Gotta tell ya, after watching this video of a Fred visit to a firehouse in Waverly, Iowa where he declines to put on a firemans hat, calling it his “silly hat rule”, and then reading Roger Simon’s description of the event I have to wonder what planet Roger is on.
Here is Roger’s take on it, making the whole thing sound awkward:
Inside, Thompson shook a few hands — there were only about 15 people there — and then Chief Dan McKenzie handed Thompson the chief’s fire hat so Thompson could put it on.
Thompson looked at it with a sour expression on his face.
“I’ve got a silly hat rule,” Thompson said.
In point of fact, the “silly” hat was the one Chief McKenzie wore to fires and I am guessing none of the firefighters in attendance considered it particularly silly, but Thompson was not going to put it on. He just stood there holding it and staring at it. [Curt – watch the video and tell me you see this?]
To save the moment, Jeri Thompson took the hat from her husband’s hands and put it on her head.“You look cute,” Thompson said to her. She did.
Jeri took off the hat and McKenzie led the Thompsons over to a fire truck.
The chief invited Thompson to climb up behind the wheel, but Thompson said, “Naw, this is fine.” And he stood there looking at the fire truck.
Jeri once again saved the moment by engaging the chief in some actual conversation.
“How many people do you serve?” she asked.
“About 10,000,” Chief McKenzie said.
Thompson walked away from the fire truck, posed for a picture or two and the event was over. He and his entourage got on his bus and roared out of town.
Don’t see it. But I do remember these incidents: (h/t Second Hand Conjecture)
Now both of those were suits of people who should be admired. Those working for NASA and those who fight for our country. But in both of those incidences they looked like fools.
Fred know this. I have no doubt whatsoever that he respects those firefighters but he also knows about the sharks waiting to jump all over him for looking silly, and believe me, he would have.
Now why would Roger write this piece this way? Jay at Stop The ACLU knows why:
Maybe the hit piece had something to do with the writer, who has a history of not liking Fred that much.
Now if Fred screws up, I will call it. His video presentation at the debate a few weeks ago, I called him on it. Like the video but not the timing and said so. But this was no screw up. The video shows this and it also shows us that Roger may well consider being a bit more objective, as all professional writers should, and not letting his personal feelings for the candidate color his descriptions of events.
UPDATE
I’ve just finished reading Allah’s post on the subject, which he entitles “”Brutal”: Fred’s painfully awkward day in Iowa” and I have to wonder at Allah’s objectivity here. He viewed the video, saw that the situation was not awkward but actually kind of friendly, but still believes the rest of Roger Simons piece. There is evidence Roger has a bias against the man (see above) but that’s still not enough. Video doesn’t jive with written account = Don’t believe the rest of the written account.
Common sense really.
Allah attempts to excuse this by saying if Huck had done this we would be all over him. Wrong. We are all over him for the way he has led in the past and his flip-flopping on issues. Whether he wears a hat or not is no big deal.
And another thing, working as a cop (some on the east wear hats, we don’t) if I had my hat with me I would never think to offer it to any political candidate. I mean why would I do that? Why does this fireman do it? Maybe it’s just me but it would never cross my mind.
But I digress….
I guess the point I’m trying to make is has it come to this? Are we this pathetic that we judge a candidate on whether he puts a hat on or not? Not on his policies, not on his prior history of leading, not on his belief system….but on a hat.
Sigh…
And another thing, a man in fire gear wearing a hat looks professional. A man wearing a suit and a firemans hat looks retarded.
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