The media part is easier for me.
The puppet masters must have made it abundantly clear to the biggies that their lives are on the line or other serious retribution.
For the underlings--their jobs.
But to turn a bunch of enlisted Navy men who were close enough to see what the idiot was made of--into fawning psychophants . . . that's still a mystery. I think your points have some merit. I don't know that they are sufficient.
The most plausible thing to me is the groupie mentality and hoping that they would end up with either cash or position or both.
I'd love to see checks on their bank accounts from before to after all this hulabaloo about SKERRY.
Oh, I agree with you on that for sure. . .
I don't doubt for a minute that Kerry's Military 'brothers' have been not been assured of "Kerry appreciation' or have not already, seen some of it.
I offered when they first appeared; that maybe it could just be a 'child, finding that college education fund' or a 'brighter retirement fund'. . .whatEVER; that has prompted some of this support.
There is always the seduction of being made a 'celebrity' as well; that could entice some of the men. Of course, it has never been offered; WHAT these men were doing in their life;or 'what' their financial status was, before that Kerry phone call.
But we do not see Kerry's friends and relatives, per se, traveling in synch with him; and do think they must feel immune to his negatives and no doubt, even reassured by his status. Surely just more P.T. Barnulm stats. . .
That said; there is the very real self-induced 'hate factor' which facillitates the self-deception of the majority of the skerry supporters.
[A note which goes to your question; but does not answer entirely the question. . .) I posted sometime ago that a large 'Hispanic Business Consortium' supported Kerry. But that in private; the head of the organization offered to my friend that Kerry and the Demrat Party never had; and never would; do anything for the Hispanic community; save making the ususal false promises. . .et al.
He offered that he would vote FOR Bush; but that publicly; he was committed to the Democrat Party.]