I don’t understand what all the fuss is about.
Granted, I have the fashion sense of a golfing clown, but I don’t see what’s disrespectful about his attire.
On a tangent, did anyone else see a picture or footage of the railroad tracks into Auschwitz that were set on fire? There was a picture in the Star Tribune, and I found it very powerful. They, fittingly, looked like tracks to Hell.
It was mentioned that in colder weather, namely the Innaugaration, he seemed to find it OK to wear appropriate clothing.
Sick my ass…the man didn’t want to be there and it shows.
And yet:
So your sad little apologia doesn’t hold much water.
Sad fact is the Cheney didn’t want to be there, probably had little respect for the ceremony itself and made no bones about hiding it. Or maybe he recognized the hypocrisy of the man who helped set up torture camps to come help memorialize the Holocaust.
Guilty until proven innocent, then?
Obviously none of you have attended a traditional Jewish memorial service. It’s actually a sign of the highest respect to wear distinctive apparel such as GoreTex sporting wear and hats with writing on them. At any given Jewish funeral, you’re likely to see any number of people wearing huge foam Green Bay Packers cheese wedges and T-shirts reading “Dr. Zog’s Sex Wax: The Best for Your Stick.” It’s an ancient tradition dating back millenia.
Or perhaps the ensemble has some kind of deep personal, private significance to Cheney. Maybe he was wearing it during the 9/11 attacks, and it’s now his official mourning garb. Maybe he had to wear it while masterminding the Afghanistan campaign because his “undisclosed location” had a malfunctioning heater. Maybe it’s the oufit he was wearing on that dcuk hunt when Judge Scalia declared his undying love for him.
I’m actually kind of surprised: given Cheney’s history, I would have at least expected the hat to sport a Nike logo or something instead. Clearly the man isn’t as mercenary as the liberal press has depicted him, to forgo this golden opportunity to rake in some extra cash with product placement.
Here’s what I think: on the way over, Cheney got to thinking about how he was supposed to be going to a ceremony memorializing the inhumanity of the concentration camps, in the capacity of official representative of an administration that’s running at least one such camp of its own (albeit on a much smaller scale, of course). Thinking about all this made him so nervous and upset that he threw up all over his overcoat, so he had to borrow a subsitute from a military crew member.
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
To be honest, I think that it’s kind of cruel and a little silly to pick on an aging gentleman for wearing something warm and practical. Look at that photo! Everyone there is freezing!
I do not care for the Bush administration’s policies one bit, and if I were eligible to vote, my vote wouldn’t have gone to them, but I don’t think that it’s a sign of deep disrespect that the guy wore a parka to an outdoor event. Sure, a darker coloured parka would have been nice, but it’s all externals. And I also suspect that if Bush and Cheney were better liked by the European press (which I strongly get the impression they’re not) this probably wouldn’t have been a story.
He might be the VP of the USA, but he’s also getting along in the frail and poor health department, and I’d not like to see (if any of them were still alive) my grandparents shivering out in the icy weather. It just doesn’t seem compassionate to harrass the poor guy about that. (As opposed to policy decisions of greater weight than whether to put on a warm coat or not, which of course are open for criticism.)
You obviously haven’t seen this weekend’s “To do” list!
Give it up, Martin- let them have their two-minute Cheney-hate.
Undoubtably so. All this criticism of an old man in poor health is just petty.
Some have made a big deal of the fact that he wore lighter clothing to his inauguration. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, though. Perhaps he learned, from that incident, that he really needs to dress more warmly. Or perhaps his physician has urged him to take greater precautions. Or maybe his health has simply taken a turn for the worse. We just don’t know.
And to say that Cheney should be deemed guilty unless someone can PROVE that his thick coat was medically necessary – well, that’s just plain spiteful.
Yes, that was a jaw-dropping image.
Having lived in Europe for about 2 years, I think what this shows more than anything is a difference between European and US sensibilities. Dress was much more important there, and I learned this the hard way by humiliating myself and my host family a few times. In the US health and weather conditions clearly justify choice of clothing. In Europe I found circumstances, respect and pride were much more significant factors.
President Bush was widely criticized for his lack of travel outside the US before becoming president, and I personally feel this has been an Achilles heel of his administration–just not understanding how the rest of the world works.
Gorbachev, a European leader in poor health, would not have been dressed like Cheney.
I find this a telling incident about a lack of understanding about how other countries perceive American social norms, but I am inclined to believe Cheney meant no disrespect. However, I’d love to have the folks leading our country be a more culturally astute bunch.
If Dick is so freakin’ sick, why not send picture of health Condie or maybe even W. himself? Was he too busy clearing brush on the ranch or stealing Social Security money?
As several people have pointed out, there are plenty of ways to dress warmly, and a lot of them do not involve sportswear. There are other kinds of hats besides a ski cap with a logo on it.
What he was wearing was inappopriate attire for a solemn ceremony.
It was inappropriate attire.
It’s not that big of deal.
Considering the evil and corruption perpetrated by that man, I can’t find myself drumming up any feelings at all about this trivial faux pas.
Hey, could have been worse. At least Prince Harry wasn’t there…
Keep in mind that the original criticism was from the fashion writer of the Washington Post, and many of the European press reports were quoting her comments.
As for the image of the railroad tracks mentioned by BlackKnight, can you provide a link to that? I’m curious to see it.
I’d say, welcome! And give the man a beer, same as if he was wearing a suit. All kidding aside, Cheney is IMHO a Class 1 Asshole, and I bet his outfit was chosen to make a point to everyone in attendance. Karl Rove probably picked out the knit cap.
[/bitterness]
I’m with FriarTed and JThunder here. It’s rather pathetic that so many Dopers are so desperate to hate Cheney that they’re trying to read evil intentions into his choice of coats. Really, people. He’s an old man in bad health. He’s obviously freezing cold in that photo, and for that matter so is everybody else. Yes, everything I’ve every heard about Cheney suggests that “Dick” is a very appropriate first name, but can’t you find a better target for your ire, like the war or the social security reforms or something?
I think this thread would work better in the Pit, as the Vice President does look quite the schmoe.
– Uke, Cafe Society Mod & Natty Dresser