7 Comments to 'Fred Thompson’s “no silly hat rule”'
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Fred Thompson’s “no silly hat rule”
Posted By katie allison granju
Apparently Thompson’s campaign style isn’t getting rave reviews from the hometown Iowa press, including this Waverly columnist:
But what happened to the “tour of downtown Waverly” that was on his schedule?
Canceled. Not going to happen. He was not going to walk the streets of Waverly in search of voters.
Instead, Thompson rode four blocks to the local fire station. Local fire stations always have captive audiences (unless there is a fire).
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.
UPDATE: Commenter (see below) says this columnist doesn’t accurately recount what Thompson said or the context in which he said it
Dec 28th, 2007
You might actually listen to the entire clip and quote his entire sentence. He said: “I have a silly hat rule, which I’m about to break. ” At which point everyone laughed (albeit uncomfortably)
Why do we treat our Presidential Candidates like dancing bears. What next? He should put on a tutu when making an appearance at the ballet?
Well- if he DOES look silly- the press would run with it. That is- if the press was still covering Fred.
Regardless of the context, he suggested that the hat of a firefighter is silly. My wife’s grandfather was a firefighter, and his hat is displayed at the home he shared with his wife before he died from lung cancer which he developed after many years of wearing that hat to fires. The hat is a protective device but also serves as a symbol of firefighters, a symbol recognizable by anyone who sees it.
I can’t imagine a more dangerous or selfless job than that of firefighter. I can’t imagine the balls Fred must have to insult the uniform of some of our bravest citizens. There is no context in which he could have called that hat silly that would make it okay.
Sam, you’re COMPLETELY off base on this. First of all, this was well covered two weeks ago, when it happened; second, Fred was saying that donning headgear for a job that he can’t perform is no way to bask in the reflected glory from men who CAN do it.
When Mike Dukakis wore a tank commander’s helmet with his suit, did he look like a tank commander, or just a silly pretender? If Fred had worn a fire chief’s helmet with his suit, would he have looked like a fireman, or a silly politician?
The hat has to match the rest of the clothing. I’m sure that if Thompson were to put on full turnout gear, he’d have been proud to wear the hat as well. But a fireman’s hat doesn’t make him a fireman - and it DOES look silly with a tie.
When this story first broke, it was an LA Times columnist. Are you sure it was a Waverly columnist?
The fire chief, interviewed later, said he was certainly not insulted, so I have to wonder about anyone who wasn’t there getting insulted.
Did he or did he not suggest that a firefighter’s hat is silly? Regardless of the fire chief’s feelings, I found it insulting, and I’m the kind of average Joe that he’s supposed to be wooing.
Sam writes: “Did he or did he not suggest that a firefighter’s hat is silly? ”
Nope. Fred’s exact words were “I have a silly hat rule, that I’m about to break…” He’s saying that politicians who wear professional hats for photo ops are silly. Not that the HAT is silly; the POLITICIAN is silly.