# Say it ain't so, Kerry! Not Jane Fonda! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 12, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907 "2004-02-12T19:28:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/1 "2004-02-12T19:28:07Z")
If anyone thought the mud won’t be flinging fast and hard this election season, there’s a photograph of John Kerry in the background [at an anti-war rally in 1970 featuring Jane Fonda.](http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/11/elec04.prez.kerry.fonda/index.html) And of course there’s the requisite comments from conservatives about how he’s really a cowardly two-faced anti-veteran liberal scumbag. What I find doubtful is the notion that this will have much traction with anyone except the diehard [Newsmax.com](http://Newsmax.com) readership (where the photo first surfaced) this early in the campaign. A photograph like this is best saved for a time like September or so, when the visual impact could linger the longest but before the questions about it come up. Questions like, hey this was taken two years before she went to Hanoi, why should we care? Frankly, this gives Kerry plenty of time to define his stance on the Vietnam War, and I don’t think this will hurt him. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/2 "2004-02-12T19:34:46Z")
My guess this is gonna be like the “Gore said he invented the internet” bullshit. It will get trotted out, debunked, trotted out, debunked, pretty much forever. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/3 "2004-02-12T19:53:27Z")
He was in the same crowd with her on an occasion. Big fucking deal. Anyone who attended a Braves game in the '90s can say the same thing. Haj ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/4 "2004-02-12T19:53:26Z")
Political joke from the 1988 election: What’s the difference between Dan Quayle and Jane Fonda? Jane Fonda went to Vietnam! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/5 "2004-02-12T20:29:04Z")
To steal a line from Beloit’s college mindset list, the only revolution Jane Fonda is associated with anymore is those Fitness Revolution tapes up in the attic. Oh, and I think there’s a reference to her in the Simpsons somewhere along the lines of “Millions of women and I had to marry Jane Fonda.” It’s no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/6 "2004-02-12T20:38:06Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > …It’s no big deal. To an extent, I agree, but this picture isn’t going to get Kerry lots of cross-over/undecided voted, come November. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/7 "2004-02-12T20:43:20Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > To an extent, I agree, but this picture isn’t going to get Kerry lots of cross-over/undecided voted, come November. On the other hand it isn’t likely to cost him any swing votes either. The “I Hate Hanoi Jane” crowd is solidly in the Bush column anyway; actually, they’re more in the Buchanan column, but they will grudgingly have to settle for a moderate like Bush. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/8 "2004-02-12T20:49:08Z")
I can’t see that this would be a big deal. The fact that he protested the Vietnam War after his return is well-known. Whether he did it with or without Jane Fonda would make little difference, I think. If people don’t like those who protested the Vietnam War, they won’t like him either way. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/9 "2004-02-12T20:56:05Z")
So what should we expect next week? “Senator John Kerry was in _the same hemisphere_ as Fidel Castro in 1972! Shock! Horror! Bush 2004!” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/10 "2004-02-12T20:56:34Z")
Don’t make us bring out that picture of Dick Cheney shaking hands with Saddam Hussein again. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/11 "2004-02-12T20:57:03Z")
I’m not a big Kerry fan but I can’t imagine anybody in their right mind giving this much credence. Even as a Republican I’m still thinking “So what, this is nothing.” The only thing even vaguely interesting to me about the photo was whether or not he was wearing sunglasses (I think he is). Other than that, big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/12 "2004-02-12T20:58:33Z")
This has already been addressed in the Pit—however, as I understand the photo shows a young John Kerry sitting in the same audience as a young Jane Fonda. Both were speakers at an anti-war rally at Valley Forge, PA. The photo hardly shows them together except in the sense that I might be said to be with any number of some hundred of people who are attending the same movie. There are two questions to ask and answer. They are 1. Q; When was the photo taken? A: In 1970. 2. Q: When did Jane Fonda go to Hanoi? A; In 1972. That ought to answer all insinuations attempting to put Senator Kerry and Miss Fonda in the same bed. The implications of the photo and its presentation at this juncture are dishonest. The \*Washington Times \* piece that buried the critical information deep in the text was merely disingenuous. An appropriate response to all this would be to publish and publish and publish the photo of Secretary Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/13 "2004-02-12T21:00:48Z")
> [@](#): > > And of course there’s the requisite comments from conservatives about how he’s really a cowardly two-faced anti-veteran liberal scumbag. I don’t think he’s cowardly. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/14 "2004-02-12T21:11:58Z")
How utterly pathetic. I can see this is gonna be one ugly presidential race. ---
**Author:** ![bbonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecb155/32.png) [@bbonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbonden)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/15 "2004-02-12T21:14:56Z")
Likely R voter here. I don’t see anything remotely interesting in finding two people, both of whom were on record as opposing a war, at an anti-war rally. I don’t see how anyone cares; surely every voter has some issue more important than a 1970 rally on their personal agenda. On the other hand, I did see interesting speculation that the bearded fellow sitting behind Fonda is a time-traveling Brad Pitt. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/16 "2004-02-12T21:32:12Z")
> [@MrVisible](#): > > Don’t make us bring out that picture of Dick Cheney shaking hands with Saddam Hussein again. That was Rummy, not Dick. And I happen to know that he was trying to steal Saddam’s soul through that handshake. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/17 "2004-02-12T21:42:32Z")
So, I guess other than this one unfortunate lapse, Kerry would have swept up the support of the entire right wing of the Republican party? Damn! So close, and yet . . . These are the same people who couldn’t think of anything at all about the entire Clinton adminstration to criticize except Hillary and Monica. You know, the intelligencia of the Republican Party. The thinking segement. Tris ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/18 "2004-02-12T22:51:00Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > That was Rummy, not Dick. And I happen to know that he was trying to steal Saddam’s soul through that handshake. Maybe they were exchanging long protein strings.😉 ---
**Author:** ![MrVisible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@MrVisible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrVisible)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/19 "2004-02-12T22:57:00Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > That was Rummy, not Dick. And I happen to know that he was trying to steal Saddam’s soul through that handshake. Damn! I always get my neocons confused. I should have a reference handy, like, say, their pictures printed on a pack of playing cards… ---
**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:** [February 12, 2004, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907/20 "2004-02-12T23:01:56Z")
> [@MrVisible](#): > > Damn! I always get my neocons confused. I should have a reference handy, like, say, their pictures printed on a pack of playing cards… [Someone beat you to it.](http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0715-12.htm) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-it-aint-so-kerry-not-jane-fonda/228907.md?page=2)