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April 02, 2004

Deflowering Kerry

Okay, I usually avoid commenting on conservative blogs because it's just too easy. I'm liberal, they're not. Of course I'll find something I disagree with. Nevertheless, there's an obsession on some of the conservative sites that just may be the dumbest meme I've ever seen.

First, take a look at this picture :




Y'see that daisy attached to the zipper of his jacket? That's what the conservatives are freaking out about. Seriously.

This Instapundit post has seven updates with observations about how the daisy is "unlikely to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies", whether or not it's an obscure Wu Tang Clan reference, links to discussion threads, and even a link to a guy who posted two obviously different photos and claimed that the New York Times photoshopped the flower out of one of them.

Why the fixation on something so trivial? Because something as minor as a flower backs up a frequent criticism by conservatives : Democrats are too wimpy to be president. Here's a sampling of what I'm talking about from the sites Instapundit is linking :

"I think I shall be ill. My niece has a flower just like that one. She's seven."

"Is it some kind of secret sign? A gift from his wife? An anachronistically girlish symbol of support for homosexual unions? An apparel-based reference to his days among the flower children?"

"Further evidence that John F'ing Kerry is a feckless crapweasel."

"He still looks like a dork on that snowboard. Will the real John Kerry please GROW up?"

"The whole look, of course, is appalling: the vest, the gloves, the botox. It is Mrs. Rocket's opinion that the American people will not elect as President a man who wears a vest with a flower power zipper pull."

"Clearly this man is the true Alpha Weenie."

All this coming from the supporters of a president who was almost assassinated by a pretzel.

The most amusing aspect of all this is that John Kerry's ski trip actually could be used to boost another common complaint about liberals. With Kerry's multiple houses and posh lifestyle, they could easily paint the picture of him being an out-of-touch elitist who's vacationing while the country needs him. Of course, if they wanna do that, they'd probably need to explain why Bush spent all of August 2001 hanging out in his ranch and ignoring memos.

posted by greg at April 2, 2004 12:49 PM | TrackBack
Comments

They can't be serious. These people are pathological.

posted by: JasonC at April 2, 2004 03:26 PM

When I pointed out the incredible lameness of this slam on Kerry over at Blogs for Bush, I was chastised for not having a sense of humor. It was simply laughing at the "ridiculousness" of it all.

Who knew bloggers for Bush could get so giggly over a guy's flower zipper pull?

posted by: boloboffin at April 2, 2004 04:06 PM

I wonder if that's not a season pass for the ski resort and he had no choice but to put it on...

Does he have any grandchildren? Maybe it's a gift...

Maybe he just has bigger cajones and doesn't care...

Bush has to wack brush with a machete to look macho.
Otherwise he's just a rich kid playing cowboy.

posted by: Stevie C at April 2, 2004 04:06 PM

If Kerry can snowboard, he's doing better than me. I nearly wacked my knee trying that last year.

I say Kerry and Reynolds settle this in the half-pipe.

posted by: Bill Humphries at April 2, 2004 05:07 PM

I think they're feverishly trying to divert attention from the fact that one side of the contest has a guy who snowboards while the other side has a guy who can't stay on a Segway...

posted by: pbg at April 2, 2004 06:52 PM

Push th' little daisies and make em come up

posted by: Dean Ween at April 2, 2004 07:57 PM

Surely the flower is for sticking into the guns of soldiers at hippie anti-war rallies...

posted by: Benson at April 2, 2004 08:16 PM

Why the fixation on something so trivial?

because it's so damn funny, that's why... i mean come on, it's a damn yellow daisy zipper pull.

does your dad wear one of those? i kinda doubt it.

r

posted by: rob at April 2, 2004 09:21 PM

Yes, they are serious. Unfortunately, we liberals must understand the conservative mindset in order to deal with them in anything approaching a meaningful manner. In order to win, liberals must understand the conservative mindset and how to overcome it (and this may require a left brain response!).

posted by: FUBAR at April 2, 2004 10:23 PM

I say Kerry and Reynolds settle this in the half-pipe.

I was going to suggest a freestyle rap battle, but I think your idea is better.

posted by: Ray Radlein at April 2, 2004 10:34 PM

Dance off. You've been served!

posted by: Greg G at April 3, 2004 04:58 AM

Don't discount the possibility that Kerry is following up on his earlier MTV remarks about the power of hip-hop by making a visible show of support for circa-1989 De La Soul.

posted by: Nate Patrin at April 3, 2004 08:36 AM
An anachronistically girlish symbol of support for homosexual unions?

oh my. im glad conservatives know so much about the latest trend in homosexual symbols. of course gays wouldnt want a girlish daisy - arbitrarily equating male homosexuality with femininty is so, like, 1975.

posted by: angela at April 3, 2004 02:08 PM

Let's not forget, Kerry has every reason to be pretty secure in his masculinity.

http://goodforthejews.com/kerryshlong.htm

posted by: NBarnes at April 4, 2004 02:02 AM
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