# Does Teresa Heinz Kerry speak English? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 11, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510 "2004-07-11T02:03:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/101 "2004-07-12T22:35:28Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > If you polled 20 physicians and asked them if they thougt Ms. Edwards should lose weight, what do you think the response would be? Well I’m a physician. If you asked me for my medical opinion as to whether or not I thought Ms. Edwards should lose weight, I’d say: “I can’t answer that. I’m not her doctor, and besides, she hasn’t asked me”. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/102 "2004-07-12T22:42:49Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > Picture her saying all this in a choppy, wandering tone and you would reach the same conclusion I did. She may speak 5 languages but obviously english is not her best one. I am concerned that this may be a liability to Kerry. Oh, bullshit. Most native English speakers should be so fluent in English. She went on Larry King and said exactly the same empty platitudes expected from any political spouse, but because she did it in a funny accent, she’s a “liability” to Kerry. Stupidest goddamn thing I’ve heard all week. ---
**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:** [July 12, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/103 "2004-07-12T23:25:27Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > And the same 20 physicians, do you think they would tell Babs Bush to lose weight? Or is she, as the National Grandmother, so old that it doesn’t make any difference, as she’ll be dead soon anyway? 😃 Truth be told, I don’t really remember my thoughts about her weight when I first saw her and George together. But it’s quite possible I had the same thoughts: Hey Babs, drop a few ell-bees. It’s really the contrast-- two very trim guys with chunky wives. I’m sorry if I notice stuff like that, but it’s just out there plain as day. 🙂 ---
**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:** [July 12, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/104 "2004-07-12T23:30:01Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Well I’m a physician. > > If you asked me for my medical opinion as to whether or not I thought Ms. Edwards should lose weight, I’d say: > “I can’t answer that. I’m not her doctor, and besides, she hasn’t asked me”. OK, let’s raise the stakes. There’s a gun to your head and you are told that she has asked her doctor, who just examined her, if she should lose weight. You must guess what the doctor told her or you will be shot. Furthermore, if you do not guess correctly, you will be shot. What would you say then? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/105 "2004-07-12T23:36:51Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > OK, let’s raise the stakes. There’s a gun to your head and you are told that she has asked her doctor, who just examined her, if she should lose weight. You must guess what the doctor told her or you will be shot. Furthermore, if you do not guess correctly, you will be shot. What would you say then? You call that raising the stakes? 😕 Unless he answers the question, Bush will be re-elected! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/106 "2004-07-12T23:40:14Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > OK, let’s raise the stakes. There’s a gun to your head and you are told that she has asked her doctor, who just examined her, if she should lose weight. You must guess what the doctor told her or you will be shot. Furthermore, if you do not guess correctly, you will be shot. What would you say then? Did someone hold a gun to your head and make you post here? If not, your point has no relevance. What kind of game are you playing? ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/107 "2004-07-12T23:41:06Z")
Elizabeth Edwards is open and frank about her struggle to lose a few pounds. I think a good number of Americans voters may find her weight problem and her healthy sense of humor toward it endearing and refreshingly normal. She also less than 10 years younger than Barbara Bush was at the start of Bush Sr.'s Presidential term. **Brandus** , how can you find THK’s syntax more bewildering than Kerry’s > [@](#): > > You know, there’s a young girl, Victoria (sic) Lakey, who today is taken care of, who has medical care for the rest of her life, who needs it, because of something terrible that injured her grievously. And were it not for the skill of somebody representing that kind of person in America, which is one of the beauties of our country, people might not be taken care of. or > [@](#): > > But then they – yes, but in very different circumstances. America, number one, had not been attacked in that way, on our territory, here in America. Number two, the Congress and the country had not licensed the president to go to the lengths that we licensed George Bush. > > George Bush licensed – stood up before America and said we’re going to do anything, we’re going to go the distance, smoke them out of their caves, wanted dead or alive. Well, they had him in the mountains of Tora Bora. We had the 10th Mountain Division, we had the Marines, we had the 101st Airborne. They had all our military capacity there. That’s just the way people talk, as opposed to the way people give well-rehersed speeches. Maybe it’s just because I know so many people with accents\* that THK sounds about as articulate as any other well-educated ESL speaker. \*Yes, I know everybody has an accent, including me. You all know what I meant. ---
**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:** [July 12, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/108 "2004-07-12T23:47:11Z")
> [@glee](#): > > You call that raising the stakes? 😕 > > Unless he answers the question, Bush will be re-elected! :eek: I’m glad someone around hasn’t had a humorectomy. 🙂 I guess it’s OK to call the president a chimp (even in GD), but you can’t make fat jokes about a potential VP’s wife in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/109 "2004-07-13T04:35:11Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > …but you can’t make fat jokes about a potential VP’s wife in the Pit. You didn’t make a fat joke. You said that she should lose some weight. I don’t think you were joking. Here’s my quite serious question to you: Why does it surprise you that a trim attractive man would choose to be with a non-thin woman? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/110 "2004-07-13T05:28:31Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Truth be told, I don’t really remember my thoughts about her weight when I first saw her and George together. But it’s quite possible I had the same thoughts: Hey Babs, drop a few ell-bees. It’s really the contrast-- two very trim guys with chunky wives. I’m sorry if I notice stuff like that, but it’s just out there plain as day. 🙂 Um, this may be a bit difficult for you to absorb. You may want to take a deep breath and center yourself before reading on. Ready? Okay. Maybe those guys are happy with their wives just the way they are. Maybe they don’t give a damn that their wives don’t fit somebody else’s idea of an attractive woman. Maybe they wouldn’t give a flying fuck what you think of their wives’ figures. Maybe that’s just out there plain as day. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/111 "2004-07-13T06:38:07Z")
You’ll know the Bush-Cheney campaign is desperate when they unroll this beaut of a slogan: “Vote Bush-Cheney in 2004 – Because [our veep’s wife](http://www.cnn.com/images/0008/top.cheney.wife.wave.jpg) is a size 8.” ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/112 "2004-07-13T14:23:06Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I’m glad someone around hasn’t had a humorectomy. 🙂 > > I guess it’s OK to call the president a chimp … Calling the president a chimp is surely an insult to apes. :smack: ---
**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:** [July 13, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/113 "2004-07-13T16:04:32Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > You didn’t make a fat joke. You said that she should lose some weight. I don’t think you were joking. Well, you are simply wrong. And that’s not a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510/114 "2004-07-13T17:46:39Z")
> [@Brandus](#): > > Picture her saying all this in a choppy, wandering tone and you would reach the same conclusion I did. She may speak 5 languages but obviously english is not her best one. I am concerned that this may be a liability to Kerry. I’ve never found her accent to be hard to understand. You gotta realize, too, that transcriptions of normal spoken speech are almost always hard to read; people’s speech, when it’s documented in writing, always seems incoherent. Even the conversations of highly articulate native speakers can be very difficult to decode. When we talk, or listen to other people talking, we have a natural ability to filter that stuff out and assemble it into something sensible. But writing doesn’t convey nearly as much information, and it’s unfair to judge a person’s articulacy by examining a transcription of their speech. > [@DrDeth](#): > > Again- I hardly ever cut GWB any slack- but Mexican Spanish (or the texan dialect of it, which is again different) is spoken WAY different than Spanish. I know becuase my Grandmother spoke fluent Castilian, and although that got her respect from the Mexican workers- they had problems understanding her, and she had to make them slow down or else she could understand them at all. So- i agree with Polycarp on this one. Yeah, so Mexican Spanish is different from Spanish Spanish. So? He wasn’t speaking in reference to a particular dialect of Spanish, and judging from what I’ve heard, I doubt he’d have much ability to perceive different accents in Spanish. It took me until I was much more proficient in it than he is to really be able to place accents, or describe them. “Mexican” is not used, either in English or in Spanish, to refer to Mexican Spanish. It’s called “español”, and probably on occasion “castellano”, but never “mexicano” - unless you’re explicitly contrasting different dialects of the language. It would have been totally irrelevant for Bush to make some sort of point about it in response to that question. It was a slip of the tongue. A “brain fart”. He used the wrong word, by accident, because “Spanish” and “Mexican” are words that are associated in his mind. No, it doesn’t make him stupid (nor do any of the errors that people comb through his speeches) but it also wasn’t some kind of deliberate point that he was making. We all make mistakes when talking, and Bush, for all people talk about him, is perfectly comprehensible to me. I don’t see why people need to either attack or justify mistakes he makes when speaking. Attack the points he makes, not his accent or his occasional slurring of words. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-teresa-heinz-kerry-speak-english/254510.md?page=5)