"Swiftboating"

The National Review ^ | June 23, 2008 | Byron York

[2ndDivisionVet]

It's common to see mentions in the press these days about some "swiftboating" of Barack Obama that is allegedly in the works, or might someday allegedly be in the works, or might someday be thought to be allegedly in the works. While I'm sure there will be some hit jobs on Obama — this is a presidential campaign, after all — this talk seems to be based on a fundamental misunderstanding, perhaps willful in some cases, of the swiftboat episode in the 2004 campaign.

The swiftboat veterans in that year were the officers who served alongside John Kerry in Vietnam. They had first-hand knowledge of Kerry's service, and they had a story to tell about Kerry's behavior in Vietnam and his later antiwar activities at home. Based on 35 year-old memories, some of their claims were accurate, and some weren't. But the point is, these men were in a specific position to know about a specific time in Kerry's life. It was entirely proper that their criticisms be aired.

Later, some of the swiftboat veterans criticized Kerry on other issues, but who cared? They had no more standing to speak about Kerry's position on, say, Social Security, than anyone else. But as far as Vietnam was concerned — they were there.

Today, there is a tendency to describe any criticism of Barack Obama as "swiftboating." So far, it's been a pretty effective attack pre-emption device. But it has nothing to do with "swiftboating"; you can't just "swiftboat" somebody. Now, if all of the pastors who worked with Obama when he was a community organizer in Chicago came together to criticize his behavior back then, that would qualify. But until something like that happens, could everyone — at least those not working for the Obama campaign or the DNC — dispense with the "swiftboating" talk?

[2ndDivisionVet]

Good push-back, Byron!

[contemplator]

Good pushback, but it will fall on deaf ears. The media has successfully coined ‘swiftboating’ in the minds of the public to refer to any privately funded attack which does the ‘dirty work’ that the candidates themselves won’t do. I’ve mentioned it before and it bears repeating, the left in this country are extremely effective when it comes to the war of words. The right needs to start learning the lessons and get better at it.

[ExTexasRedhead]

Call it what it is—uncovering the truth to protect and defend America and her future from any and all enemies. If that includes the Radical Messiah, so be it. We have brave American patriots putting their lives on the line in Iraq and Afganistan. We can do no less here to protect our country. Liberals can give that any name they choose. Protecting and defending America from internal enemies or foreign enemies will not and has “never” deterred American patriots.

[AU72]

Every Presidential Election I will toast the Swift Boat Vetrans for Truth for standing in the way of a Kerry Presidency.

[rockinqsranch]

“The right needs to start learning the lessons and get better at it.”

Agreed 100%. Essential.

[detective]

Everything the Swiftboat Veterans for truth said about John Kerry was true. Kerry lied repeatedly about his record in Viet Nam(and his Cambodian Christmas in December 1969 when Kerry claimed Richard Nixon was president). The MSM repeated Kerry's lies and supported him and then used the perjorative “swiftboating” to besmirched the reputations of the courageous men who worked to get the truth out. We should always challenger the MSM and the Democrats when they use the term “swiftboating”. It is a dishonest and dishonorable way to lie.

[Interesting Times]

It doesn't appear that Byron bothered to read the book we sent him...

[SECURE AMERICA]

The dems lapdog media was so incensed that the truth about Kerry came out that they needed to destroy the Swiftboat Veterans and everything connected to them.. Thus the demoanization of their name into “swiftboating” as defined by the lapdog media of being a hit piece on some poor innocent victim.
When more truths on Obama come out the media will do everything possible to destroy the people that bring it out in an effort to destroy that truth itself......

[Shermy]

“the left in this country are extremely effective when it comes to the war of words.”

Obama is already successful in the white liberal news media in branding attacks as “racist.” Anybody who’s racist against blacks won’t be voting for Obama anyway, they can’t be converted. But blaming future attacks as “racist” serves to rile up white liberal guilt, and donations. It also amnesties the liberal audience from having to question the merits of attacks on Obama.

Obama has some weaknesses. Not only his corruption, but that all his corrupt deals were with white people, and whom he called “friends.”

[firebrand]

Yes, another attempt to define the landscape, along with the "smear" and "rumor" mythology.

The Dems should remember that the "swiftboating" worked.

[coconutt2000]

Swiftboating

To publicize verifiable first hand knowledge about a candidate that contradicts the candidate's own statements about a period in the candidate's life. The term "Swiftboating" came about during the 2004 U.S. Presidential Elections when officers who served with the Democrat candidate for President, John Kerry, on a swift boat in Vietnam came forward and contradicted Kerry's version of his war record. The veracity of most of their recollections was confirmed with documents, and the Kerry campaign was forced to retract many of his claims or to restate some of those claims more vaguely.

[Old Sarge]

the left in this country are extremely effective when it comes to the war of words. The right needs to start learning the lessons and get better at it.

Don't give up breathing or drinking while waiting for the right to ever change.

( /no sarc)

[BatGuano]

I’ve got an idea for a term to be used in Obama’s case.

“EAR WAXING”

[Nick Danger]

The media has successfully coined ‘swiftboating’ in the minds of the public... I don't believe that. I think the reporters and editors believe it, but none of them have any friends or acquaintances who aren't liberal Democrats. When they use the term, everyone around them nods in agreement. Let's not forget that this is the same media that is going slowly out of business, that has lost the public's trust, and that is widely perceived to have a persistent liberal bias. If they were half as influential as they think they are, we'd be nearing the end of President Gore's second term. Or at least Kerry's first. Every time they use a term like "swiftboating," they remind half the country that they are partisan ax-grinders who can't be trusted to tell the truth.

[SkyDancer]

Who are those ten who served with Kerry? They’re on his side even though there’s more on the other that dispute Kerry’s version of what he did in Vietnam ....

[Bryan24]

Dear Byron,

Would you please point out the assertions made by the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth that were NOT true?

Thank you,

Bryan24

[Vigilanteman]

Kerry could have run an honest peace weenie campaign as Walter Mondale did in 1984. The fact that Kerry made his service in Viet Nam the centerpiece of his campaign is what made the swiftboat ads so effective.

For the record, Walter Mondale served honorably in the Korean War as an army corporal. I don't ever recall him even mentioning it, much less using it as the centerpiece of his campaign. While I disagree with Walter Mondale's politics, I still salute his character. The same cannot be said for any Democrat presidential nominee since.

[smoothsailing]

[onedoug]

God Bless The Swifties.

[contemplator]

Every time they use a term like "swiftboating," they remind half the country that they are partisan ax-grinders who can't be trusted to tell the truth

If only half the country were as tuned in as you would hope to the fact that the media's attempts to show a lack of bias are an extremely thin veneer.