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Your candidate wears army boots
Originally appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 10/14/01
Just before last week's televised debate between the gubernatorial candidates at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, the big question in the pressroom there had nothing to do with schools, taxes, guns or abortion.
Inquiring minds wanted to know about James E. McGreevey's choice of footwear.
"McGreevey's wearing combat boots!" Bill Pascoe, campaign manager for Republican nominee Bret D. Schundler, announced after returning from the stage where the candidates were getting ready.
There was considerable speculation that McGreevey, who is several inches shorter than Schundler, might wear high shoes to close the so-called stature gap between the candidates. But combat boots?
Rich McGrath, McGreevey's spokesman, initially offered no comment when asked to confirm the allegation. McGrath then left the room and came back with a denial.
"They are not combat boots," McGrath said, explaining that they were soft, black walking shoes with thick soles.
(An independent observation confirmed that the soles were much thicker than those of the average shoe.)
Why the thick soles? For comfort, McGrath said, because the candidate had to stand on his feet for an hour during the debate.
Told that McGreevey's people characterized the footwear as "walking shoes," Pascoe quipped: "They're walking shoes in Israel."
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