Can Kerry Match The Comeback Kid?

Washington Post ^ | September 7, 2004 | By E. J. Dionne Jr.

[Former Military Chick]

If John Kerry loses this election, August will be seen as the time when he did. But if Kerry wins, it will be because the last month set up the circumstances for his triumph. And as Bill Clinton probably told the Democratic nominee in that pep talk from his hospital room over the weekend, the way the story turns out is, in significant measure, under John Kerry's control. Democrats outside the Kerry campaign have been in a grumpy, jumpy mood since the oxymoronically named Swift Boat Veterans for Truth pushed the media into a frenzy over what Kerry did and didn't do in Vietnam. The month of August was miserable for Kerry and Bush's post-convention bounce has left members of Kerry's party even more depressed.

It's always a bad sign for a campaign when the media run stories about impending campaign shakeups, usually in accounts full of disparaging quotations from (often anonymous) party leaders.

***

In fact, the anti-Kerry ads fit so neatly with the Republican Convention's goal of painting Kerry as soft on defense and not tough enough to deal with terrorism that it becomes ever harder to believe the Bush campaign's denials of any involvement with the Swift boat group.

***

So how could such a terrible month be a setup for a Kerry victory?

The answer lies in the word "overkill." If there is one thing that came through from last week's convention, it is that Republicans knew that Bush could not win on his own record alone. They had to frighten the country about Kerry and were willing to say anything -- to distort Kerry's record and to lie about it if necessary -- to further that end.

[Former Military Chick]

Ever read a title and go huh? This should be about Kerry dimming in the Clinton sun. Go figure.

[Former Military Chick]

>>>So Kerry has three battles to wage. He has to fight Bush and his attacks. After all that was said about him at the Republican convention, you would think that Kerry has all the incentives he needs. He has to show voters what he is fighting for. And he has to reassure an anxious party that he has a plan to be back in the thick of things by the beginning of October. <<< --- says Mr. Dionne Jr

If a tree falls in the forest does anyone hear it?

[Darkwolf377]

How does EJ Dione keep a job? He replaces interesting examination of issues with wishful thinking.

[rmh47]

Ever read a title and go huh? This should be about Kerry dimming in the Clinton sun. Go figure.

This election is going exactly as planned by democrats. Namely Bill and Hillary. Kerry must lose so that Hillary can run in 2008.

[Casloy]

How does EJ Dione keep a job? He replaces interesting examination of issues with wishful thinking.

Let's see, he is a leftwinger writing in a left wing rag? Does that answer your question?

[Prime Choice]

Democrats outside the Kerry campaign have been in a grumpy, jumpy mood since the oxymoronically named Swift Boat Veterans for Truth pushed the media into a frenzy

The Post doesn't even try to hide its bias anymore.

You wanna real oxymoron? Try this one: "John Kerry - war hero." That one ranks right up there with 'jumbo shrimp.'

[struggle]

This Dionne person is in contracted content to the Japanese newspaper The Daily Yomiuri as well, along with many other Post "journalists." I quickly discovered how wacko liberal these people can be. I believe this Dionne dude also hosted the "My Life" signing party in D.C. and yet wants to be seen as "objective."

[Former Military Chick]

Frankly we are talking about the Washington Post. A paper that was once known for their investigative reporting. Seemed to go down hill when I moved away. Actually, he writes in a way that he is an equal opportunity offender. Having to disect the article for the post, it did seem to sound better read through whole at once. BTW, top of morning.

[nopardons]

E.J. was so good at blasting away at Clinton,what happened to make him so blind?

The president can't run on his record? The SBVs are going into "overkill"? Clinton was "the comeback kid" AFTER the primaries were over and done with? What alternate universe is E.J. living in?

[onyx]

I'd need to vomit repeatedly were I to read this.
Pasadena.

[Former Military Chick]

Morning, I do not know where he is in space. I kind of like "I write the way the wind blows!" If we start seeing Clintons name injected into this, I think it will cost Kerry dearly. UNLESS, they feel sorry for Clinton and forget the HELL he put this country through. I would not take bets in Vegas on this, if it were a sure thing, nothing with Clinton in it is a sure thing, now aways.

[nopardons]

It really DOES deserve a BARF ALERT! I read it and I'm sorry I did.

"Pasadena"???????????????????????????

[Belisaurius]

Depends on what you think his job description actually is.

If you think he is a journalist, you'd be right to be puzzled. He's not a journalist.

He's a pro-bono fluffer for whichever Democrat is running for office.

[nopardons]

Clinton is out of commission,Hillary is NOT taking over,and E.J. used to absolutely TRASH Bill,during the Monica/Impeachment stuff.

[bt_dooftlook]

Heard a comment in the airport this evening: "Even Kerry's hobby (windsurfing) depends on which way the wind is blowing!"

[Dragonspirit]

"oxymoronically named Swift Boat Veterans for Truth"

What type of garbage comment is that? I've yet to see any evidence the Vets have been anything but 100% accurate.

[Former Military Chick]

That is clever. I am going to share that with friends. The things you learn in an airport.

[onyx]

pasadena = passing on this one. :)

[dc-zoo]

That was Jay Leno's line the other night. Very memorable.

[Nick Danger]

the anti-Kerry ads fit so neatly with the Republican Convention's goal of painting Kerry as soft on defense and not tough enough to deal with terrorism that it becomes ever harder to believe the Bush campaign's denials of any involvement with the Swift boat group.

I know a little bit about that subject, and my response is that it becomes ever harder to believe that E. J. Dionne Jr. and the rest of the staff at the Washington Post have the slightest idea what they are talking about, or the slightest interest in telling the truth, or even in finding out what the truth is.

From the very beginning, they have blown off the Swift Vets because they just plain don't like the idea of their guy (the Democrat) taking any lumps. The Post has done one reasonable article on the subject, and what they concluded was that the SwiftVets' version of events was substantially correct... when a mine went off under PCF 3, all the other boats but one closed on the '3' boat to render assistance. One boat fled down the river — Kerry's. For this Kerry got a medal.

In spite of that, most staffers at the Post cling to the absolute lie that the Swift Vets' charges have somehow been disproven or discredited. How could they be? Kerry refuses to sign the Form 180 that would allow reporters to see the records. In the absence of them, the Democrat reporters believe the Democrat, and tell the rest of us that the SwiftVets are liars.

Aside from Kerry himself, the liars in the piece are people like E.J. Dionne, who will refer to the "oxymoronically named" Swift Boat Veterans for Truth without having looked into the charges at all, except to take Kerry's word that everything happened the way he said. Real journalists would be badgering Kerry to sign the 180 so we can all see the records. But they don't do that. Instead they join Kerry in his lies, and smear a group of 250 decorated war veterans.

These stupid reporters cannot get it through their heads that the Swift Boat Veterans have nothing to do with Bush, or with being for Bush. They are against Kerry. They are against him because he fabricated spot reports to win himself a bunch of fancy medals, and then abandoned his crew after 4 months in country to return to the United States and begin a career as Jane Fonda's lackey, where he proceeded to orchestrate false testimony at the so-called "Winter Soldier investigation" and then presented what he knew to be false testimony to the Senate of the United States. And in so doing slandered every member of the military at the time.

People like E. J. Dionne cannot fathom why anyone might still be angry about that 30 years later. That's his problem. When he tells us lies about the Swift Vets being connected to the Bush campaign, it becomes our problem. We have entirely too many reporters and editors telling us lies because they themselves are Democrats and their natural instinct is to attack anyone who threatens their precious Democratic candidate. It's time for them to stop that crap and start doing their jobs. How does Kerry have a Silver Star with a combat 'V'? There is no such medal. But there it is, on Kerry's web site. How does Kerry have a citation signed by Navy Secretary Lehman? Lehman says he never heard of it, and never signed any such thing. And yet reporters continue to tell us that "naval records" support Kerry. No they don't, dammit. We not only have Kerry lying about this stuff, the reporters are all lying with him.

E.J. Dionne can go to Hell. He's a dishonest, lazy journalist who lets his own politics stand between him and telling people the truth.