Lorie Byrd at Polipundit and Instapundit say this is one of the most devastating political ads they've ever seen: former Swift boat veterans blasting Kerry. Not just any such vets, these gentlemen SERVED with Kerry.
UPDATE: Upon further review, I'm not impressed. There are a bunch of veterans in the ad who served with Kerry and claim that he lied about his purple hearts and his actions that led to his bronze and silver stars. But that's it, the bare assertions.
Kerry is not credible on a lot of issues. And I think he DID volunteer to go to Vietnam in part so that he could later use his service as a qualification for political office. But aside from calling Kerry a liar, this ad tells me nothing. Therefore, unless there are follow-up ads that actually EXPLAIN why these men think Kerry is a liar, the ad has no more credibility than Howard Dean does on national security.
UPDATE 2: Dr. Joyner thinks that the Swift Boat vets are starting to sound like a tinfoil hat brigade.
UPDATE 3: Captain Ed says that this whole thing will backfire against Bush if the Swifties concentrate their attacks on questioning Kerry's (laudable) actions in Vietnam instead of questioning his (disgraceful) actions after he returned.
CORRECTION (and corrected above), the Polipundit agrees with me; Lorie Byrd, a Polipundit contributor, said the ad was devastating.
2 comments:
Well, I can't talk about the *political* effects of the ad, as in how many people will make up their minds based on it. But I can tell you that I think at least for some it will be incredibly damning to Kerry. It has been my fervent hope that some of these guys would somehow get funding to do just exactly this... See, the thing is, is: it seems to me that they have an enormous amount of credibility. Look at the risk they are taking, and the ridicule they now face. Why would *so many* of Kerry's former compatriots join together to do something with such an enormous downside? Because they are sick and tired of Kerry, because they fear for the country if he's elected, and because they have guts.
"Unless there are follow up ads that actually explain why..."? In this particular instance, not necessary for me. I've done a lot of background reading, for one, and two: I'm willing to give these men the benefit of the doubt. I don't think they have much to gain by doing what they're doing.
This makes me feel a little better, as a counter (of sorts) to all those singers - who have ZERO personal experience of Kerry - who are going on tour.
Mike
I don't disagree with either of you. But the ad just says Kerry is a liar by having a bunch of Swift boat vets declare it. The say-so of the veterans is not enough for this to be a "devastating" ad. I want to see the Doctor who treated Purple Heart #1 discuss the facts in one ad, the GI who contests the bronze heart discuss those circumstances in another, etc. Until then, the ad stands only as a "Kerry lied" ad. Big deal.
Post a Comment