Bush was not a popular president and John Kerry started the race polling well. But then the SBVFT came charging in. They pulled the rug out from under Francois, and they never let up. Their attacks were decisive. [Note: this article was written by a liberal and downplays the Vets’ role.]
‘The most damaging ads attacking Kerry were made by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. As a 527 organization, they relieved the Bush campaign of any responsibility for the ads and from having to justify or defend them.
The first Swift Boat ad opens with Kerry’s running mate, Senator John Edwards (NC), saying that the best way to understand Kerry is to “spend three minutes with the men who served with him.” The ad spliced together short interviews with veterans who accused Kerry of lying about his Vietnam War record and betraying his comrades by later opposing the war.
The ad appeared in only a few states, but its incendiary charges dominated election-news coverage where the ad was shown repeatedly. Senator Kerry’s campaign waited two weeks before showing an ad responding to the accusations. In that time, the attack stuck, casting doubts about Kerry’s heroism, integrity, and fitness to lead the fight against terrorism.’
Like. Surprisingly the SBVFT ads did not run in Massachusetts. The Dan Rather fiasco did. Dan Rather did a good job of roughing up Kerry with his exploding cigar.