On regional differences

[StoryTeller]

I found that particular sub-thread on the sweater quite interesting. Saw the photo--didn't think anything about it. And I've been raised here in Omaha, NE. Yeah, I'm a city girl, and I happen to like guys that wear sweaters. And my husband, raised on a farm in Kansas, doesn't really like sweaters.

But the phrase that kept coming to my head as I read all this is one from The West Wing...modified for JK: "Let Kerry be Kerry."

I suppose that's utterly too naive. But it seems to me if John Kerry is who we like, and he is such a terrific leader, why would we want him to pose as anything but himself?

It would be absurd to me to see photos of him riding horses on some ranch. People know it's staged. It's phony.

I don't want him to pretend to be someone he's not. I've had enough of that sort of politician. And I think a lot of people my age (30's and 20's) feel the same way. Our big buzz word is "authentic" and we mean it.

Personally, I'd rather time and energy be spent trying to show people that really understanding a diverse range of people and leading them has nothing to do with costumed photo ops. It seems to me that he does his best when he is allowed to be who he is. One of his strengths is his integrity. Messing around with that to try to manipulate some sort of an image that will "appeal to the masses" seems to be counterproductive to me.

Can we just ask him to be himself? Or am I showing how utterly non-political I am?

And I'm not criticizing any of you. I just want to know if things have to be done the way they've always been done, or if things could actually work without playing all the games.

[TayTay]

1. Oh, I agree

Sandy and I were not really criticizing Kerry. That thread became about, ahm, regional differences and the ingrained images that you get of what looks right and what doesn't. I am just chalking that up to being from different parts of the country.

Sandy knows I love her all kinds of crazy. But it is fun to talk about what looks 'good' for a man in one region of the country and what doesn't. (Not good or bad, just different.)

[StoryTeller]

3. Yeah, I know

I know neither one of you were criticizing him. It didn't really sound like you yourselves were. But I know we're all aware of the image crap that was thrown at him last time, and I just was thinking how nice it would be if we could all just say screw it and let the man be whoever he wants to be. :)

And yeah, the regional differences are huge--even going from Omaha to western Nebraska. Cowboy hats here--very not cool. Cowboy hats in Alliance, NE? Very cool.

I don't think sweaters here are really that big a deal one way or another. But no one ever said Nebraska is a hot bed of fashion trends, either. :)

[blm]

2. Actually - Kerry is a GREAT horseman and can ride a quarterhorse as well

as anyone. Ask Don Imus. He never knew Kerry could ride like that, either.

NOT staged. For REAL. What you want is for Kerry to be someone YOU are familiar with, except he's not just everyone.

How many of us can STUNT FLY airplanes?

[StoryTeller]

4. I did not know that

My reference to horses was in terms of making him look like a western rancher. As far as I know, ranching is not in his personal history, so why pretend?

You said, "What you want is for Kerry to be someone YOU are familiar with, except he's not just everyone." And I'm not sure what exactly you mean. I want him to be him--and if that means he stunt flies airplanes and rides quarter horses, that's awesome! I think it's interesting, and I want to know about who he is--whatever it is, no matter how different it is from what I'm familiar with.

[blm]

12. I meant the You in a general way, not really specific....it's hard to

get it to sound exactly the way it's said on a message board, ;)

[StoryTeller]

14. Ah-ha! Got it...

My two novels are both set online--written all in emails. You'd think I'd be a bit quicker on these things, huh? :)

[Luftmensch067]

5. He's been a great horseman for a long time...

which doesn't mean I don't agree with you, Storyteller, because I do! Let Kerry be Kerry! :-)

[StoryTeller]

6. And there's the sweater

Sorry, had to point that out. :D I kind of like the look, actually.

[Luftmensch067]

7. Oh, is THAT all people meant by the sweater?

I didn't see the original photo, and from what people were saying, I was picturing something with anchors and whales all over it! LOL!

Yeah, this looks preppy but normal to me -- I mean it's a sensible way of keeping your sweater on when it's too hot. Just because preppies were smart enough to adopt it doesn't make it any less sensible!

[wisteria]

8. Like I said earlier, to each his own. n/t

[fedupinBushcountry]

10. Old styles are hard to break

especially when it comes to men. I pointed out in the other thread that it took me for years to break my husband of wearing loafers with his jeans, it was a 60's look and he was just very comfortable with it. He is also a sweater guy and has worn it just like JK many a time, and he is no preppy.

I could care less about what he wears, I'm much more interested in his love for country and his love of people and trying to make this country and the world a better place for all of us.

[StoryTeller]

9. Speak to me about quarterhorses...

All I know is that my husband was raised with them and they used them for working cattle on his parents' farm. Or they used to. His dad went to a 4-wheeler instead a few years ago. It eats more cheaply, but there's just not the same emotional attachment, y'know? :)

So other than working cattle on a farm, what are quarterhorses used for? How did Kerry come to learn to ride them?

[blm]

11. I don't know how. I only heard Imus talk about it with some

amazement.

See....everyone THINKS Kerry belongs in some pigeonhole, but he's as unlikely a candidate for a pigeonhole if there ever was one. heh

[StoryTeller]

13. I think that's what makes him so great

It gives him so many unexpected connection points with people. He's definitely not boring. :D

[sandnsea]

15. Quarter horses are used for everything

All kinds of riding, from ranching to hunting to packing to just plain pleasure. I wasn't suggesting he pretend to be a rancher. I was differentiating the kind of elitest equestrian riding that the campaign didn't want JK associated with, and a plain old rural ride in the country that people do all the time, even Brian Schweitzer who is the kind of Democrat the duck hunting photo-op was attempting to appeal to. It missed,. A simple horseback ride might have been more effective, the man loves animals and looks better in a pair of jeans than a lot of 20 year olds.

In any event, I am sorry I ever brought any of it up, and will certainly think better of it in the future.

[StoryTeller]

16. Oh I'm glad you mentioned it!

I think you're right. And you *should* bring this sort of thing up. Just think of all the cool stuff we learned this afternoon about each other, in addition to JK.

Peace. I think it was a good, interesting conversation.

:hug:

[TayTay]

17. Oh, I'm sorry. I enjoyed the thread immensely.

Although I am completely unqualified to talk about fashion. Women who dress in a fashion vaguely reminescent of a blueberry should not throw stones. (Blush, blush.)

Sandy, I liked the thread. I thought it was fun. I think StoryTeller did to. Her larger point about letting Kerry be Kerry is well taken. The duck hunting thing bothered me more than just about anything else. I thought it was a worse pic than the clean lab suit. (Shudder, shudder.)

He should just be himself. He has been on fire lately, just being himself.