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John Kerryâs Time Warp
Byron York writing on NRO. EFL:Why does Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.) talk incessantly about Vietnam? Obviously, it has given him a great political advantage in past campaigns and he hopes it will do the same in his race for the White House. But there might be another reason. Perhaps more than any other presidential candidate in recent memory, Kerry seems to be living in another time, playing a movie of Vietnam over and over in his mind. In fact, he is often playing an actual movie of Vietnam over and over on his television. Consider this scene from a remarkable profile of Kerry published in the Boston Globe in October 1996, when Kerry was in a tough reelection battle: Kerry told reporter Charles Sennott the oft-repeated story of the February 1969 firefight in which Kerry attacked the Viet Cong who ambushed his Swift boat. Kerry won the Silver Star, as well as a Purple Heart, for his efforts. But the story wasnât just the firefight itself. It was also Kerryâs reaction to it. The future senator was so "focused on his future ambitions," Sennott reported, that not long after the fight, he bought a Super-8 movie camera, returned to the scene, and reenacted the skirmish on film. Tell me again how he had no political ambitions back in the day? During their interview, Kerry played the tape for Sennott. "Iâll show you where they shot from. See? Thatâs the hole covered up with reeds," Kerry said as he ran the tape in slow motion. Kerry told Sennott that his decision to reenact the fight on film was no big deal â "just something I did, no great meaning to it." But itâs clear that the old movie is a huge deal. "Through hours of watching the films in the den of his newly renovated Beacon Hill mansion, it becomes apparent that these are memories and footage he returns to often," Sennott wrote. Almost obsessive. "Kerry jumps repeatedly from the couch to adjust the Sony large screen TV in his home entertainment center, making sure the picture is clear, the color correct. He fast forwards, rewinds and freeze frames the footage. His running commentary â vivid, sometimes touching, sometimes self-serving â never misses a beat." Ok, very obsessive. In John Kerryâs home-entertainment center, itâs always 1969. Heâd like everyone to forget what he was doing beginning in 1970. Unfortunately for him, weâve got video of those years as well. Posted by: Steve 2004-02-27 |
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