Bayh Warns That GOP May 'Swift Boat' Obama Over His Former Pastor

Washington Post ^ | April 30, 2008 | Dan Balz

[Bubba_Leroy]

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) today praised Sen. Barack Obama for denouncing his former pastor, but warned that Republicans will use the association to try to "Swift Boat" the Illinois senator if he becomes the Democratic presidential nominee this fall.

Bayh, who is supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, said he hoped other issues -- the economy, gasoline prices, health care and the cost of college -- will drive the decisions of most voters in Tuesday's Indiana primary. Obama has struggled in other states to win the votes of white, working class voters, and they could be the deciding vote next Tuesday.

Noting that even Obama has called the controversy of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright "a legitimate issue," Bayh said that in a presidential race, those voters will take more than the economy into their decision making before the primary.

"You're running for president and people want to get a sense of who you are, and when you're new to the public stage you're a little more susceptible to having the canvas painted in by your political opponents," Bayh said during an interview for the video program "PostTalk" on washingtonpost.com.

Bayh said neither he nor Clinton intended to inject the Wright controversy into the primary, but he is worried that Republicans will do so in a general election. "I'm sure the far right will be out there trying to do the whole Swift Boat thing and that sort of thing. But I hope people will focus on the most substantive issues and I think the vast majority of them will.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Exactly!! Why do Democrats who favor Clinton keep saying that the Republicans are going to use various things against Obama and swift boat him? Why do they imply that as good Democrats they aren’t concerned, but that they are worried what Republicans will say? Why aren’t they concerned about what Republicans will say about Hillary?

And how does any of this make Hillary somehow the better candidate because she allegedly doesn’t have the liabilities that Obama has? Geez, Hillary has so many liabilities and negatives of her own, and the Hillary people imply that Hillary will have smooth sailing in a general election campaign?

[Bender2]

Re: ahh - someone needs to tell the senator that obamama and the Rev Wrong have swiftboated themselves.

Hey, that cannot be right! All Liberal Democrats love each other like bros, eh?

Or is that love each other like hos?

[ntnychik]

It bears repeating.

Swift-Boating is correcting with TRUTH the brazen lies a candidate believes he/she can get away with.

Swift-Boat away!

[BerryDingle]

Hey, Evan, you burned out twinkle light, the Swift Boating began a month ago. And your fellow Dims have been more than happy to help pilot the ship.

I thought the same thing. This doesn't make any sense at all.

[Don Corleone]

Bayh, who is supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, said he hoped other issues -- the economy, gasoline prices, health care and the cost of college

All problems brought upon us due to ill conceived Liberal (socialistic) Democrat policies and legislation.

[river rat]

“Chickens” coming home to roost?

More like huge stinking corpses of black Albatrosses hanging around the neck of Obama and the DNC.....

He's THEIR "stinking Albatross to wear" and to refuse him the nomination that he may very well win, will cost the Democrats their largest and strongest constituencies--- Plantation Blacks, Leftists, Liberals, Welfare Dependent Leaches, Islamists, Marxists, Communists and a vast array of America haters....

[Viking2002]

It all a matter of a common means to a different end. Hillary lusts (linking that noun and verb together makes me cringe) for one thing: power. If 'Swift Boating' Barak Hussein provides even a glimmer of positive results, her apparatchiks will sit on the sidelines and silently cheer Republicans on. Further, it'll clear the slate for her to throw her pointy hat into the ring as a favorite in '12, if she fails to take him out (moonbats love playing scorched earth politics). More (relatively) astute Dims like Bayh know that Obama will probably get the nod, but he'll be the walking wounded going into a head-to-head matchup against McCain, who could probably tear him a new one on his worst day, anyhow. Combine those factors with the intangibles of Limbaugh's 'Operation Chaos', and The Magic Negro has a two-front political war to fight. And you betchum some of the Hildabeast's supporters will jump ship and vote GOP out of spite in November. It'll be billed as, Gentleman John McCain: Seasoned Statesman and War Hero vs. Barak Hussein Obama: Political Lightweight With Ties to Terrorists and Subversives.

Pop some more kettle corn, and pass me a beer. LOL

[Tallguy]

Hey, Evan, you burned out twinkle light, the Swift Boating began a month ago. And your fellow Dims have been more than happy to help pilot the ship.

Come now! Don't you know that just as only White People can be racist; only mean, wascawy Wepubwicans can "Swift Boat"????

[kabar]

LOL. By saying it, Bayh is “swiftboating” Obama. I don’t consider swiftboating to be a pejorative term.

[gusopol3]

this is the kind of thing that used to be called “Nixonian;” probably still is when a Republican does it. “Not that I would ever inject Wright into the political campaign but others will, others will...”

[bannie]

I love it when kids say, “You got me in trouble” whenever they’re caught.

Sorta’ like this.

These politicians “swift boat” themselves.

[PhilDragoo]

Evan Bayh's voice cracks here because Hillary's hand is so far up his butt it chokes his vocal chords: behold the veepee tasked with delivering the Hoosier red state full of bitter whites clinging to guns and Bibles.

To me swiftboating is John Kerry bleating breathlessly of Jen-Jiss Kahn and made-up war crimes, to go with his made-up medals, to go with his made-up fake-warrior Pukes Against the War, to go with his seared-seared memory of Nixon sending him to Cambodia Christmas Eve 1968, twenty-six days before Nixon was sworn in.

I was in Washington the day before Nixon's Innauguration and he was not president, ergo John Kerry seared his reputation as a lying sack of crap.

Evan, you Democrats stink, and you insist upon projecting that stink on Republicans, but you can't do that from downwind.

Memo to Hillary: are you sure you want this dweeb on your post-plane-crash dream ticket.

[dixiechick2000]

GREAT post!
Thank you, Phil!

"Evan Bayh's voice cracks here because Hillary's hand is so far up his butt it chokes his vocal chords: behold the veepee tasked with delivering the Hoosier red state full of bitter whites clinging to guns and Bibles."

ROTFLOL!

[Rocky]

Well, I will certainly do my part.

[VeniVidiVici]

Bayh is a little slow isn’t he?

I hear inbreeding will do that.

Perhaps that is something the Kennedys should think about.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I don’t consider swiftboating to be a pejorative term.

"Swiftboating" is a Democratic neologism which they coined as a perjorative in exactly the same way that they coined the equally fraudulent term, "McCarthyism."

Whenever Democrats cry "swiftboating," it's a sure sign that their chickens have come home to roost.

[Polyxene]

“Why shouldn’t the truth be told?”

Indeed! However, the RATs can’t handle the truth when it comes to one of their own.

[RightWhale]

Evan Bayh might think he is up to date with the cant, but only a small population of potential voters even care what the ancient historical term ‘swift-boating’ means.

[windsorknot]

Bayh confuses “Swift Boating” with “Borking”: one based on the truth, the other on lies.