Posted on 06/23/2008 1:25:42 PM PDT by 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?
Swiftboating, like McCarthyism, is the uncouth act of calling out a liberal for what they are.
1) The Swift Boat Vets and
2) McCarthy
Oh, and it would be nice if it came out that the Southern slaveholders were DEMOCRATS also.
TEchnically Swiftboating would pertain to a characterization of an individual by a group of people who were eye witnesses. I think it’s evolved into a characterization of an individual that is based on facts not those that the individual has drummed up.
I think one could say that Dan Rather’s false story about President Bush was “Swiftboated”.
Having said that, I think there is indeed an issue that needs to “Swiftboated” . I’m talking about several falsehoods that Obama has made in his own auto biographies. Most prominent of these is the apparent forged birth certificate of Obama’s and the fact that there is no record of the man being born in Hawaii. What’s more is that his parents were never married.
This raised the question, where was Obama born? It is more than likely that he was actually born in Kenya and returned to the United States when his mother was able to. What naturalization process he went through would then be in question.
In the spirit of the Swiftboaters, i.e. to seek the truth, the issue of Obama’s birth needs to be examined. He needs to present documents of his birth, including an original Birth Certificate and hospital records.
Byron you don't know what you are talking about. What claims were inaccurate, a**hole?
“Swiftboating” — Revealing the truths that the media doesn’t want you to know!
For a while "Bork" or "Anita Hill" or "Clarence Thomas" might have conveyed what they mean -- to invent charges against someone.
But it would have to be a neutral, nonpolemical phrase.
Until then, whenever someone does something deceptive -- and often when nobody does -- you get John Kerry's little revenge in the media.
The term is not applicable to criticism of a Republican - whether true or not, criticism of a Republican is "telling truth to power."
Well, Larry Sinclair “worked” with “Osama” Obama”, so I suppose the ‘Rats consider that to be “swiftboating” as well.
john kerry? john kerry?
he seemed.....well....FRENCH..
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