Break a Leg!

John Kerry is a noted sportsman, despite his 71 years. Who can forget how he wind-surfed his way into the hearts of voters everywhere in 2004? Or his goose-hunting excursion in Ohio during the same campaign, where he claimed to have shot a goose–gotta have credibility with these swing-state rubes!–but when he emerged from the woods he wasn’t carrying one; a picture of a dead goose would have been bad optics with the base.

Then there is John Kerry the snowboarder. This photo of Kerry with a snowboard and a jacket with a flower-power zipper pull was spotted by my wife, posted here, picked up by Drudge, and seen by millions, possibly dooming Kerry’s presidential ambitions:

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Kerry is also an enthusiastic biker. Today, taking a break from his diplomatic duties, he wanted to ride a stretch of the Tour de France, near Switzerland. This is no easy matter: Kerry was surrounded by policemen on motorcycles and another layer of cars that contained security as well as Kerry’s entourage. You can see some of that in this photo:

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I love the outfit. Unfortunately, Kerry had a mishap and broke his right leg. According to the Los Angeles Times, the accident wasn’t attributable to a feat of derring-do:

When the accident happened, however, Kerry was traveling slowly on flat ground, the French news service Agence France Presse reported. His bicycle tire appears to have hit a curb, causing him to fall, local officials told the news service.

Fortunately, Kerry’s entourage includes a doctor. He is now being flown back to Boston for treatment. It is unclear whether this cloud has a silver lining. Kerry was in Europe primarily to participate in nuclear negotiations with Iran, but news reports indicate that those negotiations may not miss a beat, as they are being “personally guided by President Obama and White House aides.” Yes, that’s what we were afraid of.

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