Posted on 12/07/2007 8:39:54 AM PST by Interesting Times
FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Last week former President Bill Clinton, John Kerry and various members of the media once again used "Swift boating" as a shorthand reference for misrepresenting a candidate's record. In "To Set the Record Straight: How Swift Boat Veterans, POWs and the New Media Defeated John Kerry," authors Scott Swett and Tim Ziegler counter that assertion in a heavily researched 400 page work that provides the first historical assessment of the 2004 presidential campaign.
"To Set the Record Straight" is the definitive account of the ad hoc political movement that dominated the 2004 presidential campaign. Based on hundreds of in-depth interviews with key participants and two years of meticulous research, the book tells the inside story of how a group of Vietnam vets and their supporters delivered the explosive truth about John Kerry's military service and pro-Hanoi activism to the American public, despite relentless efforts by old media gatekeepers to silence and discredit them.
Swett said, "John Kerry lost all the key debates in 2004 to the anti-Kerry veterans. Since then, he has tried to paper over his failure with sloganeering and empty promises of new evidence." He added, "The 2004 campaign was a watershed in American political history, marking the first time that online forums and blogs were able to have a real impact on the national conversation. These new media outlets made it impossible for the liberal press to hide or dismiss what the veterans had to say."
The foreword for the book was written by John E. O'Neill, the lead spokesman for the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth in 2004. One chapter that underscores the impact of the new media on the campaign has been made available online at "ToSetTheRecordStraight.com". "Rather's Ruin and the Rise of the Pajamahadeen" tells how ordinary citizens with computers exposed the phony documents "60 Minutes" used to attack George Bush's National Guard service, effectively ending Dan Rather's career at CBS News.
"To Set the Record Straight" also contains:
o Conclusive evidence that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth acted independently, and were not a creation of the Bush campaign as their opponents repeatedly claimed.
o Detailed analysis of the efforts by the old media to blunt the impact of the anti-Kerry veterans by distorting and misrepresenting their charges
o Previously unpublished information on the "war crimes" propaganda effort that Kerry led during the Vietnam War, including material showing how the antiwar movement worked with the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong.
o New eyewitness perspectives on Kerry's "No Man Left Behind" engagement from a Forward Air Control pilot and the mission's Special Forces commander.
o The powerful story of a former member of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War who testified that Kerry personally pressured him to tell lies about military atrocities and war crimes at the group's 1971 "Winter Soldier" conference.
Last I heard he sent Pickens a letter saying the Swift Boat Verterans were liars, now send me the Million.
Any updates?
T Boone Pickens put up $1 Million to anyone who could prove a single claim by the Swift Boaters to be false.
Kerry accepted the challenge.
He sent Pickens a letter to tell him where to send the million.
Small problem though, Kerry didn't prove the Swift Vet liars, show a single thing they were in error on, nothing. He literally just sent a letter telling Pickens to pay up.
Nothing back from Kerry yet on that...
Was wondering what became of all that ... the MSM hasn’t picked it up or will it???
On the contrary.
The chapter that I read clearly demonstrates the extent at which the MSM will go to support the Democrat candidates. A recent example is the practice of question planting by CNN in both democrat and republican debates (supportive and demeaning questions, respectively).
Remain vigilant.
The Swift Boat Veterans are pioneers in vigilance and their example is applicable to the present.
Considering the majority of the press continues the lie that the Swift Boaters claims had all been refuted, the record is not yet straight.
My lack of faith in the current administration is justified once again.
The Purple Hearts can be debated, his absolute false betrayal of his fellow servicemen cannot be denied.
Glad to see I was wrong.
Hooray for us!
Now, if that lying, back stabbing, seditious, traitorous ...
Now, if only Hanoi John could be brought to public trial.
Still fighting the Vietnam War.
Yep, and it hadn't been re-fought Hanoi John could well be the President today.
Kerry’s coziness with North Vietnam sure seems like treason to me.... Maybe not treason, but enough to get a reserve officer booted out with a Dishonorable Discharge. But I guess we’ll never know.....in our lifetimes.
Not only that, but I have a feeling that they got wind of Kerry’s attempt to continue discrediting them as well. It’s a good thing because Kerry brought everything back up...if they don’t answer back, the Drive-bys will give the last word to Kerry-—without any scrutiny of course
Yay! This is another excellent review.
Your T’shirt image is what the definition should be. Unfortunatly, as long as people in the MSM can use the term “Swiftboating” in a derogatory way, then there is more work to be done. I might have to buy this book.
That would be OK, as long as it comes to mean, "Exposing the Distortions, Fabrications, and outright Lies of Politicians". Or "Outing the Traitors".
Will be all over your project later. Nice!
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