# Gee, what a surprise. Kerry affair rumors were bogus **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 16, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541 "2004-02-16T20:41:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/1 "2004-02-16T20:41:07Z")
To the surprise of no one Drudge et al was full of crap with their partisan attack on Kerry. I am sure they will apologize. I will just start holding my breath now. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040216/ap\_on\_el\_pr/kerry\_polier\_1](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040216/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_polier_1) > [@](#): > > NAIROBI, Kenya - A woman who has been the subject of rumors linking her to Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) denied Monday that she ever had an affair with the Democratic presidential candidate. > > Breaking her silence four days after the allegations surfaced on the Internet, Alexandra Polier issued a statement to The Associated Press, saying, “I have never had a relationship with Senator Kerry, and the rumors in the press are completely false.” Oops. Oh, and some very basic facts were even incorrect: > [@](#): > > Polier also took issue with reports that referred to her as a former Kerry intern. > > “I never interned or worked for John Kerry,” she told AP over the phone. > > In a separate statement, Polier’s parents, Terry and Donna Polier of Malvern, Pa., dismissed the “completely false and unsubstantiated” allegations about their daughter. > > “We love and support her 100 percent and these unfounded rumors are hurtful to our entire family,” the statement said. “We appreciate the way Senator Kerry has handled the situation, and intend on voting for him for president of the United States.” > > The statement did not address purported quotes by Polier’s parents in the British tabloid The Sun that were harshly critical of Kerry. Nicely done. Did they get anything right at all? And the wonder why we never get any decent candidates on either side? Who in their right mind would want to deal with this crap? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/2 "2004-02-16T20:45:14Z")
Now, now, the rumors _did_ mnage to give a bunch of conservatives some woodies over the weekend, which, I must remind you, was Valentine’s Day. So at the very least, these guys managed to save a good chunk o’ change on Viagra… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/3 "2004-02-16T20:45:45Z")
Well, Kerry humped somebody, sometime, so what, who cares - cause he’s still not Bush. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/4 "2004-02-16T20:49:05Z")
I’m wondering why nobody has mentioned why Kerry left his first wife. After all the shit the media gave Newt Gingrich over divorcing his wife who had cancer, you’d think they’d be having a field day with Kerry. Oh wait … that was assuming we had a fair press. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/5 "2004-02-16T20:57:53Z")
_One_ measly story to the contrary, and you are satisfied? Pffft. The year is young, and the campaign coffers are full. The ‘Linda Tripp’ of this case has yet to be found, but the issue is hardly done with, methinks. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/6 "2004-02-16T20:59:31Z")
> [@SnoopyFan](#): > > I’m wondering why nobody has mentioned why Kerry left his first wife. After all the shit the media gave Newt Gingrich over divorcing his wife who had cancer, you’d think they’d be having a field day with Kerry. > > Oh wait … that was assuming we had a fair press. Oops. So why did Kerry leave his first wife? Or are you going to play your little bullshit guessing games again? Robin ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/7 "2004-02-16T21:01:05Z")
I’m not an expert on politics and my knowledge of the late nineties political scene is a little sketchy since I was in my mid 'teens at the time but I’m guessing that they didn’t mention it because 1) divorce shouldn’t matter, nor should affairs and 2) Gingrich was a blowhard that was screaming about how reprehensible Clinton was for getting a hummer in the Oval Office while he was out dicking other women at the same time. And speaking of Clinton, I guess the press really is wholly libera and hates all conservativel. Everyone knows how they covered that incident up. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/8 "2004-02-16T21:05:04Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > _One_ measly story to the contrary, and you are satisfied? Pffft. The year is young, and the campaign coffers are full. The ‘Linda Tripp’ of this case has yet to be found, but the issue is hardly done with, methinks. Umm gee- it only featured the persons in question being directly quoted. I guess a person could draw a few conclusions. Unless one’s mind was already made up, regardless of the facts. And we will find those WMD’s and balance the budget through massive tax cuts too. Mmmm, Kool Aid! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/9 "2004-02-16T21:09:24Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > So why did Kerry leave his first wife? Or are you going to play your little bullshit guessing games again? > > Robin According to [this](http://www.newsmax.com/showinside.shtml?a=2003/5/12/120519) Kerry separated from his first wife while she was battling a severe case of clinical depression. This is the first I’ve heard of it and I’m of two minds. I don’t like the idea of compounding any spouse’s suffering by leaving them while in the midst of a medical crisis. OTOH, I’ve been in a relationship with someone with a host of mental illnesses including suicidal depression and it is not easy. Kerry has not to my knowledge annointed himself a Guardian of Family Values the way that Gingrich and the rest of his cabal did. It is the fundamental disconnect between “championing family values” and “pressing your wife to sign divorce papers on her sick bed” that leads to the rightful excoriation of Newt and his ilk. Should Kerry be revealed as a Newt-level Defender of The Family then I’ll find his actions in separating from his first wife to have more relevance. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/10 "2004-02-16T21:19:22Z")
Thanks for the clarification, **Otto**. The only problem I have with your cite is that it’s from Newsmax, which isn’t the most balanced source out there. I can’t find anything from a more, shall we say, reliable source. Robin ---
**Author:** ![laigle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@laigle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laigle)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/11 "2004-02-16T21:28:41Z")
Yeah, but was she battling a case of depression as a matter of course, or might it have had something to do with the fact their marriage was failing? How many people have reached the point of getting divorce papers while being upbeat and chipper (outside of Las Vegas, of course)? Seems like if you slap Kerry around for that, you wind up with the same criticism for just about everyone who ever got divorced. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/12 "2004-02-16T21:31:27Z")
> [@SnoopyFan](#): > > I’m wondering why nobody has mentioned why Kerry left his first wife. After all the shit the media gave Newt Gingrich over divorcing his wife who had cancer, you’d think they’d be having a field day with Kerry. > > Oh wait … that was assuming we had a fair press. Oops. :rolleyes: I suppose this sort of partisan bullshit is par for the course for **SnoopyFan** but let’s review the facts of the case: 1. The media actually didn’t give the issue much scrutiny at all. 2. Newt Gingrich is a sanctimonious son-of-a-bitch who had deemed himself worthy of taking the moral highground when it came to accusations of sexual misconduct against President Clinton. 3. Gingich divorced his wife _when she was hospitalized for cancer_. The sheer heartlessness of that act is what people were talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/13 "2004-02-16T21:39:40Z")
I read that Newsmax article, and there’s no there there. What’ve we got? -Kerry got divorced. -His wife was suffering depression at the same time. Sounds to me like the source of her depression was the SAME AS the source of their marital problems, not that her depression WAS the source of their marital problems. -Neither of them has invited speculation on the subject. -There’s no evidence of infidelity on either of their parts until after they got separated. -Very few people consider infidelity during long-term separation to be an issue; those people probably consider divorce to be a sin anyway. The more “dirt” conservatives dig up on Kerry, the happier I am. I mean, their candidate has got a couple drunk driving arrests to his credit in addition to ongoing rumors about cocaine abuse, questions about whether he went AWOL, and whether he lied to the public in order to get us into a war. The best they can come up with is that Kerry got some nookie when he was separated from his first wife? Excellent! Daniel ---
**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:** [February 16, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/14 "2004-02-16T21:40:54Z")
**Brutus** , let’s say that you’re correct. Let’s say that some “Linda Tripp” type friend is found and she says that Kerry boinked Ms. Polier. Let’s also say that Kerry continues to deny it. Alex Polier continues to deny it and her parents conitnue to deny it. Now what? How do we have any more of a story than if **I** accuse Shrub of porking my dog, especially if Shrub and the dog both deny it? Do you expect that more secret tapes will emerge? Videotape? Spunk on a dress? There is no criminal investigation this time, no Ken Starr, no subpoena power, no grand jury, no authority to delve anymore into this for any reason. Barring physical evidence, as long as Kerry and Polier both deny it, there is no story and no compelling reason to investigate it. So what are we to do if we have one person who accuses two other people of having sex, no allegation of criminality, denials from both parties accused and no supporting evidence? Is that a scandal in your mind. Is a mere accusation all it takes? BTW, have you seen [this](http://www.drudgereport.com/mattjk7.htm)? The story has now changed. It seems that she dated a guy who _worked_ for John Kerry. I guess that’s the “fantastic” story that Drudge was referring to in his initial report. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/15 "2004-02-16T21:44:03Z")
Drudge isn’t giving up his battle against the EEEEE-vul Kerry sez-sleaze, oh, no – just [url=http://www.drudgereport.com/mattjk7.htm]amending his innuendos a bit. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/16 "2004-02-16T22:04:03Z")
I suspect it was a conspiracy by Kenya’s tourism board! [Come to Kenya, we’ve got lions!](http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/29/) Forget scandals! Ken Ya believe it? 😛 **SnoopyFan** and **Brutus** : IMO it is more likely that the extreme right media has a poisoned well here. IMO a very effective maneuver, because many in the extreme right are refusing to see that possibility. Mmm, maybe I should not help the other side too much… I am happy to see the extreme right media getting egg in their faces. Hey _Drudge & Rush_! (sounds like a laxative no?)! Feel free to get more rope for yourselves! ---
**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:** [February 16, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/17 "2004-02-16T22:04:33Z")
I can’t figure out what Drudge’s latest update is even supposed to insinuate. Basically the story has been scaled back to a “confirmation” by the Kerry campaign that Kerry’s Financial Manager dated a cute reporter chick. Will the nation ever recover? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/18 "2004-02-16T22:20:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Now, now, the rumors did mnage to give a bunch of conservatives some woodies over the weekend, which, I must remind you, was Valentine’s Day. So at the very least, these guys managed to save a good chunk o’ change on Viagra… Rjung: now, now, be fair. I’m sure Howard Dean, Wesley Clark and John Edwards sustained their fair share of wood over the weekend as well. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/19 "2004-02-16T22:24:21Z")
You know, the last time the conservatives managed to bird-dog the press on an infidelity issue, the target was elected to two consecutive terms as President and he presided over one of the most peaceful and economically profitable periods in world history. I’m with **Daniel** , and if I can coin a phrase, I say, “bring 'em on!” ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541/20 "2004-02-16T22:35:29Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > …Barring physical evidence, as long as Kerry and Polier both deny it, there is no story and no compelling reason to investigate it. I am shocked. SHOCKED, I tell you! The Shrieking Monkey Brigade is giving Kerry a pass? But after showing themselves to be so willing to pillory GWB over imagined faults and imaginary crimes, I was _sure_ that the same standard would have been applied to Kerry! The disillusionment is too much for me to bear! Oh, wait. Business as usual for you guys. N’ermind. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gee-what-a-surprise-kerry-affair-rumors-were-bogus/229541.md?page=2)