Oh dear Gawd, someone must have a picture of this somewhere

[TayTay]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2001118

On a horse. Oh. My. Gawd.

[whometense]

1. My right arm for a picture.

That brought this to mind. :evilgrin:

[karynnj]

2. Why would Kerry be in NM?

I can't imagine why Imus would just make this up - weird as he is, but I wonder what else Kerry is doing in NM.

Also, does anyone else feel like a hypocrite on these threads noting how competent Kerry is as an athlete, pilot, etc? As someone who needed to ace the written test to pass college tennis, I have never placed any value on whether a candidate was a good athlete.

I voted for Carter - never once thinking that Ford was a big 10 football player, but rather remembering when Ford (before he was VP) spoke at IU - he was dreadful. To make things worse, when asked about withdrawal from VN - he went on a tirade that he would expect more from students at a big 10 school.

I do think he and Teresa would have been very good examples to the country in terms of eating right and exercising. It is impressive that at 61 he still has the energy to go on these long bike rides.

[whometense]

3. I'm in the same league

as you as far as athletics go. I used to dance, but could never do sports to save my life (except I can ride a bike!!)

I know what you mean about hypocrisy. To me this stuff is just catnip, nothing more. I certainly don't think athleticism is any kind of requisite for elected office. I think one of the reasons we like to talk about it here is due to the aggressive way in which *'s "Manly Athletic Prowess" has been shoved in our faces year after year, evidence to the contrary notwithstanding...

Edited to add: I have no idea what he's doing in NM, but Kerry sure does get around, doesn't he? I heard somewhere that he and Teresa were going to be spending some time in Idaho - maybe this stop was part of his western swing.

[karynnj]

7. I agree it is catnip and it is part of who he is

The athletic things seem to balance the intellectual side. The windsurfing article was great in talking about what he gets out of it.

The Bush manly prowess stuff was obnoxious, offensive and stupid - I can't believe that the " mission accomplished" macho undertones continued as a theme through the election. That Kerry was more athletic was obvious and not something he was running on, that people chose to believe otherwise - and gave some strange weight to clearing brush, probably just reflected that many people believed in Bush because they felt they needed to.

(I do remember the press covering as equivilent Bush's landing on his face while biking with Kerry scatching his leg (I think) when his bike skidded on sand and his tire was damaged. They even reported Bush got back on the bike and Kerry didn't!)

[ginnyinWI]

8. I think it's important, not because it's athletic, but

because it shows how much of a regular guy he still is. Goes on bike rides for charity, hauls a motorcycle around with a pickup truck--that is regular stuff that any middle class guy might do. Riding a horse is Western regular guy stuff, isn't it? (asks this Mid-westerner) He is not only to be found in exclusive country clubs on the golf course! (does he golf? I can't think of any pics of that)
A second factor is to show that whatever he does, he does very well--not half-assed. That shows what sort of personality he is--ambitious to succeed, perservering, intelligent.

[karynnj]

10. Very good points

We did though see Bush play golf - or at least ask reporters to watch him hit the ball.

[TayTay]

4. Yeah, but it's a reaction to the idea that * is Mr. Macho

Remember the famous 'Mission Accomplished' speech back in May 2003. Well, Mr. MAcho stuffed his flight suit in order to enhance his, ah, manly qualities. So they started this.

It is a well-known fact that Dems never have to stoop to artifical means to enhance Nature's gifts. Again, they started it. We are just setting the record straight. It's, ahm, a scientific thing. (Okay, even I have trouble with that one. We just like pointing out who is genuine and who is a faking, lying, phoney. And the enhancement debate is decadent fun.)

[Island Blue]

5. I don't have a picture of this particular horseback riding adventure

but if anyone who has George Butler's book turns to page 109 (hardback edition) you can see a photo of our man riding a horse I guess in the '80's (it doesn't say, but since it's grouped with other photos from the '80's that would be my guess). What CAN'T this man do?

[karynnj]

6. Well, Bush beats him easily on:

- making very demented faces when trying to look serious
- Sounding like a lunatic
- lying (In fact, one of Kerry's endoursements from Congressman McCloskey, an anti-war Republican who ran in the primaries against Nixon in 1972, included an odd compliment that Kerry was incapable of dissembling. Bush who, can't use the word in a sentence correctly, does it very very well.
- ignoring people who need help (would Bush risk his life to save someone or realize that NCLB is not the solution to people who lost their jobs due to outsourcing.)
- drinking (He may have stopped drinking years ago - but he likely beats him on lifetime total)

[ginnyinWI]

9. also * is much better at:

living in a fantasy world
arrogance and insensitivity
being aloof, elitist and bullying
acting
flip-flopping
and turning world opinion against the U.S.in just a few short years almost single-handedly--what a guy!
:sarcasm:

[Island Blue]

11. Just for clarification

I was referring to a photo of John Kerry riding a horse in George Butler's book "John Kerry A Portrait". By your replies Karyn & Ginny I thought maybe y'all thought I was talking about something (or someone) else. My bad for not being more clear. :)

[ginnyinWI]

12. I knew you meant that photo

I paged through that book once and saw it. :)

[Island Blue]

13. Okay good

I thought maybe it sounded like I was talking about Shrub* for some reason. I've never seen a photo of him near a horse. (Although he is an ass.)

[karynnj]

14. I thought it was perfectly clear - just had fun taking the

obviously rhetoric question as a (very easy if you allow bad things) challange of what Bush does beat Kerry at.

I looked at the refernced photo anyway.