The George W. Bush Years

On August 30, 2004, during the Republican National Convention, Sen. John Kerry went to his family vacation home on Nantucket Island for some recreation and downtime. One afternoon, the senator invited the press pool to camp out on the seashore as he went windsurfing off the coast. I only recall two network television cameras at the location. Kerry was fairly far away as he maneuvered his windsurfer through the wind and water. It was a much easier shot for the still cameras, with their longer lenses. (Although we did manage to get a few good shots.)

Since it was a pool situation, the material was available to the rest of the media. As it turned out, the Republican Party decided to make use of the shots. They immediately put together attack ads under the theme of John Kerry’s flip-flops. The video showed pictures of Kerry sailing in one direction and the flipping back and forth as the announcer asks, “In which direction would John Kerry lead?” He then states that Kerry was for the Iraq War, then opposed it. Supported it, now opposes it again. He continues by saying, “Kerry voted for $87 billion to support our troops before he voted against it.” As the pictures continue to flip-flop, the announcer says, “He voted for education reform, now opposes it. He claims he’s against increasing Medicaid premiums, but voted five times to do so.” It finishes with, “John Kerry – whichever way the wind blows.”

Politico Magazine has the photo op listed among the worst political photo ops in history. The response from the Democratic campaign was an ad that stated, “With thousands of casualties, two Americans beheaded just this week, the Pentagon admits terrorists are pouring into Iraq…in the face of the Iraq quagmire, George Bush’s answer is to run a juvenile and tasteless ad.” A significant number of political analysts credit the “flip-flop” campaign with damaging Kerry’s numbers at the polls.

In 2018 the compound where the Kerry family stayed while windsurfing on Nantucket sold for $17.5 million. The family reportedly bought another property on Martha’s Vineyard.