My 2¢ On the Kerry Kerfuffle.

Everyone else has had something to say, and on top of that, everyone is entitled to my opinion, so here goes:

Initially, all I saw was the YouTube video clip of Kerry's idiotic statement. My immediate response was the same as pretty much everyone who was not an apparatchik of the Democrat Party - he was insulting the intelligence and education of the troops serving in Iraq.

It was not until later that I heard the context of the comment, specifically what he had said immediately prior to the insertion of his foot into his mouth past the knee. I've searched the interweb high and low for the sentences that preceeded those words,and haven't found them, which I find fascinating in itself. However, this afternoon on the way home I was listening to the local Christian radio station - they carry the Hugh Hewitt show. Their newscast, which I have no reason to doubt, related that just prior, Kerry had made comments about having just been in Texas, and other comments about Bush having lived there. Given that preface, I can believe that he unintentionally left out one, critical word: "us." As in:

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get us stuck in Iraq."

Arrogant as he is, I don't think even Kerry would deliberately say something that stupid in a speech, in front of cameras.

It was, I think, a Freudian slip. I'm convinced that he thinks that way, and that's what caused the slip. Given what he's said in the past, I don't think he respects military personnel at all.

On top of that, the intended joke was the height of lame. The thing that came immediately to mind after his first protestations of meaning the joke as an insult to Bush was, "So, if you don't study hard, do your homework, and make an effort to be smart, you get to be a two-term President?" Who's he insulting there?

No, either way John Kerry is merely exhibiting what I see as the overwhelming condescension the Democrat party holds towards those who disagree with it:

"So VOTE FOR US!"

UPDATE: Via Dr. Sanity: