Reply #37: Assasination politics 101

[stirringstill]

One guess I've had is that Kerry has been hounded by these Nixon spawn for decades and Kerry probably thought to himself--what's new. Kerry had dealt with these same allegations for most of his career and probably had felt that he had dispelled their fog of lies long ago. They knew this group had been resurrected for the election, but it seems thay didn't think they were a real threat. After all, Bush and Cheney didn't even go to Vietnam. I think the Kerry team believed that Bush and Cheney would not dare go after his Vietman War record when their own absent record spoke volumes. A third party attack from the Swift boats should given Bush's heroism in the Texas Guard just bounce off Kerry or at least never gain any traction! Right? Responding to the swift boat vets may also dilute the notes struck at the Democratic convention?

Bottom line--the Kerry team couldn't believe the media would run and run and run and run with the Swifty story. I imagine each day they thought it would be dropped from the news cycle and then it would pop up again and yet again. They should have taken the gloves off and gone after Bush's Vietnam record immediately, not a month later. Even though CBS fumbled those documents, the swifties bleeding of Kerry stopped as soon as Bush's Vietnam record was targeted. The audacity of the Bush team won the day in that volley with an essential assist by the right wing echo chamber. The swifties, aided by the media, defeated Kerry. Kerry's strengths--courage, honor, duty etc were all undermined in many voters minds by that exchange.