# Any Truth to This Story about John Kerry and Pres Bush? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 3, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516 "2010-09-03T18:42:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/21 "2010-09-03T19:55:39Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > > But this story does make a valid point.It illustrates how some conservative beliefs are based on invented fantasies presented as truth. > > I don;t think that the belief that liberals are more fond of redistributive government than conservatives is “based” on this story as much as the story is an illustration of it. The meme that liberals are “redistributionists” is bullshit all by itself. Bush really did go AWOL, by the way. That’s a fact. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/22 "2010-09-03T19:57:19Z")
It almost sounds like a joke which then got rewritten into a true story. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/23 "2010-09-03T19:58:25Z")
There is no way this is true, and if it were true, we’d have heard about it in 2004. It wouldn’t just be surfacing as an internet anecdote six years later. For the record I can’t imagine any politician just asking some random person for $100. There are far too many ways it could blow up in the politician’s face. Liberal or conservative, if a politician asked you for $100, I think you’d be much more likely to give him a smartass answer than fork over the money. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/24 "2010-09-03T20:01:46Z")
I hear my conservative uncle basically telling this story without the specifics over and over. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/25 "2010-09-03T20:01:50Z")
You know how I know it isn’t true? _Because real people don’t act that way._ ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/26 "2010-09-03T20:16:04Z")
Well, it looks like propaganda, walks like propaganda quacks like propaganda and sinks like a lead fucking balloon since John Kerry is not a caricature of a 1917 Soviet collectivist. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@Captain\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/27 "2010-09-03T20:23:43Z")
I don’tlike George W. Bush. I wished Kerry would have won over Bush. But I am happy that someone won the popular vote and the election. Bush beat Kerry in votes. Bush wins. Kerry could of won Ohio and the election, but lost the popular vote. For me personally, I did not want the shit thsat happened in 2000 to happen in 2004. Kerry was 130,000 votes away in Ohio from winning the election, even though he would of been 2 million votes down nationwide. How much this would have been just deserts for Bush, I think if this happened twice, especially so close after 9/11 would of been somewhat chaotic. I am for getting rid of the Electorial College System and just let the nation chooses the President. 50% and one vote to win. Fuck, let’s overthrow Obama and make Gore President? The SOB won the election. Gore is somewhat of a Goober but I would love to see him kick George W’s ass in a live old political opponents ass sodomizing match. From the MGM Grand in Lost Wages, Nevada. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/28 "2010-09-03T20:28:23Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I don;t think that the belief that liberals are more fond of redistributive government than conservatives is “based” on this story as much as the story is an illustration of it. > > I seem to remember a certain amount of talk after the National Guard memos had been shown to be forged, that even though this particular story was false, it was still important because Bush was a deserter or AWOL or somesuch. Perhaps this story could be considered in the same light. > > Regards, > Shodan In other words, it’s okay to tell a lie as long as it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/29 "2010-09-03T20:30:35Z")
Irrespective of the falsity of the story, there is one truth attached to it – there are a considerable number of people who will accept it as fact, even after being confronted with irrefutable facts that is indeed false. That’s the real sadness. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/30 "2010-09-03T20:36:14Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > It almost sounds like a joke which then got rewritten into a true story. Yes, that’s exactly my take. I bet it was told as a joke, and then morphed into “reality”. It has that jokey feel about it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/31 "2010-09-03T21:15:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Some people fall for anything. Dopers have expressed a belief … that there was election fraud in Ohio Well, we don’t know that it happened. But we do know that the person in the best position to make it happen said that he was going to help Bush win, and we have no evidence that he was being untruthful when he said it. I prefer not to call people liars without evidence. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/32 "2010-09-03T21:54:58Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > > [@emacknight](#): > > > > Hannity message board. > > > > So is the consensus that the story is completely made up? > > I think the consensus is that anonymous and obviously made up slander doesn’t really belong in Great Debates in the first place. this gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/33 "2010-09-03T22:01:38Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > > [@Czarcasm](#): > > > > I think the consensus is that anonymous and obviously made up slander doesn’t really belong in Great Debates in the first place. > > this gets my vote. But look at the debate it started. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/34 "2010-09-03T22:08:21Z")
A new development. A picture of Kerry’s [spy](http://www.mathewingram.com/work/wp-content/uploads/spy%20vs%20spy.jpg)has surfaced. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/35 "2010-09-03T22:14:50Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > But look at the debate it started. A whole bunch of people going “pull the other one, it’s got bells on” does not constitute a debate. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/36 "2010-09-03T23:33:42Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I grant you that it would have to be an anti-Bush story to trigger that level of gullibility, but I suppose it could happen on the other side as well. > > Regards, > Shodan No, all _conservative_ posters on the Straight Dope are gullible morons! I didn’t want you to think that we all _completely_ overlooked your little tapdance around the rules there. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/37 "2010-09-04T00:20:27Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Well, it looks like propaganda, walks like propaganda quacks like propaganda and sinks like a lead fucking balloon since John Kerry is not a caricature of a 1917 Soviet collectivist. Dude, I’m a collectivist & I’m really bugged by this story–_because it’s the same old trope that a Dem nominee to high office is really stupid._–& a lot of people from GOP subcultures will believe it. The stories people tell about Mondale became the stories they tell about Kerry. Obama’s lucky they think he’s the AntiChrist, because at least they grant him above-average intellect. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/38 "2010-09-04T00:59:32Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > A new development. > > A picture of Kerry’s [spy](http://www.mathewingram.com/work/wp-content/uploads/spy%20vs%20spy.jpg)has surfaced. So all liberal spies are black, huh? Or all black spies are liberal? Or all blacks are liberal spies? Or… ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/39 "2010-09-04T01:08:15Z")
> [@](#): > > It was Columbus day, 2004, the last major holiday before the Presidential election between George Bush and John Kerry. Both were in Columbus, Ohio. > > George Bush was walking down the right side of the street when he approached a young man. Yeah, the sitting President of the United States was just walking down the sidewalk. Happens every day. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516/40 "2010-09-04T02:01:18Z")
The story’s too stupid to have any value as an anecdote or an allegory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-truth-to-this-story-about-john-kerry-and-pres-bush/552516.md?page=3)