To Swift-Boat or Not

Time Online ^ | Thursday, Jun. 12, 2008 | MICHAEL KINSLEY

[nikos1121]

John McCain and Barack Obama are about to face a moral choice. It will probably be made in bits and pieces over the next five months, but we can imagine it as a single dramatic incident: the adviser approaches and says, "Yes or no. Do you want to swift-boat?" If you were the presidential candidate, what answer would you give?

Swift-boat is shorthand for the brilliant, despicable Republican campaign strategy in 2004 that turned John Kerry's honorable service in Vietnam into a negative factor in his campaign. The phrase has become more broadly the term for a particular category of campaign tactics and has even become a verb. To "swift-boat" somebody is to use these tactics against him or her. If you remember the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign and don't see anything wrong with it--or if you believe it was the work of "independent" operatives unconnected to George W. Bush's campaign--I'm not going to waste precious space on the back page of a national newsmagazine arguing with you.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

This reminds me of what we discussed in high school JROTC back in the 70s. The first post Vietnam war books came out IIRC from the POWS. The author said that during their interrogations their captors played a tape from a USN Lt. admitting to atrocities. The Lt's name wasn't given in the book. My fellow students who read the book were deeply disturbed by reading that. When we brought up the subject to our instructors who fought in WW II, Korea, and Vietnam they assured us that couldn't happen because if the Lt. was a real person he, would have been court martialed.

I made the connection that he author was referring to Kerry.

[kabar]

Well done, Scott. The MSM and the Dems have successfully made "swiftboating" a pejorative term when, in fact, it should be synonymous with truth-telling and patriotism.

[Interesting Times]

Thanks. Truth-telling and patriotism rank high on the list of things the old media finds objectionable.

[Interesting Times]

Thanks, D1.

[stand watie]

as i've said before REAL heroes do NOT talk about their combat heroism, especially with outsiders.

fwiw, in my almost 3 decades of ARNG/USA/USAR service i have personally KNOWN many REAL heroes & NONE of them had ANY respect for "hanoi-john"- NONE!

CREEPS & "wannabes" like "hanoi-john" make me want to VOMIT.

free dixie,sw

[R. Scott]

Our leftists will never accept the real truth - after all, Hanoi John is a US Senator, one of our “betters”. How dare anyone question his word, particularly a bunch of Viet Nam Veterans! “Everyone” knows that vets (except for Hanoi John) are all nut cases and can’t be believed.
This vet says “screw ‘em.”

[plain talk]

Swift-boat is shorthand for the brilliant, despicable Republican campaign strategy in 2004 that turned John Kerry's honorable service in Vietnam into a negative factor in his campaign

Shorthand for what? Michael doesn't define what the term means. He mentions a specific campaign attack but then there have been campaign attacks since there was dirt.

If I was to try and generalize what "swiftboating" is I would say ... A candidate touted himself as having a key strength due to a specific set of events in his life and then grassroot citizens who were eye-witnesses to those events refuted it. A key point is that the candidate first made the event an issue and then eyewitnesses responded to the assertions.

So could there be switftboating in this election? IMO only if there are citizen eyewitnesses who can prove a candidate is lying about something a candidate claims. An ordinary campaign attack or an October surprise isn't necessarily a "swiftboat".

Michael Kensley does nothing but think and analyze for a living. That's all he does. And yet he doesn't understand what happened here.

[Randy Larsen]

To Swiftboat or Not To Swiftboat Obama!

Let’s see here, Swiftboating means to out a liar as a liar supported by facts and documentation!

I say Swiftboat him until he cries like a baby, then Swiftboat him somemore!

[nikos1121]

I have two:

1. Constitutional Law Professor
2. Was he truly born here or Kenya

[tuckrdout]

As always, an excellent, concise response. And as always, I am sure that reason will be ignored, by the media.

[zot]

Excellent letter! I would like to see their reply, if any.

[Interesting Times]

Michael Kensley does nothing but think and analyze for a living. That's all he does. And yet he doesn't understand what happened here.

The Swift Vets' success was and is a profound affront to the leftist media. Those veterans long ago rode off into the political sunset, but Kinsley and his ilk are still working to turn public opinion against them by using smears, slogans, and repetition -- since the facts aren't on their side.

This is not caused by a lack of understanding. It is a coordinated effort intended to prevent anything similar from happening again.

[Interesting Times]

Excellent letter! I would like to see their reply, if any.

I'll post any response I receive from TIME.

[calcowgirl]

Any response from TIME?

[MeekOneGOP]

BULLSEYE letter!

Bravo!

[DoughtyOne]

With pleasure. I appreciate your attention to this issue. You have done us proud. Thank you! Take care.

[Travis McGee]

I wonder if they will print any rebuttal at all....

[Chieftain]

Kinsley the idiot slayed by Scott!