Was the Kerry affair story planted to discredit the AWOL stories?

[dansolo]

People are looking at the Kerry affair as a failed diversion. I think the real purpose may be a lot more insidious. I am already hearing people on the radio drawing parallels between the affair rumors and the AWOL rumors. I think the Republican strategy all along may have been to make people believe that the AWOL stories are merely Internet spread rumors. By planting an easily discredited attack on Kerry, they can now decry all of the partisan rumor mongering on both side. People now view the AWOL story through the prism of partisanship, and will be inclined to defend Bush against the attacks, and believe that the evidence is fabricated.

[quinnox]

1. I would not be overly surprised

if Rove or the RNC were behind this. Unfortunately, I think it is just the opening shot (or smear may be a better word) in the general election campaign.

Still, if the aim was to discredit the AWOL I'm not sure how successful it might be. The press loves this kind of story, and it may hang around for awhile.

[MurikanDemocrat]

2. No, the AWOL stories have merit. They are not internet stories.

The Kerry affair was likely a Rove plant a diversion to take the heat off the AWOL stories.

[eileen_d]

3. I suppose that's possible

But when the AWOL story is printed as the lead "Nation" story in Time Magazine, I think the "Internet rumor" theory starts to crumble...

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040223-590683,00.html

[NV1962]

4. Would be a most stupid ploy, IMO

Not hard to fight it off by the Kerry campaign, and then have it bounce back in their faces, blasting with the backlash: "Further illustration of the lack of character and integrity of Mr Bush."

It's playing with fire, but what the hey... I hope they do.

:evilgrin:

[dansolo]

8. That was the whole point

Kerry can't prove the story came from Bush/Rove. But with a huge uproar over a blatantly false story against Kerry, it is easy enough to lump the AWOL story in with it. I am only saying that I was hearing some people on the radio who are not fans of Bush say that they though both Matt Drudge and Terry McAuliffe should be apologizing.

[eileen_d]

10. I don't suppose that was a right-wing radio station?

People who "are not fans of Bush" will be unwilling to believe the AWOL stories even if the Shrub gets court-martialed. What's notable about your anecdote is that these people actually think Drudge should apologize.

[demgrrrll]

5. The awol story has been picked up by far more reporting sources

and has had much better traction. The awol story is less
less of an internet only phenomenon than the Kerry story.
They are still nervous about the questions being raised
about community service issues and possible drug arrest issues. The Kerry story is over.
What they want to spin and what they are able to spin may be two different things.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. The AWOL story is relevant because......

...if Bush is going to put someone's son or daughter in harm's way one would hope he would have fulfilled his obligation when he himself volunteered to be in harm's way.

There are some who believe military experience makes one more likely to be a war monger. I disagree. I believe military experience, especially when one has seen combat, tempers one's mindset in this area. I believe one is less likely to go to war when one has actually seen war.

[JI7]

6. it was in response to the AWOL stories

not because they thought the affair rumors would discredit AWOL truth. but to try to take attention away from AWOL truth , especially since when it was brought up it was being compared to kerry's service record.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

7. The Kerry lie backfired-and the AWOL story isn't dying

yes, it most definitely was a failed diversion, as you aptly stated. We just don't know what's around the corner. If it's starting out as an intern 'sex' thing, the next step is to dredge up some 'shady' business deal that Kerry was peripherally involved in. The Rovian machine knows no bounds...

[Sensitivity]

9. It was SUCCESSFUL. There was more THREAD and COVERAGE of SMEAR than Denial

It always seems to work against Democrats. It seems that we so like to
circulated slime about one another that the Repubs have it easy.

I am becoming very discouraged and ashamed.

It was completely false. But a lot of average people who heard
the rumor, whether from Rush etc. or around the coffee table
an some will never hear or believe the denials.

[onehandle]

11. No it wasn't. The media hardly touched it.

AWOL has more legs than I'd ever imagined.

The Internet is not the real world. Far from it.

[MurikanDemocrat]

13. I disagree. It got a couple days of rumor and shot down.

It didn't get much traction in mainstream news sources. It never grew legs. Now it's dead, after only a couple days.

[Sensitivity]

16. Everyone I know heard the rumor? What about you. Some still suspect.

[MurikanDemocrat]

17. I only saw it here. Ad nauseum!

I don't read Drudge, ever. And I didn't see or hear of it anywhere else. I read here that Kerry was going to be on Imus and make a statement so i got up and watched that.

[Doctor_J]

12. if so

it was a, ahem, miserable failure.

[Frances]

14. Of course