[Graymatter]

For once I'm the optimist in a largely pessimistic crowd. I watched Nightline and thought that on balance it was a plus for the swift vets. Not that it was unbiased, but it was good. Because it raised the questions of Kerry's character and history, in minds those questions hadn't crossed before.

Most importantly, it mentioned Kerry's anti-military testimony before Congress, which is a verifiable, incontrovertible fact. Kerry has just been run off the high moral ground he's been squatting on.

[PurpleHeartHaze]

IMHO, I think it caused more pain for Bush than Kerry.

ABC ade it look like a dirty trick from TEXAS GOPers connected to Rove--"who also screwed McCain in SC." Then they found a liberal GOPer in CA to say that a fella who'd been shot at would be less like to rush to War-- dig at Bush on Iraq.

Then they showed more pro-Kerry vets than anti-Kerry vets. Then they had a lopsided final panel. Halberstam was given much more time, and he hit BC04 on Iraq and for not going to NAM.

All in all, it was really disgraceful!!

[kabar]

Most importantly, it mentioned Kerry's anti-military testimony before Congress, which is a verifiable, incontrovertible fact. Kerry has just been run off the high moral ground he's been squatting on.

Most people under 45 know very little about the Vietnam war. It will be difficult to get them interested. The media and our education system have portrayed our involvement in much the same way as Kerry did in 1971.