What influence did Teressa Heinz/Kerry have on voters?

[everdene]

Pesonally, I think she looked like a lush/drunken valium queen on more than one platform. It made me cringe to see her.

I can't believe that women like that look so much. Even at the concession speech, Kerry sort of had to lead her like a lifeless mop down the stage stairs.

Not a good presentation for a potential First Lady.

[Placebo]

1. She was my FAVOURITE person in the campaign, BUT...

I can understand how people said she "Didn't play well in middle-America."

[sonicx]

2. she was fine. I liked her speeches and she was a sweet gal.

i'll miss her.

[TimeToGo]

3. I had no problems with her

but the media loved to jump on anything she said, and perhpas it hurt (though I am not saying it did). Can you imagine if they jumped on Laura Bush that way?

[Lars39]

4. You're confused. You're describing Laura Bush.

[everdene]

8. Isaid, "lush/drunken valium queen"...not "mindless robot."

[Lars39]

10. Like I said , you're still confusing the two.

Laura Bush doesn't have an original thought in her head. Teresa has brains, beauty, charm and wit.

[everdene]

16. You said, "Teresa has brains, beauty, charm and wit."

I agree with you there. BUT....I think her presentation wasn't always that great.

[Lars39]

18. She was true to herself, not a clone.

Maybe you just don't recognize someone with integrity speaking from the heart.

[sangh0]

5. Great, let's beat up on Theresa now

.

[JVS]

6. I'm sure her connections helped in Western PA

She draws a lot of water in that area.

edit typo

[sonicx]

7. btw, if some Americans picked * cuz they didn't like Teresa...

fuck em.

[blondeatlast]

9. Sniff, sniff...

I'll wait, this one smells...

[JI7]

11. i was thinking the same thing

bush supporters calling anyone else drunk or on drugs is too funny.

[blondeatlast]

25. Yep--I'm not that desperate... yet. nt

[RetroLounge]

12. WTF?

:wtf:

are they still here?

RL

[blondeatlast]

14. Check out AtA, interesting posts concerning funds, too... nt

[sendero]

13. A lot of people..

... well men mostly, still cannot handle the idea of an intelligent woman. Just makes their pinky dicks go acorn.

Fuck em.

[Cleita]

15. I can't see the problem.

We aren't voting for Teresa or Laura. I probably could like Laura if she weren't married to Bush. I think Teresa's children though speak louder about her as a person than her own voice if you want to judge her. Compare them to the Bush twins and I think Laura is your real lush/drunken valium queen. I'm leaning toward the legal meds though rather than alcohol. It's well known that she is a chain smoker, which most people would agree could indicate an addictive personality

Her kids speak volumes about her. A household with a drunken father, and enabling mother, is a dysfunctional one, no matter how rich they are and the twins show it, no matter how much their handlers try to keep them on a leash.

[NashVegas]

17. Not As Much as Her Detractors

is about all I can say.

[mtnsnake]

19. I like Teresa & what she stands for, but I think she was far from an asset

It's hard to explain, but I just didn't see her as the type of person you could connect with in a first ladyly kind of way. She was a little too forced. It's sad, but I think people want to see a potential first lady standing up there who doesn't look like she could use a gallon of Geritol. Not much spunk there. If anything I'd say she was a slight hindrance.

[SemperEadem]

20. what does how she looks have to do with who she is?

that is such a non sequitur.

[sandersadu]

22. Tereezzza

Look, I know many people at DU like her (smart, spunky and all that), but the bottom line is that she was a distraction, and hurt Kerry.

I know we like to think that people only vote for the Pres. but people do like at family "the whole package" Hence "moral values" and all that. I would love for Teresa to express herself after Mr. Kerry were at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I'm not saying it was her fault, but did she lose us some votes here and there - - yes.

[SemperEadem]

24. she wasn't a distraction---only weak minded people allowed themselves

to be easily distracted by the non sequitur.

[sonicx]

28. she was a distraction for a second. Kerry had plenty others.

[babylonsister]

21. I really liked her for

her honesty. I thought she would have definitely been an asset in the W.H. when entertaining and with foreign entities because of her worldly knowledge, languages, etc. And for a woman in her 60s, I thought she looked great.

[everdene]

23. Love to be at one of her White House parties!

That's for sure.

[blondeatlast]

26. I suspect they smell better than this thread.

Give RJ my regards on your way out, willya?

[n2mark]

27. Loved Teresa

[mdguss]

29. I think she was intelligent:

I think she was inspiring to many working women and many single mothers. I think she helped John Kerry. And I know she has done wonderful things in Pittsburgh. She may be the reason he won Pennsylvania.

[Dukakis88]

30. She is SEXXAY. Made me want to watch "The Graduate" and dream away...

[CityDem]

31. She was terrible

I agree, she sounded drunk most the time. More than one person (dems and independents) told me they could not stand the woman.

[Carolinian]

32. FU *hole! She was fabulous. Not a plastic ninny like Laura.

[Wat_Tyler]

33. I suspect you of being a disruptor.

[PSU84]

34. She was wildly unpopular in rural areas.

Too rich.

Too foreign.

Too eager to share her opinions - on everything.

She lost Kerry far more votes than she one.

Like it or not (I don't) Laura Bush is the public's idea of a First Lady.

[smbolisnch]

35. I personally liked her

I am a woman that always speaks her mind as well! I can also see how she might seem threatening to more conservative, even democratic voters. She certainly would have broken the mold as first lady!

[highplainsdem]

36. She's great. I don't believe she cost us any votes.

I'm surprised you're echoing RW talking points here.

Throughout the campaign, I didn't hear a single word of criticism directed at her by anyone who was at all likely to vote for Kerry anyway. And I don't give a damn what the wingnuts and self-righteous self-appointed judges thought of her. She has intelligence and spirit and would have made a great first lady, if all the votes had been counted.

[amandabeech]

37. She didn't play well here in S. Cen. PA.

Like PSU84 said, she was too rich, too foreign and too outspoken.

I tried to talk about how she was the daugher of a doctor, and probably well-off but not RICH until she met Sen. Heinz.

I also said that she reminded me a little of the French exchange student that my family hosted while I was in high school. Our exchange student was certainly not a bread and butter midwesterner in her manner, but was a very nice person and was very kind, all of which is true.

My neighbor looked a little dubious when I said that to him, but I think that he gave it some thought, although I think that he still doesn't like her.

He voted either for Bush (he doesn't like taxes) or the Constitution Party candidate.

I like Teresa and would very much enjoy meeting her. I like Elizabeth Edwards a lot, too, and I wish her well with her breast cancer treatment.

[LisaL]

38. I don't think Teresa helped Kerry.

Let's face it, she was foreign born and sometimes said things without thinking, like about Laura Bush and her never having a job. Now, I couldn't care less, but for some people it could have tilted the scale toward Bush.
But what does it matter now?

[young_at_heart]

39. "Heartland" people like Stepford-type, traditional wives

I thought she was great, but evidently rural Americans want Laura because she "knows her place", as I read in our local newspaper's LTTE.

[The Jacobin]

40. Does ANYBODY base their vote on the spouse?

This is a very silly question.

People who didn't like Kerry didn't like Teressa. That simple.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

41. We shouldn't have to fake who we are to win the votes of Trash

Gays and Lesbians shouldn't be forced to fake being unconcerned about their rights.
Minorities shouldn't fake their support for ending affirmative action
Women shouldn't fake being brainless
Period.

[lakeguy]

42. a friend of my girlfriends said she wouldn't vote for kerry

because of teresa. she said that "when she yelled at that reporter" she decided to vote for nader. i tried to explain to her the background of the "reporter" and his antics and also that she wasn't voting for teresa but it was a no go (i think). i also tried to extol onto her the virtues of an independent, highly intelligent first lady. she just couldn't vote for a woman that loses her cool like that. unbelievable!