Poor Lurch...

Boat tax saga hurts Kerry; how much is hard to gauge

As political missteps go, Senator John F. Kerry’s yacht issues may ultimately be considered just a minor stumble. But in a state that has just elected a new US senator with the carefully crafted image of a pickup-driving, barn jacket-wearing common man, Kerry now seems likely to be perceived as ever more out of touch, political analysts said yesterday.

Gotta love the gratuitous dig at Scott Brown. Not only can they not even name the man, but they have to insinuate that his "image" was "carefully crafted" - gee, there's no possible way that Brown could be the real thing, right? There's also no "crafting" going on with the Globe's favorite politician Øbama, either, is there? I mean, the images of the big Ø walking on water and parting the Red Sea were happenstance, right?

The other thing that's missing from this story is the fact that the $7 million yacht was purchased from a boatyard in New Zealand, despite there being world-class boatyards right here in New England. In a time when Americans are out of work, when American industries - especially those that cater to folks in Lurch's demographic - are hurting and laying folks off, Kerry goes outside of the US for his expensive playtoys. Kerry's not merely aloof, he's completely and utterly out of touch.

And naturally, the media covers for him every step of the way. From the unnecessary swipe at (the unnamed) Scott Brown to the exhortations of "look at his voting record" the story is written with one thing in mind: damage control. The unspoken warning is crystal clear: You got this one free, Lurch, but the next misstep might cost you. Kerry needs to watch his step carefully - he's only a $10 million mansion or a $75 million private jet away from losing the common man's vote...

In any case, Lurch is up in 2014 - I wonder if the MA GOP would be interested in a loudmouth, opinionated, shaved head biker gunblogger to run against him?

That is all.