They knew how to win. Does John Kerry?

[RedEarth]

They knew how to win. Does John Kerry?

The Bush machine is running one of the dirtiest -- and most effective -- campaigns in modern history. The Democrats need to get back in the fight.

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By Eric Boehlert



Sept. 1, 2004 | Back before the Watergate break-in, Republican operatives had a name for their unique brand of below-the-belt campaign attacks: "rat fucking." Part character assassination, part collegiate pranks, the dirty tricks -- conducted in utmost secrecy -- were designed to throw Democrats off balance, create confusion, and tarnish reputations. Three decades later these attacks have been perfected. Except now they're practiced out in the open for everyone, including the compliant media, to witness.

The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth became the latest multimedia incarnation. Launching the most bitter, and perhaps most deliberately misleading Republican-backed campaign attack since the racist Willie Horton ad of 1988, the group, bankrolled by a wealthy Bush donor, aired hollow, secondhand allegations that John Kerry lied about his actions in Vietnam that won five military medals. Not one charge about Kerry's medals has withstood the slightest scrutiny, but thanks to the inaction of the national press corps, which again appeared in awe of the mighty Republican attack machine and its conservative media echo chamber, the Swift Boat's dirty trick succeeded in disrupting the presidential campaign for several weeks this summer.

Instead of quickly pointing out that Kerry's Vietnam accusers were factually challenged and that the coauthors of the anti-Kerry book "Unfit for Command" had severe credibility problems, too many mainstream reporters, editors and producers, taking their cue from Republicans, agreed to abandon serious campaign coverage for weeks in order to focus, yet again, on a so-called character flaw of the Democratic candidate. By the time the Washington Post, New York Times and Los Angeles Times did deploy reporters to knock down the Swift Boat Vets' rickety charges, they'd taken on a life of their own in the anti-Kerry netherworld of talk radio, right-wing bloggers and Fox News.

The Republicans' brash maneuver was "highly reminiscent of Nixonian politics," says John Dean, who served as Nixon's legal counsel during the Watergate coverup. He notes that 33 years ago John O'Neill, coauthor of "Unfit for Command," was recruited into politics by one of Nixon's top dirty tricksters, Chuck Colson.

"We've come full circle since Watergate and dirty tricks," Dean says. "Although today they're much more nasty."

salon...use the day pass

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/09/01/kerry_media/print.html

[Jim Sagle]

1. To be fair, I think Kerry felt he had to give the media a chance to act

professionally. One chance, no more. He knew the smears were coming. Perhaps he didn't know the media were this bad.

Even Boehlert's article, which starts by castigating Kerry's campaign for its weakness, ends by describing a parade of media horribles.

Kerry now has ammo needed to campaign against the press itself.

As for the question in your thread header - after watching Zell Miller foam last night, I'm not so sure the Republicans do know how to win THIS time around.

[dennis4868]

2. "Perhaps he didn't know the media were this bad"

Are you serious? Did John Kerry not folow the 2000 election when Bush and his thugs made shit up about Gore (i., inventing the internet) and the media ran with it, never doing a fact check on any of Bush's attacks on Gore.

Was John Kerry not been around the past 3 1/2 years and see how the media hides all of Bush lies and crimes that affect so many peoples' lives?

Kerry should know that his number 1 enemy is not Bush....if it was it would be a cakewalk. His number 1 enemy is the mainstreem media....this is the same media that allows Bush lie to the nation about the reasons for going to war, outing a CIA agent, etc....

Kerry is up against a whole lot more than simply Bush and his thugs....

[Larkspur]

3. The Media helped Kerry win the Dem Primaries

so that could explain why Kerry failed to see the Media being compliant with the Repukes.

[USA_1]

4. Blaming the media???

Sorry folks, I cannot agree.

The problem is you Democrats because of your turn-the-other-cheek submission campaign. Every time the ReSUCKplicans kick in your teeth, you turn the other cheek and wipe their asses.


You cannot blame the ReSUCKplicans for using winning tactics. If they send Zell Go-To-Hell to talk shit about Kerry and you persist in saying and doing nothing about it, how can anyone blame them???

Last night the Pukes said that Kerry voted against weapons systems, voted for reducing Pentagon budgets, and has done everything in his power to compromise the nation's defense. All of this is complete bushshit.

And what's the DNC response?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Once again, it's turn-the-other-cheek and wipe them in the ass.


When are you idiots going to do something about this bushshit campaign? When will you stop kissing up to the Pukes? When will you ever fight back???

On a couple of other threads, I pointed out how several web forums are filled with hate Kerry threads. The posts are filled with all kinds of slanderous bushshitisms which do not have even a shread of truth.

On several occasions I post replies and try to set the record straight. While I am not a Democrat, I am only interested in the TRUTH. That's why I reply with facts in response to these reich wing lies.

BUT WHERE ARE THE HELL ARE THE DEMOCRATS???

WHY THE HELL DON'T YOU IDIOTS REPLY TO THESE SLANDEROUS STUPIDITIES???

Kerry is a member of your party (I am an independent). It is you Democrats who are supposed to answer these baseless charges and to mount a successful campaign. But instead of doing so, you just sit there and kiss ass.


Instead of blaming the media, take responsibility for your own party's shortcomings.

Stand up and answer the friggin' Pukes. Make your own charges. Speak the TRUTH! And don't blame the media --- take it from the reichsters and tell them that if they refuse to report the truth, you will boycott their news reports.

Stand up and fight NOW! :nuke: