Egad. We accidentally deleted our post re the new Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ad published here yesterday afternoon. The TV/internet spot is generating a lot of buzz out there. Even the mainstream media -- the New York Times! -- can't ignore it, and pollsters are reporting a negative effect on Kerry's favorability among veterans. We just took another look (click here to view) and agree with what we said yesterday: It's a masterpiece of the admaker's art, alternating spooky soundbites and black-and-white images from the past -- Kerry's younger self testifying before the Senate re alleged Vietnam atrocities -- with full-color clips of the Swift Boat Vets as they are today, middle-aged men testifying to their sense of betrayal by the young Lieutenant Kerry when he returned home while they were still fighting over there and bad-mouthed them to the nation and the world.
"For more than thirty years, most Vietnam veterans kept silent as we were maligned as misfits, addicts and baby killers. Now that a key creator of that poisonous image is seeking the Presidency we have resolved to end our silence," says the group's website. Exerpts from the spot:
John Kerry: “They had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads.”
Joe Ponder: “The accusations that John Kerry made against the veterans who served in Vietnam was just devastating.”
John Kerry: “. . . randomly shot at civilians . . .”
Joe Ponder: “It hurt me more than any physical wounds I had.”
John Kerry: “. . . cut off limbs, blown up bodies . . .”
Ken Cordier: “He betrayed us in the past, how could we be loyal to him now?”
"Pat Oliphant, the syndicated cartoonist whose work appears in numerous broadsheets across the US, published an editorial cartoon that attempts to paint the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth as a bunch of drunk, wannabe sailors stooging it up for George Bush," writes Captain Ed.
That post we deleted (You fool. So much extra work trying to reconstruct it, and not out there long enough to be cached. Darn. --ed) cited Captain Ed of Captain's Quarters as the blogger who "owns" the Swift Vets story, quoting our blog buddy RobA of Fine Why Fine?: "I haven't posted much if anything about Kerry's Vietnam service because anything I wrote or linked to would be redundant if you read Captain's Quarters. He won't let it go, has done original research and is really all you need to read to get the story."
Finally, we recommended our readers to go enjoy RobA's latest rant re how "The Dems really blew it with Kerry." Phew. Post restored. Now we can move on to the news of the day.
Wow, double-links! Thanks buddy.
That Oliphant cartoon is disgusting, especially when you compare it to the real men who are part of the SBVs. It's a perfect example of the liberal mask slipping. Kerry the Vet is heroic, the 254 Vets who beg to differ are drunken rednecks. Ugh.
[comment reposted by Sissy with RobA's permission]
Posted by: Rob A. | August 22, 2004 at 10:42 AM