Kerry impersonates the Fonz (Happy Days) in Tonight Show appearance

[pruner]

Kerry makes appearance on "Tonight Show"

By GREG RISLING
Associated Press Writer

BURBANK, Calif. --

Riding in on a borrowed Harley-Davidson motorcycle, John Kerry appeared Tuesday on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" as rancor within his presidential campaign continued to boil.

The Massachusetts senator rode onto the stage, wearing a leather jacket, blue jeans and a denim shirt.

The Democrat talked mostly politics during the interview with Leno, generating few laughs. He criticized George Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and told the president to "get off his high horse" and involve other countries in postwar efforts.

<snip>

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031111/APN/311111111

I think it's fair to say that Kerry has "jumped the shark" (another Happy Days reference).

[grasswire]

1. ick

This sounds pretty revolting.

[billbuckhead]

5. Now's a good time to ride a Harley, E.U. boycott will only enhance image.

Kerry's Harley is a better way to reach out to blue color whites than that damn ConFlag.

[NicoleM]

36. Unless they think

he's pandering.

[Cocoa]

2. jumping the shark

that was my thought.

Except I'm hoping he doesn't, you are no doubt hoping he does. :-)

[pruner]

3. I'm not hoping he does…

I believe he already has.

[tsipple]

4. Eeeek!

I'm scared to watch.

AP is usually -- usually -- pretty straightforward with its descriptions. Does not sound good.

Why doesn't John just be himself, you know?

[KC21304]

7. He does ride a Harley in REAL life.

Isn't that being himself ?

[JI7]

15. he has always had the harley

he is being himself with it. it's what he has done himself for years.

[TLM]

19. Does he usualy ride it into buildings?

Come on... if they had footage of him out riding that would be one thing, but to borrow one and ride it into the studio?

Does sound bad.

But hey maybe they'll play if off over the top and make it a joke, so it doesn't come off like a contrived attempt to humanize him.

It could be fine.

[IndianaGreen]

21. Kerry also rides without wearing a helmet

which tells you how much he values his head. I rode a bike everywhere when I was younger and I always wore a helmet, it saved my ass on more than one occasion.

BTW, Harleys are crap unless you like to ride a long vibrator on wheels! Hondas make better bikes, but I have never owned one. I owned and rode Yamahas, Kawasakis, and Suzukis.

On edit: I was glad to see Kerry wearing a helmet, which he did not do when he was in Milwaukee.

[KC21304]

41. Well I can't believe Kerry would have the nerve to ride such a

crappy bike. I don't know why he doesn't just get out of this race right now. You kids are such fun.

[JI7]

22. there is footage of him riding his bike

there is footage of him riding his bike. and the only reason he rode it in the building is because that's where the show was and it's an entertainment show.

[virtualobserver]

30. I didn't see it but.......

It might have been cool to have a one Secret Service agent on each side of the cycle, scanning the crowd.

[HFishbine]

31. Didn't see it

But I heard he rode his bike into the studio while playing a saxaphone and wearing a flight suit. Was I misinformed?

[JI7]

34. yes, misinformed

he rode a bike wearing a jacket he always wears and he does not play the sax.

[Eloriel]

45. Ahhh, but that is himself --

One of the Boston Herald columnists likes to call him "Live Shot Kerry," for his penchant for wanting those photo ops.

I'm beginning to think that Kerry doesn't KNOW what "himself" really is, or where or how to find it.

In any case, I thought his "stunt" last night was pathetic, not to mention silly.

Eloriel

[IndianaGreen]

6. Is Kerry trying to pull a saxophone playing Clinton on Arsenio Hall?

It won't work! Kerry is not Clinton, none of the candidates this year are!

Big Dog, we truly miss you!

[bitchkitty]

11. Ain't it the truth -

Damn the 22nd amendment! I love the big guy, always have, although since 2000 I've been knocked much further left, and he's a little bit centrist for my taste. Still, whatta man! whatta Prez!

[UTUSN]

32. He's "Centrist"? He's Left-ier Than Most Who THINK They're Left n/t

[KC21304]

12. We know, he isn't Clinton, he isn't Kennedy,

He's Kerry, and he does ride Harleys. If he tried to play a saxophone, then you can complain. Dean is trying to make believe he is a liberal. Maybe you should look into that.

[TLM]

20. Kerryfan, remind me again

Who voted for the IWR, no child left behind, the patriot act, and 350 billion of Bush tax cuts?

[cindyw]

26. He voted against the package

The stuff he voted for was to force the bill to have good stuff in it. I suggest you do some reading on how normal this is for the opposition party to do this. 100% normal and thank god for my family that he did this.

[JI7]

13. no, kerry is being kerry

he did what he does in his life. he didn't play the sax.

[robsul82]

16. It's not that he's riding a Harley.

IT'S THAT HE'S DOING A FONZ IMPRESSION. "Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, my nomination on a silver platter is gone, ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, Dr. D!"

Later.

RJS

[robsul82]

8. That sounds...gey.

So totally gey.

Later.

RJS

[eileen_d]

10. I think you spelled "I'm homophobic" wrong!

[robsul82]

14. Hahaha, muy imposible in my case, sunshine.

;)

(I just wanted to call somebody sunshine, haha.)

Later.

RJS

[indigo32]

37. 'totally gey' thats what my 14 year old nephew likes to say

now he's smart and all... but...

[jburton]

9. Does Kerry fire any of Leno's staff?

He should can some of the writers.

[mitchum]

17. Maybe he'll impersonate Sonny Barger and take a pool cue...

to some centrist shill ass.
Watch out

[TLM]

18. Oh man....

:puke:

Jump the shark? Kerry's in the tank french kis... er I mean freedom kissing the shark.

Yeah I know he does ride a Harley... but riding one into the studio is so contrived.

Dean's gag of playing on the corner for fundraising change was funny and you knew it was a gag.

But this is Kerry's entrance?

Isn't that how Arnold made his entrance to the tonight show?

Maybe Kerry shouldn’t have fired his campaign manager?

[FXDS]

23. Kerry Rides!

So do I, Kerry is a pilot, guess what? So am I.

It's been a common thing on the Leno show for someone to come on stage on a bike. Leno rides also and has done this many times!

However I don't think an aircraft will work on the set!

[robsul82]

24. That was dorky, sorry.

Busting through a security block (pretend, but still), and now telling a boring story...yeesh.

Later.

RJS

[TLM]

25. Super dorky....

Yeah he's such a biker, he couldn't even work the freaken kickstand.... had to reach down and do it with his hand.

[DrFunkenstein]

27. Wow! Take A Look At How Snarky The Deanheads Are!

:grouphug:

[DeaconBlues]

28. Some of the Dean supporters here

sound just like the Bushies in the 2000 election who went after Gore for wearing earth-tone colored clothing and sighing too much during the debates. Why do the Republicans need to attack our candidates, when our own people do such a great job of tearing them down over irrelevant crap?

[Zolok]

40. Yup...

I especially enjoyed the "that was so gay" comment...
Kerry dons a leather jacket and gets sh*t...
Dean dons a lab smock (looking all the world like a fresh scrubbed Dr. Frankenstein) and is lauded as the second coming.
What more needs be said?
So...why don't we just put our cards on the table here?
I say we change the DU's name from "The Democratic Underground" to the "The Deanocratic Underground" and be done with it.

www.chimesatmidnight.blogspot.com

[MaineDem]

29. Good lord, people!

Kerry DOES ride a bike! Often. He also rides in a good number of charity rides in Massachusetts. THe bike thing was legit, gang.

Leno often has people riding into his show. I'm sure that was the show's idea but, in any case, it wasn't the worst idea in the world.

I've also seen Kerry wear that jacket a lot. It wasn't a "prop".

Substance! Let's deal with substance rather than the superficial. How were his comments? That's the important thing.

[blm]

35. He brought up Halliburton and its profits

as the reason that Bush won't loosen control in Iraq and share the military burden with other countries who say they are willing, but Bush won't give in.

[Eloriel]

46. Oh, I think he MADE the bike thing a substantive thing to discuss

by his own actions. If he'd just wanted to discuss matters of importance, he'd have foregone the stupid bike trick. But he didn't.

He looked silly -- and I don't care if he rides the damn bike every day, right up the Capitol steps. He looked silly, and pandering.

I thught the poor judgment would be gone with Jim Jordan. I was wrong.

Eloriel

[DS1]

33. There's a balanced report

/MAXIMUM SARCASM DAMMIT!

[GinaMaria]

38. Was it as bad

as the subject line sounds? Say it ain't so JK. Anyone see it? I can't stomach Leno.

[Brian Sweat]

39. Leno is a big Harly fan. Kerry rides a Harly.

Most Leno fans wiill understand this and not see this as goofy.

[SEAburb]

42. Leno viewership was up 2 mil last night according to CNBC //nt

aaaaaaaaaaaa

[NewYorkerfromMass]

43. Well I guess then Kerry will be invited back

:)

[SEAburb]

44. you would think so, wouldn't you

But I don't know anything about network TV business.