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Dr. Vanessa Bradford Kerry at the U.S. Consulate in Montreal

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ObamaKerryDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Nov-24-11 04:14 PM
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Dr. Vanessa Bradford Kerry at the U.S. Consulate in Montreal
Happened to run across this on Twitter. I didn't know she was teaching-how cool (just click for bigger, better quality pics)! :)


http://www.flickr.com/photos/us_mission_canada/sets/72157628037331549/with/6348035391/
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karynnj Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Nov-24-11 04:24 PM
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1. She is incredible
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ObamaKerryDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Nov-24-11 04:35 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. She is--and she really seems to be following in her father's foot steps..
Edited on Thu Nov-24-11 04:36 PM by ObamaKerryDem
..if not in terms of her exact career path, certainly in her tenacity. And she looks SO much like him.. :loveya: :)

Not to sound speculative or anything, lol, but I can't help but wonder if she is the mama-to-be (hard to tell from these pics, though of course it is early..). :) But best wishes to her and the entire family in any case. Such wonderful news, and at the holidays too! JK has so much to be proud of--and he deserves it!

Both daughters have certainly accomplished more than the Bush twins seem to have! (Might seem like a pot shot, lol, but I couldn't help it! ;))


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Mass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-25-11 08:17 AM
Response to Reply #2
3. Unfair to the Bush twins.
Edited on Fri Nov-25-11 08:36 AM by Mass
Interestingly, though not a doctor, Barbara is the president of a similar Global_Health_Corps
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Health_Corps .

As for Jenna, aside her gig at NBC, she is involved in efforts against dyslexia, a very valuable goal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenna_Hager

I always felt sorry about them. I think that, considering the climate they were raised in, they turned out to be worthy young women. It cannot be easy to grow up under media' eyes. Wait until Malia or Sasha do their first stupid things as teens. Same goes for Chelsea Clinton (though I was disappointed to hear she followed the tracks of Jenna Bush and Ayla Brown and is now working for NBC. What is there with media to think that we need to hear about daughters of political men (Sigh. At least Ayla Brown has a communication degree, but it seems the two other ones are only there for their names).

Note: I am unclear what Alex accomplished. It may be because she is more private than her sister, but I honestly have no idea (not that it matters).
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ObamaKerryDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-25-11 11:07 AM
Response to Reply #3
4. Okay, I fully admit that was a pot shot on my part..
Edited on Fri Nov-25-11 11:20 AM by ObamaKerryDem
..and probably not one of my wittier attempts at sardonic humor, lol. Mea culpa. :) I do however fully stand behind what I said about the Kerry daughters (in terms of them, themselves, being accomplished, I mean), both of them. Alexandra holds an MFA (which, coming from a Creative Writing background myself originally, I admire and relate to on a personal level:)), has directed and produced several films, and wrote a pretty awesome book about her father's campaign, "Notes from the Trail", though you've probably already seen it. If not, I recommend it! And her website, which I actually just found while Wikipedia-ing her for purposes of this post, lol, is pretty cool as well. She is an amazing photographer!:

http://www.alexkerryfilms.com/work.html

Alexandra's wikipedia page (or the page on her): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Kerry

I don't think you have to be a doctor to have accomplished something in life either (Though it is certainly a noble goal/achievement!) Honestly, that isn't what I was trying to convey with that post. I was more letting off steam left over from the 04 cycle, I guess, and how the right wing and (more irritatingly, as we expect that from the right) much of the media seemed to overlook many of the twins' 'antics' but when things went awry for the Kerry girls (like the incident at the film festival with Alex's dress, for one), it was all over the place, just for one example. Not that the Bush girls weren't in the glare of the spotlight, as all First Daughters/Children are and will be. I have no doubt that they will do that to Mahlia, for instance, as she approaches fully her teen years. It just seems to me like the Kerry girls, like their father, weren't given as much attention or as much credit somehow, still to this day, though I guess you'd expect for former First Children to get more attention.

These are achievements, seriously, on the Bush girls' parts, though one could argue they had connections that even the Kerry daughters may not have...but that would be speculative and way beyond the original purposes of this post/thread. :) But honestly, long story short, that was a snide little remark from me in a thread otherwise meant for Vanessa. I agree with you generally about the media and the children (particularly the daughters) of political men/political people in general. I honestly have nothing personal against the Bush girls or children of other politicians I dislike (with the notable exception of the likes of Liz Cheney..but I Feel she earned that dislike in the way she chose to both insert and represent herself in the political arena..not that she inserted herself, she had a right to along with anyone else, but I mean the tactics she took/takes) even though their father remains the worst President ever. But they can't help that I guess lol ;)

I am also continually amazed by the fair-mindedness of progressives like yourself when it comes to things like this, even though the RW often takes cheap shots at the relatives of political people we support/admire. I honestly admire that. :hi:
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karynnj Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-25-11 11:15 AM
Response to Reply #3
5. I agree with you
One of my daughters has a close friend who lives in Baltimore, not that far from Jenna. What her friend says is that Jenna keeps a low profile and is liked and respected. There are similar accounts for the other women mentioned.

All of these political daughters grew up with incredible advantages and with varying amounts of likely unwanted fame in their adolescence. Alex has produced some films with moderate success and her book that spoke of political campaigns was very well written and insightful. All of them have done good jobs of creating lives for themselves independent of their fathers.

Vanessa is clearly brilliant and has likely used all the openings her academic success has brought her. I would imagine being Senator Kerry's daughter helped give her an edge even at the high level -which she has used well. But, it is silly to create a competition for having the most successful off spring. It does not make Bush's actions as President less bad that he has has two daughters who seem successful and well adjusted in their 20s. On a personal level, it is impressive that Kerry and his first wife worked together and, in spite of all the difficulties, there it seems Kerry has very strong relationships with his daughter. This, however, has little to do with him as a statesman or leader.

This goes for the negative side too. Al Gore's son has had problems with speeding and drugs. That does not mean that Gore was less a statesman or even less a father. At some point, parents really are not able to control their kids. In 2004, when Dean's son was arrested for being part of a group that stole liquor from a country club, it did not have any impact on my decision between Dean and Kerry - and it shouldn't have had any. In neither of these problems or the Bush girls' problems when in their late teens could a serious case be made that the problem was because their parents did not bring them up right.
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ObamaKerryDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-25-11 11:24 AM
Response to Reply #5
6. Oh I agree with you..
On them having done good jobs of creating lives for themselves...on everything you said, really. I guess my bitterness about that campaign came through with that quip in my original reply, lol But on a serious note, I agree with pretty much everything you've said here. I want to see Alex's films! I think it is awesome how both Kerry daughters have seemed to immerse themselves in very different fields, but seemingly with equal tenacity towards what they've chosen to do. He must be so proud! :) And I do not envy the children of any political figure in this media age especially!

I do think the media has created that 'competition' atmosphere you (rightly) cited in your post, though..
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ObamaKerryDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-25-11 02:53 PM
Response to Reply #5
7. Speaking of Alexandra..
Edited on Fri Nov-25-11 02:55 PM by ObamaKerryDem
..I know most everyone here likely remembers this already ( I remember well seeing it on TV back then and of course the hamster part!:)), but fwiw, I ran across the text of Alex's speech to the DNC in 2004, introducing her father, and read it after finding and reading that wiki article in my earlier reply. So touching..and inspiring! :yourock: :

http://nytimes.com/2004/07/29/politics/campaign/29TEXT-ALEXANDRA.html
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