Swift Boat Veterans: What Impact?

[jerseyhoya34]

Interesting survey results from a reputable polling organization. (www.pollingreport.com/wh04misc.htm)

"During the Viet Nam War, John Kerry was awarded purple hearts, a bronze star and a silver star. Do you believe that Kerry earned all of these medals or do you think he did not earn them?"

Well, Republicans, Independents, and Democrats mostly agree that John Kerry earned them.

It may be time for Bush to get back to the issues...

[kchoya]

What issues are you talking about? I watched the DNC and there was one issue that was talked about over and over and over: John Kerry's time in Vietnam. It's funny how four months got so much air time but 19 years in the Senate received nary a mention over the four days. Wouldn't you agree with me that Kerry has completely ignored his Senate service?

Now, as for the Swift Boat issue, I doubt it will have much impact. It's muddy and dirty, and it's not going to get any better. I don't think it's going to sway too many people one way or the other. However, I don't think its going away anytime soon (George Will made some reference to something coming out next month on "This Week" yesterday morning).

Two thoughts: (1) I thought that Bush had made some sort of comment "against" the Swift Boat ads, but I'm not sure. I know he hasn't flat out said "stop running the ads." That being said, even if he did, it's not like the ads will stop running (one of the top guys has said as much).

(2) Those of you who have such a problem with this independent political groups spending half a million on these ads, do you have the same problem with liberal/democratic 527's spending $60+ million on advertising? And that's not even counting the stupid Wisconsin Senate race complaints by Common Cause.

[jerseyhoya34]

If you watched the DNC and Kerry's speech, you would have noticed some discussion of the issues. Ron Reagan, for example, devoted an entire speech to embryonic stem cell research. Kerry discussed his plans in some length, among them energy independence.

Kerry did bring up his service and others did too, although, admittedly, I would have liked more discussion of it. It was brought up repeatedly how he stood for balance budgets when it was unpopular and how he brought about peace and normalized relations in Vietnam, among other achievements.

What is interesting about this attack is that it is all about moving the goalposts. Before the convention, the Republicans shouted left and right about how no one knows John Kerry. Well, quite extensive time was paid to explain who he is, which involves maybe more than anything else, his service in Vietnam. At the heart of John Kerry's accomplishments is his service and work to bring about an end to the war. The Republicans got what they asked for because they witnessed four days of extensive discussion of Kerry's life. Now, they charge that Kerry did not discuss the issues...

As far as the Swift Boat ads, Bush has now asked that they be taken down. As you point out, it is a fairly weak stance because the Swift Boaters won't take them down. At the heart of the matter is how Bush wants to run the campaign. If he wanted to, he could be pretty forceful about it. After all, Kerry denounced Move-On's AWOL ads, and they took them down. The reality is that Bush wants them to run the ads because it draws attention away from a current war and a slumping economy.

That is the sad reality. I think, without a forceful call to take them down, Bush commits a grevious moral error by allowing others to question the service and sacrifice of John Kerry.

On your second point, this is not a policy issue about 527's. It is an issue about what is morally correct. My values tell me that it is wrong to question one's service to country. It is simple as that. Clinton and his surrogates didn't do it to Dole. Kerry hasn't done it to Bush. Yet, Bush's surrogates have done everything to question the valor of three men: McCain, Cleland, and Kerry. In all three situations, they were morally and factually wrong.