CNNs Crowley Outrage!!!
CNN's Crowley suggested Kerry's choice of green tea proves he is out of touch with "most of America" CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, in an attempt to portray Senator John Kerry as out-of-touch, suggested that green tea is a rare and exotic beverage unfamiliar to "most of America." From an article in the November 16 edition of The Palm Beach Post: During a luncheon speech Monday to the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, CNN political correspondent Candy Crowley shared an early memory from the campaign trail that may explain why John Kerry will not be president next year. In January 2003, when his campaign was still young enough that Kerry would actually sit down with reporters in a relaxed setting, he and Crowley met for breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Dubuque, Iowa. "I'd like to start out with some green tea," Kerry told the waitress, who stared at him for a moment before responding, "We have Lipton's." Lipton's would be fine, Kerry said, but the memory stayed with Crowley. "There were many green tea instances," she told the sell-out crowd of 450 at the Kravis Center's Cohen Pavilion. "There's a very large disconnect between the Washington politicians and most of America and how they live. Bush was able to bridge that gap, and Kerry was not." But green tea may not be quite the highbrow delicacy Crowley seems to think. In fact, Lipton itself makes more than a half-dozen different varieties of green tea. Lipton's website even reveals that green tea accounts for 20 percent of all tea produced. And, according to Lipton's product locator, you can buy green tea in Dubuque, Iowa, at that gourmet market known as ... Kmart. So, who is the real out-of-touch elitist -- John Kerry, for drinking green tea, or Candy Crowley, for assuming that simple Iowa folk couldn't possibly be familiar with the beverage?
Also: John Kerry has recently had prostate cancer and is in recovery. Green tea health benefits as reported on CNN - Sanjay Gupta calls green tea "anti-carcinogenic Link to medical studies citing green tea as benefit to fighting prostate cancer - www.psa-rising.com/eatingwell/greentea_science.html This is a glaring example of just how the television media fits details to a predetermined story rather then having the details lead to the truth.
Obviously this shows her own cultural prejudices, in believing that the simple folks of Iowa wouldn't dream of having such fancy East coast drinks. And it fits into her own lazy political narrative that was apparent throughout the campaign; the snide presentation of Kerry as a hopelessly out-of-touch elitist, and the use of every fact to fit this impression.
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Kerry's green tea
I think that if Kerry had asked for a Jack Daniel's on ice he would have scored more points to the "average" voter. I guess he can not fake being a "real guy".
I guess 'real guy[s]' kill babies...
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2003/809761.pdf
If pure religion is the criterion to denominate candidates, those who make a noise about it must be rejected; for their wrangle about it, proves that they are void of it. ~John Leland, July 5, 1802.
Agreed
Kerry's choice of Green Tea was on the mark. So what if he did not order "coffee" or a "mocha latte" or a "Bruskie". Tea is the up and coming alternative to the caffeine spike of a gallon of coffee. You do not need as much and it does not alter you in the manner coffee does. It is an intelligent choice. Crowley is merely looking for something to write about.
Idiocy at work.
I THINK THAT MS CROWLEY'S FAV
I THINK THAT MS CROWLEY'S FAVORITE DRINK MUST BE LARD ON THE ROCKS.WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT HER? IS SHE OR IS SHE NOT A FAT HEAD?
Pathetic way to judge a person
Candy Crowley, having achieved some success (largely from being a curiosity because of large size) now has the 'typical' successful news/journalist's inflated opinion of her own abilities to charcterize and understand other people.
Reminds me of a time when I was regaled with an 'analysis' of another person's character, one I disagreed with utterly having had a long term familiarity with the person in question while this woman had only infrequent contact with and had scarcely even interacted with the other person (a man, by the way). This was by a woman who was a "licensed practicing nurse" (working in obstetrics/gynecology). She explained how certain she was right, because she was a nurse, and had experience working with people. Somehow she managed to spend some five minutes assuring me of her laser-like skill in assessing others. The reality was that she had the experience of working with some people, primarily women, and even then, largely women of low income who were coming to her hospital for childbirth. She was completely serious; she believed her nurse's training and experience gave her greater insight into people. No offense intended to the nurses out there; they do a tough, often unrewarded job that's very desperately needed. However, it always surprises me when people 'believe' so strongly in their own opinions with so little evidence of any strengths. I too have considerable experience working with the public and people in industry, can't be called young anymore, actually have college degrees in fields relevant to human behavior; and even I don't leap to conclusions about people without considerably more familiarity with them than either this nurse did or Candy Crowley had with Kerry.
Who knows, though, perhaps a journalist who does such things for a living and has many years of experience has a modicum of reason to feel "pride" in their abilities. Then again, perhaps not. Still, to judge someone by virtue of a breakfast (or even several) and the fact that a man orders green tea is pretty darned slim evidence to be basing a conclusion on. Especially given that Green Tea is a known antioxidant with some evidence for preventing various cancers, including prostate cancer; and that Kerry apparently has had treatment for such a cancer (a fact of which I was unaware). I mean, seriously. It very much sounds as though she went in with a bias; is she affiliated with the Republican party? That appears to be a common approach used by a very large percentage of Republicans. It's no wonder that they base their decisions on short little sound-bytes and lack the patience to actually consider the complexity of most issues. Hence they go with their 'gut' emotional reaction.
When the shoe is on the other foot. She certainly must hate when people conclude things about her based upon her apparent predilection for consuming "mass quantities" (aka. Coneheads) of food. Well, what's good for the goose, is good for the gander.
A Metaphor?
I read Crowley's comments and I frankly thought they were "right on" the mark. It has nothing to do with the "green tea" it has to do with the candidate and his ability to connect with Red America, which is a reality whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. The fact is that Kerry, like Gore before him was a horrible, horrible candidate and at the same time shows the strength of Democrat values. When candidates as bad as Kerry and Gore can garner the amount of support they did, it shows that with a "good" candidate, Democratic support is still there, IMHO. Bush, whether we like it or not, is "likeable," and "believable." Kerry or Gore simply are not, and that's what Crowley was saying. Kerry and Gore were percieved as recipients of priviledge, while Bush was not, whether we agree with the merits of that portrait or not, it was a fact. When Bush had time off, he was chopping wood in Crawford, Kerry was windsurfing in Nantucket or snowboarding in Idaho, both times at one of he and his wife's numerous "mansions." The background for Bush was a "modest" home in the Texas Hill country. How do you think that plays in Ottumwa, Iowa?? Then at the last minute Kerry shows up in Ohio "duck hunting" in camoflouge? That's just not believable. I remember I cringed when I saw those pictures. Look, its a fact folks, these guys, Kerry and Gore, just weren't selling it in the heartland. We can deride the "green tea" but until we get the bigger picture, the repugs are going to gain even more power, while we whine and miss the point entirely. Sorry, but that's tough love!
I say embrace it
Could sombody please explain why it is percieved as such a liablity to be the Hip party. Our concern about being some how not regular enough is counter productive. The fact is that the "culture" the right is so worried about is the domonent culture.
A few yars back I saw an artical that noted that the best selling condoment in america had shifted from ketsup to salsa, Mixed mesculin salad, originally introduce to the american pallete by progressave foodie Alice Waters is now available in convienently prepackaged at middle american super markets.
We need attack the republicans for being bacwards stogy and hidebound. They dress badly, have tacky houses with too many duck decoys and golph trophys, and listn to ten year old passe country and western. The trick is how you mange the photo op. dont get coght being hiper thatn thou in NYC. Let it slip that you ar in the know about the trendy new neighborhood in Phonix, or Denver. We have the rock stars the artests and the ltterati the trick is not to trot them out at the convention, where thy play into the hands of the GOP spin macine... The trick is to use the star power to get the intersting people to come out for our candidates in smaller centers for culture across the country.
Every town the next crop of candates stop in, the first words out of thier mout should be," Wow, I love what you did with your down town, It's just so nice seeing all these great old buildings revialized and put to a new use... Is that a veianamiese restraunt opeaning up? How great!!!" then you bring out all the local Architects to meet up with the candidate and say Frank Ghery... or the local poets and Toni Morrisan... Or the local Photographers and Willam Wegman.
The trick is to make it fun hip and at the same time local. The republicans will start looking kind of bla.. and well cosurvative.
Why is Kerry duck hunting not
Why is Kerry duck hunting not believable? He has hunted all of his life, as any biographer will tell you. He's also used to camouflage gear and guns, unlike Flightsuit Bush
houstonpat
In the red states where kerry chose to compete, he did very very well, losing by only a few thousand votes in Iowa, Ohio (which he may have actually won,) Colarado, Nevada, Arkanansas and Florida. He chose not to dilute his funds by shooting for other red states, but even there he got 40%+ or so of vote.
Kerry was an intellectual, and the repug reds like their candidates to have lesser thinking power.
Bush is an evil man who may just be the anti-christ. He uses religion, even though he never goes to church, and he kills people en masse even though God specifically commandeded: "Thou shall not kill." He tricked the world - especially the religious right - into invading Iraq for personal gain.
A few months from now the extent of his evil will come to the fore, when Iraq elected leader tells the US to leave and Bush refuses. Instead, he'll pour thousands more troops as he prepares to invade Syria and then Iran, enacting the draft as he goes.
Bush is the first Hitler of the 21st Century. He is the Deceiver of Christians that will lead us to armaggedden.
Likeable and Believable????
George W. Bush is likeable and beliveable? Excuse me? He's not likeable at all unless you are a frat boy anti-intellectual. This guy LOVES being and acting stupid. Anyone who actually believes that God speaks to them definitely has a screw loose. I pray, but I don't expect God to tell me what to do. God gave me a brain to make decisions. George W. Bush is a stubborn, pigheaded, know it all ... that's not likeable in my book.
Believable ... oh give me a break. It's been proven that he lies out of his teeth to get his agenda through (WMD's????).
Don't forget folks, monkey boy didn't win in a landslide. There are plenty of us rational thinkers who can see through him and his pandering administration. Their time is going to come.
And if Candy Crowly can only come up with one issue that makes her think that John Kerry is out of touch ... green tea??? Please. We in the heartland are not stupid all the time. Why don't we pick on something like, John Kerry was born and raised in the lap of luxury on the east coast, oh wait, so was GWB. Or John Kerry went to that bastion of out of touchers, Yale, oh wait, so did GWB (and let's add Harvard to that as well!!). John Kerry went to Vietnam and fought just like many of the red stater regular folks ... hmmmmmmmm. John Kerry was in the senate for how many years fighting for veterans benefits and trying to help the regular joes and janes in this country while GWB was running a baseball team and occupying the most powerless governorship in the country.
Likeable and believable? Well, maybe if you are rich.
Not Exotic at all
Both Crowley and the waitress were ignorant - as the article states, Lipton's sells a whole line of flavored Green Tea. I'm hooked on one of them, "Orange, passionfruit and Jasmine" which is delicious and wonderful, especially in winter. It even makes a decent iced tea. Since when is tea exotic? Billions of people drink it. Too bad Crowley doesn't know about this tea, it's been around for over a year. It's yummy!
I assume Nestea has an equivalent. I'm in the Midwest, so if this is exotic, then I guess the exotic is here in the Midwest and has been for awhile. We even eat couscous out here in Hicksville!
Green tea is healthy. Crowley obviously knows nothing about healthy eating - look at her. She could use a few gallons of green tea. It's supposed to help you lose weight.
It's also an antioxidant. Since our government screwed up the flu shot supply, maybe everyone should be drinking green tea.