Kerry Takes His Shotgun to Ohio, Red Sox Glow in Tow

John Kerry spent 21 October 2004 on an Ohio farm hunting geese and courting voters, stepping out of a cornfield with his shotgun broken open over his arm in a scripted photo opportunity. Hunters alongside him held four birds; asked why he carried none, Kerry said simply, "Too lazy."

The Democratic candidate has a record of supporting the constitutional right to bear arms but also backs background checks for gun buyers and restrictions on assault weapons, positions that have earned him an "F" rating from the National Rifle Association.

Republicans treated the outing as a prop. President George W. Bush, speaking in Pennsylvania, mocked Kerry's camouflage attire, while Vice President Dick Cheney suggested the hunting jacket was a campaign costume meant to obscure Kerry's voting record on gun rights.

Kerry was also buoyed by the Boston Red Sox, who had just beaten the New York Yankees four games in a row to advance to the World Series, ending years of near-misses. He watched the decisive game from his Ohio hotel room.

Ohio is a key battleground ahead of the 2 November election, where Kerry leads in cities hurt by job losses but lags behind Bush in rural areas.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in October 2004, in its own words.