by Thomas Lindaman
09/01/04
You can’t pick up a newspaper, turn on the radio, fire up the computer, or go to Amish country without hearing about the controversy surrounding Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. This group has been giving John Kerry and his campaign fits since they came out after the Democratic National Convention with a television ad that brought Kerry’s military record into question.
Since then, Kerry’s campaign has gone through a few unsuccessful ideas to turn attention away from the Swifties (as I’ll call them). First, they had the DNC send a letter to television stations telling them that the ad was false and suggesting that they not air it in order to avoid legal proceedings in the future. (Think Don Corleone of “The Godfather” but with more seersucker suits.) Then, they urged George W. Bush to condemn the Swifties for their campaign against Kerry. This is known in political circles as the “Running Home Crying to Mommy” defense.
Then, Kerry and his supporters resorted to character assassination to make the Swifties look like liars and partisan hacks working under the direction of the Bush campaign. And now with the advent of Unfit for Duty, Kerry and his supporters have pressured bookstores not to carry the book because it’s “full of lies.” (Of course, they have no problem with any of Michael Moore’s books. Or Bill Clinton’s. Or Hillary Clinton’s. Or Richard Clarke’s. Or…well, you get the picture.)
These efforts, though completely anti-First Amendment and completely hypocritical, are meant to minimize the damage the Swifties will inflict. Unfortunately for Kerry, it may be too late to salvage anything of worth.
Politics is a game of image over substance. You could be the second coming of Mother Teresa, but if your opponent makes you look like a complete tool, nothing you do will convince some people that you’re a good person. This is how Democrats have slammed Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, and others in Republican ranks. Don’t tell the public what these people actually do; tell them what your spin doctors say these people do. (Can you say “wither on the vine,” boys and girls? Knew you could.)
For the Swifties to be effective, all they have to do is plant a seed that John Kerry isn’t being honest about his service in Vietnam. And this has already been done with Kerry’s claim that he was in Cambodia under direction of Richard Nixon. For years, he’s claimed that a memory of spending Christmas in Cambodia was “seared” into his memory. And he got away with it until the Swifties corrected this memory with a credible timeline and facts that contradict what Kerry said. To further complicate matters, Kerry’s camp had to revise the Senator’s “memory” to make it coincide with the facts. Not a good way to build credibility on your record, Mr. Kerry.
Of course, not everyone will fall victim to the same pitfalls Kerry is right now. If you’re a likeable liar, you can weather just about any trouble that comes your way. For this, we need only look to Bill Clinton. Polling data from around his impeachment showed that people wouldn’t trust him to watch a potted plant, let alone run the country, but they still supported him overwhelmingly when Republicans tried to remove him. (And in Clinton’s defense, I’d trust him to watch a potted plant. After all, he watched Al Gore for 8 years.)
So, how does Kerry turn around this situation? There is a chance, but it’s something that he hasn’t done yet nor do I think he wants to do. He has to release his military records in full and explain his actions (or lack thereof) to the American people. Without some sort of context, his critics are running the debate and controlling the high ground. Are they completely credible? I can’t say for sure. But I do know that Kerry hasn’t been completely honest with us, either. And considering that the latter is running for President, many people will presume that he’s guilty before being proven innocent (or at least innocent enough by politicians’ standards).
And he’d better do it quick. Polls are showing that the Swifties’ charges are taking a toll on his campaign. The longer John Kerry ignores the holes in his ship of state, the harder it will be to bail it out and get it seaworthy again.
And that’s the Bottom Line.
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