worry about rooting for him

nm

[stray cat]

7. Thats the problem - the Bush people

It is like following a cult leader and giving up critical thought or independent ideas

[Dr. Jones]

39. EXACTLY

BINGO...it IS a bona-fide cult, I am sure of it. These people will follow Bush to the hilt. Even if Bush told them to jump off a cliff they would, and gladly, for the opportunity to serve their Master. Oh sure they may say their master is Jesus, but it's not. It's Bush. I could go on, but you hit the nail on the head!

[Ladyhawk]

63. There's a weird look Bushies have. It's the same with fundies.

I can usually peg someone as a fundy after spending only a few minutes with them. It helps that I used to BE a fundy. They're fake. They take the bible verse "He must increase and I must decrease" literally, trying to erase their personalities until they become one with the cult.

This town is so full of these non-persons that I feel like the lone human at the end of the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers. God, it creeps me out. I feel like these "people" aren't even real and it scares me. There's a phony act like they really care about you. They smile too much. There's a crazed look in the eye. They don't have any likes or dislikes of their own (or at least very few). Their likes and dislikes are dictated by the church.

It's the same with Bushies. Often, fundies and Bushies are the same people. Once fundies gave up their reason, they were easy to deceive.

Again I'll say it: Lately I've felt like I'm in the middle of a horror movie. Fundies and Bushies creep me out. :( :( :( :(

[Solly Mack]

8. He needs to go out on the town in Torino and declare that

:)

[hatrack]

10. Thought this seemed appropriate, given the thread topic

About half the readers of this site are from outside the United States, which means that among those of you who chose to watch the Olympics’ opening ceremonies from Turin Friday, about half of you were lucky enough not to be subjected to NBC’s nauseating production. But I’m not so sure you should count your blessings. Watching an American production of a world sporting event these days may be embarrassing. It is simplistic. It is supremacist. It is promotional to the core. But it is also instructive. NBC covers the Olympics the way American neocons do foreign policy: The world is 95 percent America, 3 percent water, and 2 percent everything else. America’s projection onto the world is mostly as an emblem of force, preferably unrivaled. What world does exist outside its borders is reduced to elementary-school simplicities (“1.3 billion Chinese!” and how to say Turin in Italian). Above all, it’s reduced to the presumption that the rest of the world is either a by-stander, an enabler or a threat to American hegemony—what America’s Republicans, who have more in common with Charles DeGaulle than with Abraham Lincoln, would call American greatness (even as that greatness is right now pulling an Algerian rug from under its booted feet, with Iraqi weaving). That’s how NBC projects its Olympic coverage. All the world’s a spectator to American prowess and dominance. You get the sense that none but American athletes are in these competitions, just as the Bush White House gives the sense that all the world is collateral for American foreign policy. NBC has been trained for the task. The same people who brought us the Iraq war as show business and “The Rescue of Jessica Lynch” as truth, and who keep bringing us coverage of the White House as public relations, now bring us the Olympics as a two-week commercial for American power.

The introduction set the tone. The announcer, speaking in the cadences of a Vietnam War documentary, gave a Travel Channel-synopsis of Turin’s Alpine character, with cinematography spectacular enough to make you wonder why it was so maliciously abbreviated. He swept over Turin’s architecture and summed up its two thousand year history in twelve seconds or so (about the length of any world history lesson in White House briefings). He intoned about this or that athlete from another country, the one whose body was “stitched together after twelve surgeries” or the one who single-handedly convinced his no-snow African nation to endorse a winter Olympic federation so he could compete. He made you feel that, well, maybe there is a world out there after all. But then the music changed — from conventionally upbeat to Rambo-martial. Instinctively you knew what was up, for having been on the receiving end of similarly ominous soundtracks for the last four years every time a news show substituted nationalistic bombast for reporting: The subject switched exclusively to American athletes. It was no longer sport, but war. It was no longer competition, but defiance, whether it was about the athlete who “has converted his body into a bullet” or the one from New Hampshire who has taken his state motto and, somewhat inexplicably, turned it into his Olympic promise: “Live free or die.” If this weren’t enough, the announcer trumped up a little bit of divine right when he claimed that “the royalty of American figure skating” was making its return, lord knows from what genesis — Tonya Harding? Nancy Kerrigan? The eternally unfulfilled promise of Michelle Kwan? Naturally, Kwan was NBC’s very first Olympic interview, though not word one about the four Olympians who’d already been booted out for doping up, among them Zach Lund, the American sledder who made a gold medal seem like his entitlement.

EDIT

For here’s another one of those ironies of American technological supremacy and “freedom”: We were not allowed to watch the opening ceremonies live, the way most of the rest of the world did. We won’t be allowed to watch most of the fortnight’s marquee events live, either. NBC packages them for prime-time viewing, between 8 and 11 p.m., to suit advertisers and best reap its $613 million investment in broadcasting rights to these games alone. So it goes with freedom’s might. When dividends are at stake, freedom is reduced to a pretty slogan (which NBC made much use of in its descriptions of “ Torino” as the birth-place of Italy). We are now treated to news anchors who, like one local specimen for NBC’s WESH-2 in Orlando, said he “can’t wait to see what happens tonight” — a newsman saying this — even though the opening ceremony was several hours old and its glittery pictures and accounts were all over the Internet. If the Pentagon is always fighting the last war, the television networks are always broadcasting the previous decade’s Olympics. The distortions are nevertheless in perfect alignment with the American presumption that time zones don’t exist outside the United States, that time itself is an exclusively American luxury others abide by. To watch the Olympics on NBC, like watching the news on any American network, is like shopping in a mall or gambling in a casino: It’s a world onto its own where clocks don’t intrude and windows on the world are non-existent, for fear of distracting the consumer from his primordial duty: to buy what’s being dished out efficiently and uncomplainingly. And then to celebrate his luxurious imprisonment with canned patriotism, for let’s not forget the flag-raising ceremonies disproportionately detained by the Star Spangled Banner.

EDIT

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0212-20.htm

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. The worst example of "USA! USA!" type promotion was in Atlanta

(I think) during the medal ceremony for a women's track and field event. American women won the gold and bronze (I think one of them was Gail Deaver, but I don't remember who the other one was), but the great Jamaican athlete Marlene Ottey won the silver. During the medal ceremony, NBC focused the camera so that only the gold and bronze medalist were visible.

Hey, NBC! The American women are very good at track and field, but they do have other nationalities competing, and some of them even win medals, as silly as it may seem to you!

[hatrack]

23. As opposed to highly hyped Bode Miller, who placed a rousing 5th yesterday

Now that was amusing!

[tenshi816]

38. I'm so happy I get to watch it on the BBC.

It's a completely different experience watching the Olympics live and without advertisements.

[Blue_Tires]

40. great piece...

[Fridays Child]

11. Here's the contact page of his personal web site.

http://www.chadhedrick.com/main_content.html

I just invited him to sign up for that war being run by his pal.

[bumblebee1]

60. Sign up for the war?

You're kidding, right? There's no use for speed skates over in Iraq. Seeing his father over there wearing a 10 gallon hat. A great way to make a target of yourself.

[Dawgs]

13. I knew there was something about him I didn't like...

What kind of person would be proud to be "Bush people"?

[Democrat 4 Ever]

25. Let's keep him busy reading emails - the boy is clueless

Here is my letter to Bubble Boy, Jr.

I listened to your interview on NBC and was disgusted by your blasé, lame remarks. You have belittled everyone who has worked their entire lives to achieve their goals. You are sitting in Las Vegas and blithely "decide" that you can do that so off you go to play again. You are the poster boy for what is wrong with the Olympics. You have proven that any rich man's kid who has nothing better to do than sit around gambling and mouthing off can, too, win a gold medal. What a closed, secure little bubble you must live in.

Then you have the "gumption" to tell the world that your family is "Bush" people - yuck! Since you are so supportive of this asshole and his policies how about pulling off the skates and lacing up a pair of combat boots and getting your ass to Iraq? Army enlistment is way down and they need strong, healthy "men" who can really contribute to the "cause." I know it is really cute for the Bush supporters to say they support this guy while declaring they have more "important" things to do besides help out their country, but why don't you be the exception? How about realigning your "priorities" and putting you ass and mouth where they should be - in Iraq?

I'm American through and through but I will never cheer for you again no matter who you skate for, you are an embarrassment to the American team and the country. The Olympics is suppose to be apolitical but you are so enamored by this horrible president and his gang of thieves you have to push your political views on millions of people. I'm betting you won't go out into Italy anywhere and repeat that nonsense because the entire world knows something you don't - Bush is corrupt, he is a liar and he is ruining a beautiful country.

I hope that you decide to do something productive with your life. Do a couple of tours in Iraq and give back to a country that apparently given you so much. Until then you are just another airhead jock who doesn't think about anyone or anything but himself.

[Cha]

59. An idiot who knows no

shame.

[Missy M]

15. Shouldn't we all be hollering about POLITICIZING the....

Olympics. That this is not a venue to be involving politics.

[WinkyDink]

32. No. I remember Mexico City, 1968. There is no bigger world stage

on which to protest U.S. policies without being arrested as a terrorist.

Unfortunately, it works for Republican morans, too.

[enid602]

17. Mary Tyler Moore

Not to change the subject, but there was a short celebrity interview with Mary Tyler Moore in this week's NEWSWEEK, and she mentioned that she spends her nights on a farm in Upstate New York watching a couple of lame sitcoms and Fox News. I guess some celebrities just have to make their affiliation known. But MTM? I can't believe she got sucked in by those morons.

[hwmnbn]

26. Tell me it ain't so!......

Not Mary! I'm crushed!! :cry:

If it's true, then screw her. She was very cool at one time when dinosaurs ruled the earth. What happened!?!

[cybildisobedience]

35. wonder how she feels about having diabetes research funds cut

In fact, I thought of her when I heard that Bush was cutting funding on diabetes research, since she's always on those PSAs pleading for funds.

[bunkerbuster1]

41. Hang on a moment--maybe she watches Fux News

for the same reason she watches the lame sitcoms.

This IS MTM we're talking about here, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt until convinced otherwise.

[enid602]

47. MTM

Me too, but who in there right mind would say something like that with a straight face unless they were serious? Someone, pls tell us it's not so!!!!!

[madaboutharry]

50. After the whole stem cell research bruhaha

she was all over the place saying extremely uncharitable things about this administration. Maybe you're not reading this in context.

[redqueen]

67. Perhaps the lame sitcoms and Faux News serve the same purpose:

amusement.

I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. :)

[YOY]

19. And other Olympians who may have opposing viewpoints will not be

asked for their opinion...

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. At the Olympics! Surely he'll be chastised for "inappropriateness"!

:sarcasm:

[Chiyo-chichi]

24. If he would skate with his mouth closed

he could probably shave a few tenths off his time.

In fact, he should keep it closed when he's not skating, too.

[theHandpuppet]

28. I wondered about that

I don't know much about speedskating, but when I saw his lower jaw flapping in the breeze throughout the race I thought he must surely be out of gas. Now I know -- he's just a mouth breather!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

27. I saw him on Leno or Letterman

Probably Leno, as NBC is the network with the exclusive rights to all things Olympics (trademark). Hedrick was weird, so weird that I turned the show off.

[theHandpuppet]

29. About this weirdness...

So there are several of us here that noticed that, too. What do you think it is? What is "off" about this guy?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

55. I can't place it.

He started in on this long, pointless story. No one was laughing; it wasn't interesting at all. Leno was looking as if he wanted to move along and get it over with. It was as if, as someone else has already said here, that wasn't much going on upstairs. He didn't seem like anyone you'd want to have to sit next to on a long airplane flight.

[WinkyDink]

30. Wow. Well, so much for my rooting for HIM, the little chicken-hawk

like his hero.
No joke.

ETA: What is "off" is his excessively toothy mouth.

[ISUGRADIA]

31. Not surprising,he looked very odd with his mouth moving

slightly during the national anthem at the medals ceremony. Did not seem the brightest.

Now the tomato, the snow boarding kid; I like him. A long hair too.

[MoJoWorkin]

33. I knew this about him the minute I first heard him talking----

nothing but junk in his attic. I knew it would only be a matter of time until he was spouting his "love" for W.
It is scary when you can just tell about a person that doesn't have reasoning capabilities, that he will be a "Bush person."

[Fridays Child]

34. C'mon. Send him a note. Tell him how you feel.

I wrote that I expected him to enlist, just as soon as he returns from Italy.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=401291&mesg_id=401347

[Ganja Ninja]

36. "Bush People" of draft age belong in Iraq not the olympics.

Another self absorbed chickenhawk with "other priorities". Fucking skater!

[Dr. Jones]

37. Yeah!

If he keeps saying that, he's gonna get some rotten tomatoes chucked at him. The U.S. is not too well thought of in Europe right now.

[leftofthedial]

42. nazi asshole

he needs to enlist right away or STFU.

[WI_DEM]

44. What the fuck is he doing trying to politicize the Olympics!!??

Keep your political opinions to yourself, Chad. And yes, I agree if he's such a big supporter of Bush's why isn't he enlisting and serving in Iraq?

[MsUSA]

45. I saw the gold medal in a tally, and wondered who it was.

Now I know, and no thanks, don't want to know. That is just sick and wrong, so happy he met the pickles. :eyes:

[ck4829]

46. I thought that Chad represented America, not Bush

:scared:

[Initech]

51. Shouldnt the olympics team be representing America? Not Bush?

:puke:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

52. If he'd said the opposite - that he was NOT "Bush People"

and that instead of it being a thrill to meet the Bushes that it had been a moment of supreme disgust because of Bush's foreign and domestic policies, there would now be a clamor across FreepazoidLand to remove his gold medal. But probably NBC would not have run that part of the interview, anyway. Only positive political comments on Bush from athletes are acceptable.

[theHandpuppet]

54. Probably also one reason the games are not televised live

Besides the fact that the corporate sponsors want the games in prime time to make maximum commercial bucks, I'll bet they have also considered that by delaying the airing they could cut out anything that might be embarrassing to the regime, like a protest or anti-Bush comment by one of the athletes.

[Javaman]

53. yeah, that should win him a lot of fans over there in Europe....

He should just paint a bullseye on his back and get it over with.

what a tool.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

56. Oh no. Rich people don't have to go to Iraq.

[BlueStateGirl]

58. I sent him a note encouraging him to enlist when he gets back.

I thanked him for representing his country so well in Turino, and that I hoped when he returned hom he would represent his country in Mosul.

www.chadhedrick.com

[raccoon]

66. I sent one too. nt

[FrenchieCat]

61. you're right.....If he's a "Bush Person"....he need to go and fight

Bush's fucked up War! :patriot:

[upi402]

62. BushPeople enlist or STFU and take a seat

You traitorous fucks!
You're ruining America and all she stands for!
So go "help",Iraq -we can't take anymore 'help' and I'm sure at least half the soldiers feel the same over there (if they could have the facts and speak their minds).

[tstrout]

64. Jeez, I thought liberals were supposed to be tolerant.

You folks would really root against a US athlete in the Olympics just because he's conservative?

[raccoon]

65. Email this young patriot at this url,

http://www.chadhedrick.com/main_content.html

I'm going to suggest that he enlist.

updated to include link.