Mixed Reviews for Kerry at VFW Convention

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Vets on Kerry: Cheers or Jeers?

John Kerry, who by the way served in Vietnam, gave a speech yesterday to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a group that, as the Washington Times notes, Kerry's Vietnam Veterans Against the War called "a paramilitary, pro-war organization" back in the 1970s. What's interesting is how divergent are the reports of the reception Kerry received from the group. Here is the liberal New York Times:

The veterans' group played host to both candidates this week--Mr. Bush spoke to them on Monday--as the two camps vie for the hearts and minds and votes of veterans, an important constituency in this election and one that has traditionally leaned Republican. This year, however, veterans seem more closely divided in their support of the two candidates. Today, the V.F.W. audience greeted Mr. Kerry with frequent applause, much as it had Mr. Bush on Monday.

But the conservative American Spectator reports (second item) that "Kerry is said by several advance staffers to have been visibly upset at the reception he received at the VFW convention on Wednesday in Cincinnati":

"He was upset after the speech, visibly upset when he was out of public view," says a Kerry adviser, confirming the story.

Kerry was greeted by polite applause in the large auditorium, with many VFW members sitting with their arms crossed and not applauding at all. A few VFW members stood in the rear of the room with their backs turned to the dais. . . .

"He's not used to not getting a warm reception," says the advance staffer. "He can handle the Bush hooligans we get, but when he's told he'll be greeted well, he expects that to be the case."

Who's right? The Associated Press account is far closer to the Spectator's than the Times':

Kerry received a polite if not overwhelmingly positive reaction from the VFW. But there was a clear divide, with scores of veterans sittings with their arms folded while others clapped.

This is from the caption of a photo that shows two vets giving Kerry their backs. If a picture is worth a thousand words, the AP is 923 words more credible than the Times.

War veterans Jere Hill, middle, from Warham, Mass., and Robert Gibson, right, from Lexington, Ky., stand with their backs turned during Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (news - web sites)'s speech at the 105th Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Cincinnati on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004. Man in foreground is unidentified. Kerry received a polite if not overwhelmingly positive reaction from the VFW. But there was a clear divide, with scores of veterans sittings with their arms folded while others clapped. (AP Photo/David Kohl)