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Redefining 'Swiftboating' and Rewriting History
American Thinker ^ | April 20, 2008 | Henry P. Wickham, Jr.

Posted on 04/20/2008 6:23:28 AM PDT by Nony

If the words "swift" and "boat" must be combined and turned into a verb, then let us insist on its proper use. The word as a verb originates from the campaign undertaken in 2004 by the Swift Boat Veterans in response to the John Kerry presidential candidacy. The word means, or should mean, the exposure of a fraudulent autobiography of one seeking political office or public influence. It is the correction of a personal and professional record that has been selectively and dishonestly compiled, as the Swift Vets did so effectively to that of John Kerry.

Although swiftboating may be a neologism, there are other recent examples of this phenomenon. Justus Reid Werner, in a seminal Commentary article, exposed the fraudulent life story created by Edward Said to advance his political agenda. Dan Rather's macho claims to be an "ex-marine", when he did not finish marine basic training, were also revealed to be fraudulent. This is swiftboating in its truest sense.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; kerry; obama; swiftboat; swiftboating
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To: Interesting Times
Kerry, like his mentor Edward (Splash) Kennedy, is backing the Weather Underground's favorite Senator.

That makes sense. Kerry correctly sees Obama as the rat activists' candidate.

21 posted on 04/20/2008 10:19:32 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Interesting Times; All
fwiw, i cannot resist telling ya'll that i was one of the first to KNOW that Hanoi John was a LIAR, when he started talking about 'his heroism' in RVN.

real heroes do NOT talk about the war in RVN, much less about their part in it. (drunks spouting off at the VFW does NOT count.)

free dixie,sw

22 posted on 04/20/2008 10:22:13 PM PDT by stand watie (Resistance to TYRANTS is OBEDIENCE to God. T. Jefferson, 1804)
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To: Lancey Howard
That makes sense. Kerry correctly sees Obama as the rat activists' candidate.

I suspect it has more to do with the Clinton wing / Kennedy wing split in the Democrat Party. Hillary's also a radical, her recent efforts to pose as a moderate notwithstanding.

23 posted on 04/20/2008 10:23:08 PM PDT by Interesting Times (Swiftboating, you say? Check out ToSetTheRecordStraight.com)
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To: stand watie
fwiw, i cannot resist telling ya'll that i was one of the first to KNOW that Hanoi John was a LIAR, when he started talking about 'his heroism' in RVN.

Many people knew it, but the Swift Vets actually proved it.

24 posted on 04/20/2008 10:24:18 PM PDT by Interesting Times (Swiftboating, you say? Check out ToSetTheRecordStraight.com)
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To: Interesting Times
as for me, i am proud to have supported the Swift Boat guys, though i'm ARMY GREEN through & through.

free dixie,sw

25 posted on 04/20/2008 10:28:15 PM PDT by stand watie (Resistance to TYRANTS is OBEDIENCE to God. T. Jefferson, 1804)
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To: stand watie
as for me, i am proud to have supported the Swift Boat guys, though i'm ARMY GREEN through & through.

Same here, as a civilian and former USAF dependent.

26 posted on 04/20/2008 10:40:23 PM PDT by Interesting Times (Swiftboating, you say? Check out ToSetTheRecordStraight.com)
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To: Interesting Times

Thank you. That’s a great description of what Kerry and his dssemblers are up to, and why it would be a terrible thing on a number of levels, if he and they were to get away with it.

This subject needs to be taken out like an old rug, and the dust beaten off of it until Kerry is beaten into submission on the subject.

Alas, that need will probably continue until after Kerry’s death. Consumate leftist’s never die, as their heroics are rewritten until their fellow travelers “get it right” (by leftist ideological standards), and everyone old enough to know better has passed on.

Kerry’s antics have been revealed and documented. Eternal vigilance is all that remains between him and victory. May it remain there forever.


27 posted on 04/20/2008 11:53:23 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (It doesn't matter he isn't conservative. Now it doesn't matter if it's not Constitutional.)
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To: Interesting Times
Hillary's also a radical, her recent efforts to pose as a moderate notwithstanding.

Obviously. But she's old news. Obama is fresh and new. Plus, he's "articulate and clean" (Joe Biden). Obama is the new fad. He is the rat activists' choice.


28 posted on 04/21/2008 12:33:44 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: Interesting Times
To exonerate John Kerry is to exonerate his movement and all who participated in it for their role in the genocide. It is to whitewash all of them from the consequences of their actions...

Hanoi John will find no exoneration from me.
My definition of “swiftboating” - to expose people for the liars and fakes they are by allowing truth to enter the political arena.

29 posted on 04/21/2008 2:45:27 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink)
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To: Travis McGee

I’m one of the contributors that helped run the ads.


30 posted on 04/21/2008 2:49:28 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink)
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To: Interesting Times

BTTT


31 posted on 04/21/2008 2:55:22 AM PDT by E.G.C.
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To: Interesting Times
Could not agree more; and have gone there. . .challenging those, including Laura Ingram; O'Reilly and other Repubs who indulge in this smear; use it; and/or do not challenge those who use this affront to truth - and so allowing it's entry into the mainstream political lexicon. To many Repubs have given this word a push from behind, towards a false credibility.

The Left, knows - and appreciates - the power of words; which is why they are so good at imprinting their own 'false images' onto them. . .so as to manipulate public opinion. (Politcal Correctness, follows the same Lefist MO here; designed as it is, to change the way people think.).

Repubs have been challenged from the beginning; not to allow this one; but they were and still are; typically silent.

Maybe this, from Interesting Times will rise to the top; and be a 'cold-walter' wake-up call-to-action; to stop allowing this misuse of word; and it's abuse of the Swift-boaters themselves; all who risked a great deal to tell the the truth of John Kerry.

32 posted on 04/21/2008 3:57:30 AM PDT by cricket (Damn Political Correctness; before it irretrievably, damns us all. . .)
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To: Travis McGee

Hi Travis. Is there any way I can help with that? Just want to do my part. I don’t have any copies from 2004 election.

I know there are threads from 2004 election that FR, or other Freepers may have in their collection that will help this year. I guess it might be good to get a head start on getting things ready...this democrat nomination may be over soon..


33 posted on 04/21/2008 5:09:25 AM PDT by Kackikat ((No strong national security, and the rest of issues are mute points; chaos ensues.))
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To: Kackikat; Jeff Head

So far as I know, there is no group similar to the “Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth” gearing up to take on Obama and his ties to terrorists.


34 posted on 04/21/2008 5:29:10 AM PDT by Travis McGee (--- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com ---)
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To: okie01

Nicely stated.


35 posted on 04/21/2008 5:30:12 AM PDT by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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To: R. Scott; All
to ALL:

there are MANY of us of FR who were contributers to the Swiftees.

imVho, whether you gave $5.oo or $5,000.oo to the effort to expose THE TRUTH, AMERICA owes you a BIG "thank you".

free dixie,sw

36 posted on 04/21/2008 7:13:23 AM PDT by stand watie (Resistance to TYRANTS is OBEDIENCE to God. T. Jefferson, 1804)
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To: Nony
There were two aspects to the 2004 “Swiftboating” that should be kept separate:

1. 200+ Navy veterans that served under/with/above Kerry during the Vietnam War thought Kerry was “unfit for command”. No amount of Kerry spin could refute this

2. Kerry's manipulation of the medal awarding process, the 3 PH's and the likely court martial/pardon that generated the oddly worded “reinstated and reissued” line on his 214 could be argued, but who cares given point #1?

37 posted on 04/21/2008 7:24:38 AM PDT by Andy from Chapel Hill
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To: Interesting Times

Thanks for the ping!


38 posted on 04/21/2008 8:23:16 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Travis McGee

What I meant was gathering info on Obama as a “truth campaign” and organizing it so it can be effective. The “swiftboat” info actually made FoxNews bigtime in 2004, and a “truth” campaign that really gets to bottom of Obama’s change and hope plans might do the job to expose him, if we can get some News people to read the blog. I think more research into him is needed. In getting it out there, and maybe an Obama Truth Blog or website that we get linked up to right places giving noone credit just info... I Know Beckwith has a lot of info, and expatguy does a great job on his Southeast Asia blog.

It would need someone to keep it updated, and a central place to send info to be posted on the blog. If it gets known well, it will be attacked by left, so that is reason for some anonimity.
Maybe some radio airtime, from donations, to do what swiftboat did on TV, once US gearup for general elections (assuming Obama is nominee) and at critical time so it isn’t forgotten at voting time. Everyone on FR (almost) is conservative so we are preaching to the choir here. This needs to known by the moderate dems and independents who are more likely to vote for Clintoon.


39 posted on 04/21/2008 8:53:11 AM PDT by Kackikat ((No strong national security, and the rest of issues are mute points; chaos ensues.))
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To: Kackikat

Sean Hannity has been the main guy pushing the Ayers/Obama link. I think anything we come up with, he’ll use. Hey, he got ABC to ask about it at the last debate.


40 posted on 04/21/2008 11:02:33 AM PDT by Travis McGee (--- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com ---)
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