I don't like John Kerry's wife. Change my mind.

[MIMStigator]

Sorry but don't like John Kerry's wife. If this is off limits to discuss say so but I think alot of voters will feel the same way.

If you ask me what it is I don't like I can't say, somebody else might be able to put it in words. I would say some voters won't like that she has a foreign accent.

Just talking electability here, no flames.

[rumguy]

1. she's rich

[cthrumatrix]

22. I would say "out of touch" with America..... a candidate who's run his own

business in the real world is preferred as a subject matter expert on key issues ...like health care...Dean over Kerry ..any day.

[auburnblu]

51. Out of touch slogan won't work for Kerry

His campaign would definitely have a harder time than say Clark or Edwards of saying, "Don't vote for Bush, he doesn't understand average Americans".

[cthrumatrix]

75. bingo....!

[jadesfire]

83. Kerry ran a cookie business

not even kidding....

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

74. It's Kerry I don't like

I couldn't care less about his wife. Although I have to admit I like the joke: "Teresa is so rich, every time Kerry goes to bed it's a fundraiser."

That just puts an image in my head that is very funny. Kerry working it for some campaign cash. :)

[beaconess]

2. I probably can't change your mind

but I think she's a bad motorscooter.

Did you know that she attended school in South Africa and marched against apartheid - which takes a lot more courage than protesting apartheid from a safe distance.

[Hieronymus]

67. Teresa Heinz Kerry is a brilliant woman

who speaks five languages. Besides her brains, she's a fine looking woman.:bounce:

[JohnKleeb]

3. A man's wife determines his electablity?

:shrug:
I dont know, youre the first person I met who doesnt like her, most people I know like her, and these just arent Kerry supporers btw.

[BlueStateGirl]

9. Only if her name is Hillary.

[JohnKleeb]

19. and didnt Clinton win

:)

[BlueStateGirl]

34. Not in dispute. Still, you can't deny she had impact on his 1992

campaign. Her hair, the cookie and tea comment, the stand by your man comment, not taking his name right away, her work for Children's Defense Fund, even her choice of friends.

I agree with you, the candidate's spouse shouldn't matter, but unfortunately, sometimes it does, to some people.

I am not one of them.

[salin]

42. I think it was an excuse

for example in 1984 I heard people say that they voted against Mondale because they thought that Ferraro - with only service as a congresswoman - didn't have experience to take over in case of emergency. Their claim was that his choice of VP impacted their vote.

But those same people voted for Bush without blinking at the idea of Quayle - with just as limited experience (and less the brainpower) - being VP and poised to take over in case of an emergency.

If one had stripped the Ferraro excuse away - those folks would have had some other reason to vote against Mondale. I didn't "see" that until I watched how those folks did the exact opposite in the next election.

So the trick is this... did those people to whom you refer, vote for Gore?

[BlueStateGirl]

56. HIllary was vilified though. I honestly try not to associate with

Republicans if I don't have to ( work and family being the exception), but I would say some went on the vote for Gore, and I know my grandfather, who didn't vote for Clinton in 1992, because he didn't like Hillary, voted for Bill in 1996. Not sure what he did in 2000.

Some of my co workers, who call tehmselves Democrats, voted for Bill, voted for Al, and still don't like HIllary. One of them even said if it came down to Jeb Bush V Hillary in 2008, she'd vore for Bush.

I lost a lot of respect for her at that moment.

[salin]

63. I hear ya..

(re the losing respect).. but it sounds like for the most part - the vilification impacted some folks views per Hillary - and in one case had a one-time impact on the vote (later reversed) - but for the most part even the distaste for the spouse probably didn't change the vote for the candidate.

[salin]

26. Even with Hillary... never heard of a single voter who changed

his/her vote because of Hillary. Funny thing is that all the people I have heard disparage Hillary... already were rabidly against Bill and were not going to vote for any democrat... heck they didn't vote for Gore.

[BlueStateGirl]

40. I just had this discussion the other day, with co workers. They loved

Bill, and I was shocked to discover many of them couldn't stand Hillary. It wasn't her policies. It was her they didn't like.

I like her. Go figure.

[salin]

47. Who did they vote for in 1992, 1996 and 2000?

Did Bill's spouse change their vote - and if so - did they switch back for Gore?

[BlueStateGirl]

62. Most voted Clinton both times,

one didn't vote for Gore in 2000 because he remembered Tipper from her PMRC days :(. One didn't vote at all in 2000. Two for Nader And the other two for Gore.

[salin]

69. lol didn't think of that variable

in my test for consistency (of impact of spouse)... that Tipper brought some baggage that for a particular constituency was very big.

Interesting - thanks for the follow up info. :D

[MIMStigator]

15. who knows

if it's close anything can determine

[Democrats unite]

4. I can't stand John Kerry

But please lets leave the wives out of it.

[MIMStigator]

20. I'm not bringing it up to violate their privacy or

anything like that but who knows if they are an issue? If they are then it is worth discussing

[BlueStateGirl]

5. The accent doesn't bother me. Is she still a Republican?

I like Theresa. Aside from her party affiliation.

[shance]

6. If John Kerry is elected, then we will have a GOP First Lady

Yep, shes a Republican.

:)

[Bunny]

13. Not so fast!

Teresa changed her voter registration in Allegheny County to Democratic, about a year ago. And BTW, her first husband was a very moderate Republican, and was much liked by most people in PA.

[BlueStateGirl]

18. I agree about John. I didn't know she changed her affilation.

Good for her.

I still mourn John, because his passing left us saddled with Santorum.

[Bunny]

28. Ain't that the truth?

I can truthfully say that removing Little Ricky will be just as joyful for me as removing the Squatter in Chief! :)

[BlueStateGirl]

68. It made me physically ill to see him at the SOTU, applauding

the suggestion that there would be a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

[zulchzulu]

She is not a Republican

I know. I personally asked her.

[BeatleBoot]

24. Wrong!!!

She's no longer a Republican!

Good news, no?

[The Night Owl]

7. I am liking her more and more...

I reflexively distrust money, but I am warming up to Heinz the more I hear her speak.

[kentuck]

8. Her son has posted here on DU for a long time....

But is presently keeping his identity anonymous.. :)

[JohnKleeb]

21. pm me and tell me who it is

He knows who I am, I swear it. He emailed me once.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. I don't think she's on the ballot

:shrug:

[Bunny]

11. I could not care less about your like or dislike of Teresa

Heinz Kerry, and have no interest whatever in changing your mind. Are you contemplating voting for her? Is this a race between Teresa, Judy, Gert, and the rest of the wives?

[MIMStigator]

23. No it won't affect my vote unless

the wife is an issue and it lookks like it will hurt the candidate's chance against *

[auburnblu]

39. Will only hurt if

She's had her tax accountants get her involved in tax shelters over the last decade, since we've seen no stories like that yet, hopefully she's stayed away from shady tax planning unlike a lot of wealthy residents in the U.S.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. Why?

[MIMStigator]

35. I don't know, my mind can be changed

I don't know much about her, just short impressions like an interview the other day and she looked bored at one of his speeches.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

49. So why would I want to change it?

[zulchzulu]

14. I've met her and she is intelligent, funny and impressive

She is originally from Mozambique, speaks five languages, has worked with the UN since her early 20s and is an excellent environmentalist, concerned and able to help out with human rights and children's rights issues globally and is indeed a very funny woman.

She would make an excellent First Lady.

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. She's going to buy the election for him

what's not to like? :grr:

[zulchzulu]

27. Wrong. She can't contribute money to the campaign

She has stated she would launch ads if she is attacked however.

Republicans and some that act like Republicans like to attack their opponent's wives.

There is nothing more scummy and low, imo.

[in_cog_ni_to]

53. That's what I'm talking about!

She has more money than all of the candidates combined. She also said if her FAMILY was attacked...that includes kerry. She will buy the election because she has the most personal funds. I think it stinks that money speaks the loudest in our country. No different than the republicans...oh ya, she IS a republican married to a Skull and Bones member who voted for the IWR and the Patriot Act.

[Name removed]

86. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[name not needed]

32. People like you

attacking a canidate's wife.

[salin]

17. I can state for a fact... that no one has ever told me that a 'spouse'

of a candidate played a role in determining how to vote. Completely irrelevant to "electability."

Then again, perhaps I just surround myself with folks who are not so superficial as to have such silly issues influence their vote.

[BlueStateGirl]

25. I know of a number of people who hated Bill, moxtly because they

hated Hillary.

[salin]

33. do you think that they would have voted for him

if he wasn't married to her - or would they have found some other reason not to vote for him... or did they vote for him despite of their hatred for her?

[BlueStateGirl]

45. My grandfather didn't vote for Bill in 1992 because of Hillary.

By 1996, he was so happy with Bill Clinton, I think he forgot she even existed.

[BeatleBoot]

46. So sad.

So stupid.

I like Teresa, but I'm certain she'll become a whipping girl with the repukes you speak of....when she's decorating the WH Christmas tree in 2005!

[Dogmudgeon]

50. Most of them were probably Republicans

It's rare to see that deep-down hatred of Hillary from Democrats. I'm sure there are a few Hillary-hating Democrats out there, much the same way as Republican-voting Zell Miller is also a Democrat.

Come to think of it, most Republicans I've met also don't hate Hillary. The real haters are mainly Freepers and other rage-filled rightist political junkies. (The left has haters, too, but most of them are too rad to be associated with mere "liberals".)

In general, people know enough that "the wives" aren't running. They can distinguish between the spouse and the candidate.

--bkl
Another Warminster DUer.

[BlueStateGirl]

64. Really Warminster? Wow.

I know several female Democrats who don't like her at all. They see her as harsh.They agree with her politcally, she does leaves them cold personally.

[kerryistheanswer]

29. Clark supporters can feel the bubble bursting

If Clark finishes in forth, its going to be hard to comeback. He's just not connecting as well as forecasted in NH. I guess retail politics isn't his thing.

[Dogmudgeon]

59. It's way too early to count anyone out

If Clark finishes 4th in NH, he's far from wiped out. I don't even think it would be difficult for him to make a comeback.

Same thing for Dean, Kerry, and Edwards.

Keep in mind that the AWOL issue is starting to bubble up now, too.

And another thing: It's going to be a long, difficult race.

--bkl

[dsc]

30. I honestly can't phathom why this matters

I will say the 60 Minutes appearence didn't do her justice. But she is by most accounts an accomplished lady who would be a great first lady. In any case it is wholly irrelevent to the state of the union and irrelevent to Kerry's fitness for office.

[MIMStigator]

36. I agree it has nothing to do with Kerry fitness

just talking electability

[auburnblu]

31. I'm no huge fan, but

Like other posters are saying, does it matter. Hillary was running as sort of a co-President at times it seems. None of these potential first ladies seem to want the role that Hillary sought. I think Theresa Kerry would be a very active first lady, no doubt about it.

[zulchzulu]

38. Check out the Heinz web site for better details about her

http://www.heinz.org/index.asp?loc=home

[MaineDem]

37. No flames?

Seems to me you started it.

But, nevertheless, I have met Teresa on a number of occasions. She's an intelligent, self-assured, family-oriented woman. I wouldn't begin to try to change your mind; that's not for me to do. But I thought we were past the discussion of how the spouses affect the campaign.

I think she's an asset to John.

[MIMStigator]

44. Why can't we talk about how the spouses affect the campaign?

If you think that she is an asset that is important to say but why isn't it important to say whether someone doesn't think she would be?

My question is NOT a flame.

[salin]

52. because

of the declaration "is not a flame"... makes it not one? Imagine all of the flame wars that could be avoided with such a disclaimer.

[rocketdem]

41. Frankly, I'm tired of spouses being an issue at all

Electibility?

Are we electing Ms. Kerry? No. Then it shouldn't be an issue.

Does that change the fact that it can be an issue? No, or course not.

But should any Repug come out and attack a candidate's spouse, then as far as I'm concerned the gloves are off.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

43. If it comes down to Kerry vs Bush, for whom will you vote?

[MIMStigator]

48. Kerry n/t

n/t

[IndianaGreen]

54. I actually love Teresa Heinz

She is not a politician, and she has never played the traditional politician's wife. When her husband John Heinz ran for political office, Teresa chose to be a wife and a mother. After her husband's tragic death, Teresa turned down those GOP politicians that wanted her to run for her husband's seat.

Teresa Heinz always shunned the political life because as she said in a 1995 magazine interview, politics is "the graveyard of real ideas and the birthplace of empty promises."

I reject this "First Lady" nonsense! I cannot believe that Americans are still attached to this sexist bullshit role that they expect a President's spouse to take. If we had a woman President, Americans would not be expecting the "First Mate" to be lobotomized like the "First Lady" would have been.

Let's grow up and bury the remnants of sexism!

[MIMStigator]

57. I like hillary, it isn't sexist

My impression doesn't have anyting to do with sexism

[saltpoint]

71. Agreed. Emphatically. Thank you.

[bloom]

82. I can imagine a candidate - male of female

who could have a spouse that could be a detriment to a campaign.

If the person were a rude, openly obnoxious person, or a criminal of some sort.

I think people have standards and probably a candidate would not get very far, in a presidential race, with a blatantly anti-social spouse.

To assume that the superficial personality of a spouse would matter would be silly. And yet - I think seeing that a person has a loving spouse - adds bonus points. I think a person who can give moral and emotional support to someone in a presidential role is valuable. I think a person who can add ideas in the way that Hillary could, is even more valuable.

To know that Howard Dean has an exceptionally sensible wife who is a Doctor that doesn't have cable TV is a reflection of his own values and carries weight with me.

I suppose the sensible thing is to say that spouses don't matter in regards to who one should vote for. But I think that they actually do.

[MIMStigator]

55. She seems to "wordly" for most people to relate

That's part of what I don't like. Is it an electability problem?

That's what I wonder.

[Jerseycoa]

58. Oh, no, she's terrific

Really. She is very bright and straightforward. I think very highly of her.

[creativelcro]

60. I agree... Liked Judy Dean MUUUCH more....

Just sounds like a spoiled something...

[Cheswick2.0]

61. She's no Judy Dean

:7

[BeatleBoot]

66. No she's not...

:7

Pass the ketchup!

[molly]

93. Thank goodness for that!

[A-Schwarzenegger]

65. LOC

Strong rich foreign-sounding gals scare some guys
with little issues.

[GURUving]

70. At the risk of being

that is an asshole foolish statement.

Do You know her?

No? Not personally?

ding ding ding

you are foolish.

[MasonJar]

72. From what I have read she is a very vibrant, hard-working woman.

who is exceedingly independent and has strong ideas about how to help people who need it. Everyone should desist from critisizing until they have the facts. Look at all the negative about Dr Judy Dean, and it turns out that she is perfectly delightful. I like women with a mind of their own. That's the way I brought up my girls and they learned the lesson in spades.

[oldcoot]

73. Having an accent didn't hurt Arnold Schwarzenegger

People were willing to vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger despite his thick accent. Why would they care whether or not Kerry's wife has a foreign accent?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

76. Accents can cast a spell over people

and that can translate into misunderstanding.

[mzmolly]

77. I don't think a wifes likability should be an issue in the campaign

Hilary was deemed unlikable too. I frankly find this competition for the *best first lady crap* crap.

[askew]

78. I personally have no opinion on Kerry's wife one way or the other.

But, I actually know a handful of democrats who refused to vote for Gore, because of Tipper in the last election due to Tipper's work with the PMRC. Their argument was that if Gore was president, Tipper would have a larger platform to voice her censorship agenda. And it has been argued that is why many of the traditional, Hollywood liberals sat the 2000 election out and didn't hold as many fundraisers, etc. for Gore. So, it can have an impact, but only if the spouse's agenda runs counter to the party's/candidate's traditional supporters.

[Piperay]

79. I'm for Clark but

I see nothing wrong with Kerry's wife. :shrug:

[jpgpenn]

80. They are 2 elitists

That have nothing in common with the majority of America.

[deminflorida]

81. O.K. sorry but now your really getting into the bad side of me....

And for God's sakes your a Clark Supporter....

You know what buddy, my wife has a forgein accent too, she's from Poland.

She's also a permanent resident, a solid Democratic Party supporter and a great American resident. Loved by everyone here in Navarre.

General Clark met her here in Pensacola, she was the second person after me to shake his hand at the rally. He lit up, because he loves Europeans.

Ease up on Kerry's wife, your making me sick.

[MIMStigator]

89. Please read my post

I said some voters might not like an accent I didn't say I didn't. For me it is an elitist impression.

[deminflorida]

104. It's O.K.

but lots of people have accents and are not elitists. Wifes should be off limits, however....

As well as medical crap....

We'er above that sort of thing, I believe.

[bain_sidhe]

84. Oh, crap, MIM...

haven't we been through the "dissing the wife" thing already?

WWWS?

[MoonRiver]

85. There's something about her, but I think it's more me than her.

Anyway, this is what irritates me about her. I don't dislike her accent. It's the tone of her voice and the way she moves her head down and shakes it when talking. She seems like she's about to fall asleep at any moment. During Kerry's victory speech in Iowa, he and most everyone else were shouting and waving. His wife, however, just stood there with her head bowed, looking as if she were about to keel over. Maybe she has a physical problem, but something doesn't appear to be right.

[MIMStigator]

87. Its more me,too

Someone said "elitist" and that is my first impression

[LiberalBushFan]

88. I don't know if I like her.

But I am uncomfortable with the fact that Kerry is outshined by his wife. Candidates should be good enough on their own.

[bloom]

92. OK - That sounds sexist

Turn it around - if a woman had a husband with an inheritance - would THAT matter? :shrug: why???

[Killarney]

90. She's a philanthropist and works for Children's causes.

I love that!

[molly]

91. Teresa is a woman's woman - that is - a liberated woman's

woman. She is smart - independent and compassionate. She doesn't need a man to survive in this world. What part don't you like? Her independence - her looks - or the fact that noone can CNTROL her?

[arewethereyet]

94. when she decides to run then you can care about it

otherwise I'd appreciate it if you would stick to politics.

[texasmom]

95. Non-issue

I do have issues with Kerry and *his* electability and appeal in different parts of the country, but his wife has nothing to do with them. I've only read great things about her and what an asset she is to him and his campaign.

[Forkboy]

96. Shallow post of the week award

and around here that's really saying something.

[funky_bug]

97. Simple

Kerry's wife isn't running for President.

Look, maybe we were spoiled by Hillary, but Laura ain't done a whole lot for our country as First Lady... if you don't like Teresa, that's okay. She's gonna be busy with her ketchup thing anyhow.

If you don't like Teresa, take a look at Kerry. Look at his issues and look at his record. Make your support for a candidate seperate from your feelings for his spouse. Hell, Kucinich ain't got no first lady in the running, and that isn't helping or hurting him one bit.

[MIMStigator]

98. OK Then, spouses don't ever affect anybody's vote

sorry to waste time with such a shallow issue

:eyes:

[beaconess]

99. I love it that she is an "African American!"

[JI7]

100. she is a good person

most people like her very much.

[LBJBestEver]

101. I like listening to her talk. Very soothing.

[mmonk]

102. She's not running

[WillyT]

103. OK... Now I'm Poopin For Kerry !!! --- This IS Ridiculous, And Low !!!

:hurts:

I'm sure the General appreciates your... 'support'.