The question, of course, is why did Rove and the GOP *NEED* the Swift Boat Vets to tell the truth about John Kerry. Why couldn't Republicans bring it up themselves? Why was the news media completely uncurious about Kerry's claims and, in addition, completely silent about his obviously traitorous past?
Why was it left to John O'Neill and his fellow Swifties to take the mudslinging and arrows? Why did the Bush Administration lack the courage to attack the Senator themselves instead of using surrogates they could pretend to criticise?
My hat's off to the Swifties, of course, but I still question why the GOP couldn't swat these sort of lies down without the need of a side group to do the dirty work for them.
If Bush or the Republican Party has pushed the issue, it would have been seen as just the usual mudslinging which is endemic to all races. Only the Swift Boat Veterans -- elderly gentlemen who had served in Vietnam when Kerry was there and who could speak from personal knowledge and who had no apparent motive for lying -- had the credibility to expose Kerry's fabrications.
As to why the news media was completely incurious, I assume that's a rhetorical question. They were in the tank for Kerry, more openly and brazenly than in any Presidential election that I can recall, and they knew that this could be the deathknell of his Presidential hopes. As it indeed was.
Because they had the feel of being fair and impartial individuals, who knew Kerry personally.
George W Bush doesn't know Kerry personally, in anything but the most superficial way.
Neither does anyone else in politics.
But there were people who saw him in command, in an executive position. That's the best comparison to the Presidency you can get. Certainly much more telling than anything he did as Senator.
What did Kerry do when charged with great responsibility, that he himself said he was proud of? That's what the swift vets told us, and that's why it was uniquely their story to tell.
D
"why did Rove and the GOP *NEED* the Swift Boat Vets to tell the truth about John Kerry."
As soon as the RNC or Bush campaign had brought it up, the press would have tangled it up inextricably with the BS about GW's ANG service, and made it a moral equivalence and thus neutralized it. They also would have given voice to the 'rats so they could challenge the "AWOL" Bush's credibility.
Much of the power of the Swiftees' campaign was its asymmetry. While GW took the high road, Kerry had to deal with this guerrilla insurgency. He was seen ultimately as fighting accusers from his own past instead of the President.
A bad position for a candidate.
The message coming from the politicians would sound like hollow mudslinging..It had to be done by the vets. They were the ones who were there and had the credibility to tell the story..
.They were not tainted by partisan politics and it was their honor and service that was slimed by Kerry..It would never have been so powerful done by anyone but the ones who lived it and suffered by Kerry's words and activities with the Viet Cong in Paris.
GOD BLESS THE SWIFTBOAT VETERANS..
You might recall that Bush didn't saw down any sort of lies, even about himself, being told by the Kerrynistas. Bush said "above the fray" but that doesn't mean he or Karl Rove didn't appreciate what the Swift Vets did.
Heck, we all appreciate what the Swift Vets and other Vietnam Vets did. Bless them all.
"...instead of using surrogates..."
This implies you think that the RNC and the SwiftVets were in bed together. I don't accept your premise. Out of 225 or so of Kerry's command structure and fellow swift boat guys, about 12 supported the coward while virtually every other one denounced Kerry. I, personally, think that Bush is just too classy an individual to sling easy mud at an easy target. Thankfully, the Swiftees came to the rescue and told the truth relentlessly.
My hat's off to the Swifties, of course, but I still question why the GOP couldn't swat these sort of lies down without the need of a side group to do the dirty work for them.<,/i>
Good question. The answer is that the GOP was intimidated by Kerry's war record vis-a-vis Bush's TANG service. The Dems early on in the campaign, before their nominee was even selected, started attacking Bush's TANG record, i.e., the best defense is a good offense.
If anyone studies Kerry's political campaigns since he entered the Senate in the 1984 elections, you will find that he has always used his decorated war hero status to intimidate and defeat his opponents. It is his MO. Bush and many of his political advisors who did not have any military background were afraid to go after Kerry.
The SBVFT, the only real 527 organization, did what needed to be done despite being called dishonest and dishonorable by guys like McCain and being attacked by the MSM. I stopped giving contributions to the GOP and gave multiple contributions to the SBVFT. Next on the Congressional agenda will be efforts to muzzle 527s.