Kerry’s pundit problem: Is it really just the hair?

Kerry’s pundit problem: Is it really just the hair?

by Gene Lyons

Somewhat like Al Gore, presumptive presidential nominee John Kerry appears to be developing a bit of a pundit problem. Shortly before the Democratic primaries, an extraordinarily revealing article titled something like "The Problem with John Kerry" appeared in a magazine I read fairly regularly.

According to the author, a longtime political journalist I won’t name, Kerry was an arrogant, equivocating SOB who was too tall, too rich, traded too heavily on his Vietnam War heroism and had disturbingly thick, wavy hair.

His preoccupation with Kerry’s appearance struck me as so peculiar that I asked a computer-savvy friend to Google a recent photo of the author. Could it be? Alas, it could. Exactly as you’d expect in a "Saturday Night Live" skit, the pundit resembled the "before" photo in a Hair Club for Men infomercial. It appeared that Kerry, who is 6-foot-6, made him feel very small.

If amused, I also was embarrassed for the pundit’s sake. The most inane criticism journalists get is that they envy some politician’s charisma or seek another’s favor. Despite a few would-be insiders who socialize with the powerful, most live very different lives by choice.

http://www.bartcop.com/042904lyons.htm

Taller candidates almost invariably win. Chimpy is pretty tall, but Kerry is even taller. Too tall? Too much hair? Sheesh.

It's an interesting phenomenon.

so he wears lifts and specially built suits to make himself appear taller and more imposing.

Get a pic of Bush sitting next to Clinton when he went to the WH during the transition. Bush looks like a schoolboy lost in the chair while Clinton commanded the room. Bush got rid of those chairs for much smaller ones, so he would appear larger.

Some folks here might not know about Gene Lyons or Bart Cop, and won't read it as funny as others who know the history.

On Edit: Nevermind. I see you took the "cautious route" and put it in Editorial Forum.

If you put this in "Campaign 2004" your butt would have been seared by those thinking you were one step left of a Freep. :D

You didn't raally believe all that stuff about Gore, did you? It doesn't matter what attribute Kerry has, the pundits will find a way to make it a negative. Meanwhile, * wears that stupid belt buckle and walks as if he just climbed off a horse and no one talks about what a dweeb he is.

You seriously don't think that Bush would have won the Presidency if the media pundits were more like Walter Cronkite and Huntley Brinkely? The only way Bush won is becuase the media wanted him to and they intentionally ignored talking about his bad habits and policies and exaggerated Gore's flaws.

The single most importnatthing John Kerry has to learn RIGHT NOW is that the vast majority of the American electorate doesn't want to be lectured and instructed with endless dependent clauses, they want to be led and inspired.

He appeared to really be getting this in Iowa, but alas we are back to a Poli Sci (or Econ or US Hist) 101 lecture at every turn. Come on, John. Lead, don't lecture!

the "hair for men" advertisement.