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.
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They can’t be serious. These people are pathological.
Comment by JasonC — April 2, 2004 @ 3:26 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?
Comment by boloboffin — April 2, 2004 @ 4:06 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.
Comment by Stevie C — April 2, 2004 @ 4:06 pm
The Nutty Right
Seven frigging updates about a daisy. Loons….
Trackback by Oliver Willis: Like Kryptonite To Stupid — April 2, 2004 @ 4:55 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.
Comment by Bill Humphries — April 2, 2004 @ 5:07 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…
Comment by pbg — April 2, 2004 @ 6:52 pm
Push th’ little daisies and make em come up
Comment by Dean Ween — April 2, 2004 @ 7:57 pm
You’re Kidding Me, Right?
Via pandagon, we find this post by Greg over at The Talent Show. Apparently, Instapundit, who can’t be bothered to figure out the details of the Valerie Plame case because it’s “too complex”, can be bothered to update his blog…
Trackback by Apathy, Inc — April 2, 2004 @ 8:03 pm
Surely the flower is for sticking into the guns of soldiers at hippie anti-war rallies…
Comment by Benson — April 2, 2004 @ 8:16 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
Comment by rob — April 2, 2004 @ 9:21 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!).
Comment by FUBAR — 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.
Comment by Ray Radlein — April 2, 2004 @ 10:34 pm
Dance off. You’ve been served!
Comment by Greg G — April 3, 2004 @ 4:58 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.
Comment by Nate Patrin — April 3, 2004 @ 8:36 am
Ruminations
What Mark said: Here and here. This is truly asinine as Greg from The Talent Show, Jesse and Ezra from Pandagon and Joe from Apathy, Inc. all have noted. If nothing else it inspired me to write a haiku and
Trackback by Beautiful Horizons — April 3, 2004 @ 10:59 am
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.
Comment by angela — April 3, 2004 @ 2:08 pm
Let’s not forget, Kerry has every reason to be pretty secure in his masculinity.
http://goodforthejews.com/kerryshlong.htm
Comment by NBarnes — April 4, 2004 @ 3:02 am
In case you’re too young to remember, this flower was the symbol of flower power - it was, along with the peace symbol, the essential hippy motif. It is just more evidence that John Fing Kerry is a feckless wannabe. He should stick with being a hippy ? he?s good at that.
Comment by Rob Larrikin — October 16, 2004 @ 10:14 pm