Kerry invites the press to "talk to" Dick Cheney's daughter
Here is an easy and direct thing that is wrong with John Kerry's debate answer that brought up Mary Cheney. Kerry said "I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter..." Oh yeah, when did she volunteer her availability as a spokeswoman for her father, her father's boss, the BC04 campaign, or for John Kerry for that matter? What right does Kerry have to drag a non-participant, a non-public person into the glaring national spotlight? On a very personal subject?!
This is wrong and most folks easily understand that this is wrong. The impact of this will be real.
Our presidents and presidential candidates know that they give up virtually all privacy (with the exception of Kerry's full military record, his full medical record, his full Intelligence Committee attendance record, and the full tax returns of the only tax filer who counts in his family). The same is true of their wives, who are understood to have a veto on presidential ambitions because of, among other things, this huge impact on the privacy of the wives' lives.
Any campaign for the American presidency is a grueling, intense, intrusive, and usually a somewhat embarrassing enterprise. Family members volunteer for or opt out of these campaigns because of the nature of them. Choosing to go out front and speak on behalf of a campaign is a big deal.
Remember the recent hoopla when the Bush daughters joined the Bush campaign -- all of the press carried the story as real news. And the following days have seen them speaking and being photographed and interviewed; and their participation has allowed the news media to carry new mentions of their past peccadilloes. (see here)
Mary Cheney has an operational job in her father's campaign office. She is not part of the often brutal give and take of the presidential campaigns. She has an expectation of privacy and American political candidates have respected that privacy by not inserting an opponent's non-participating family members into the political dialogue.
So, how many reporters have called up the Veep's campaign office in the last two days to "talk to" Mary Cheney about the question Kerry lobbed into play? Well, okay, maybe most are ignoring the story because it doesn't look to help their guy. Ah, but they've thought about how to question her and how to write the story so that it would help their guy.
With respect to Hugh Hewitt's symposium question here, the hole they (the whole crew) have dug is at least 5 precious days deep. Kerry stammered did it out late Wednesday night, upset built on Thursday, Kerry was questioned today on it in Iowa, maybe SNL Saturday night, the subject will definitely play on some Sunday morning shows, and will still be hanging on Monday through talk radio.
It will fade from the news then, but the "say and do anything" impression will be set for many voters. 5 days on the defensive -- how many does Kerry have left?
p.s. Kerry said today, speaking of Dick and Lynne Cheney and their daughter's orientation/preference, "They don't raise questions." That's for him to do!
This is wrong and most folks easily understand that this is wrong. The impact of this will be real.
Our presidents and presidential candidates know that they give up virtually all privacy (with the exception of Kerry's full military record, his full medical record, his full Intelligence Committee attendance record, and the full tax returns of the only tax filer who counts in his family). The same is true of their wives, who are understood to have a veto on presidential ambitions because of, among other things, this huge impact on the privacy of the wives' lives.
Any campaign for the American presidency is a grueling, intense, intrusive, and usually a somewhat embarrassing enterprise. Family members volunteer for or opt out of these campaigns because of the nature of them. Choosing to go out front and speak on behalf of a campaign is a big deal.
Remember the recent hoopla when the Bush daughters joined the Bush campaign -- all of the press carried the story as real news. And the following days have seen them speaking and being photographed and interviewed; and their participation has allowed the news media to carry new mentions of their past peccadilloes. (see here)
Mary Cheney has an operational job in her father's campaign office. She is not part of the often brutal give and take of the presidential campaigns. She has an expectation of privacy and American political candidates have respected that privacy by not inserting an opponent's non-participating family members into the political dialogue.
So, how many reporters have called up the Veep's campaign office in the last two days to "talk to" Mary Cheney about the question Kerry lobbed into play? Well, okay, maybe most are ignoring the story because it doesn't look to help their guy. Ah, but they've thought about how to question her and how to write the story so that it would help their guy.
With respect to Hugh Hewitt's symposium question here, the hole they (the whole crew) have dug is at least 5 precious days deep. Kerry stammered did it out late Wednesday night, upset built on Thursday, Kerry was questioned today on it in Iowa, maybe SNL Saturday night, the subject will definitely play on some Sunday morning shows, and will still be hanging on Monday through talk radio.
It will fade from the news then, but the "say and do anything" impression will be set for many voters. 5 days on the defensive -- how many does Kerry have left?
p.s. Kerry said today, speaking of Dick and Lynne Cheney and their daughter's orientation/preference, "They don't raise questions." That's for him to do!
posted by Steve Barton at 22:48
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