Poll: More believe Bush behind (Swift Boat) attack ads

[rawstory]

From the liberal alternative to Drudge, http://rawstory.com

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - Americans increasingly believe President Bush (news - web sites)'s re-election campaign is behind the ads attacking Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites)'s Vietnam experience, a poll found.

Almost half in a poll taken this week say they think the president's campaign is behind the ads that try to undercut Kerry's medals for heroism while just over a third think the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is an independent group, the National Annenberg Election Survey found.

The Swift boat ads, which ran in three swing states earlier this month, challenged Kerry's wartime service in Vietnam for which he received five medals.

The public's belief that Kerry did not earn his medals grew to 30 percent when the attack ads got widespread publicity on cable news networks. But that number has dropped to 24 percent now.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20040827/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_vietnam_opinion

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. How could the poll be complete if it runs from the 23rd to the 28th

if the 28th hasn't happened yet?

[TahitiNut]

4. It's a typo. It should be the 26th, because ...

... the story also says " In polling from Monday through Thursday, " ... and Thursday was the 26th. :shrug:

What I find more interesting is that the poll doesn't include a weekend day. That means Democrats and working poor were under-sampled, imho.

[Onlooker]

2. That's really significant, I think

"The public's belief that Kerry did not earn his medals grew to 30 percent when the attack ads got widespread publicity on cable news networks. But that number has dropped to 24 percent now."

Only 24 percent believe Kerry didn't earn his medals? That means that even some diehard Republicans are distancing themselves from the swift boat liar wing of the Republican Party. Surely, that can't be good news for Bush. Only time will tell.

[krkaufman]

8. Exactly.

That means that even some diehard Republicans are distancing themselves from the swift boat liar wing of the Republican Party.

Yep, the numbers underscore that the Swift lies were really just preaching to the choir. The numbers supporting or believing them are at or below the number of faith-based Boosh supporters.

And... "almost half" believe that Boosh's Campaign was behind the Swift liars. That's bound to go up after "Bush's Brain" (the documentary) starts circulating. The hatefulness and venom of (C)arl Rove needs to be exposed.

[A_Possum]

3. See? People figure it out, you have to give em a day or two

To at least hear the news and process it.

[snippy]

5. This will begin to hurt Bush when he runs his new Swift Boat ads. n/t

[Born Free]

6. democrats need to keep the pressure on

people are learning the truth, they are learning the coward bush is behind these smear tactics. This is a serious "Character" flaw and does not help the coward bush because once people realize his moral character is very low, they will stop ignoring all the mistakes he makes.

[PATRICK]

15. This has been key

It has murdered Bush's slick timing to have the mud stick to boost the Convention which will in turn gloss over the controversy and then it would have been too late or a long hard slog(with our ever impatient media groaning about 'reliving Vietnam) that would have left Bush free on his "high road" of select campaign issues.

Now he is lurching into the convention already bleeding from backlash.

The most important thing to note this is due to aggressive response to the smear and catching them out now. Timing is vital even with a long way to go. So far Kerry has survived then thrived on all that they could do, with little waste of time even compared to Clinton's 92 campaign.

And getting people VERY aware of his actual combat record leading into NYC is a long term plus by any standard. THAT is what will be remembered besides the usual BFEE Smear Tactics reality show the public is also becoming very very aware of.

[David Zephyr]

7. Kick!

[Gothmog]

9. This is important

If we can convince the American public of the truth, i.e., that the Swifties are a creation of Karl Rove, then the backwash from these ads will really help Senator Kerry.

[vickie]

10. This is indeed significant. The polling later in the week grew

more favorable to Kerry's position a) that Bush was behind the smear and b) that he did indeed earn his medals. If this keeps up the more evidence that comes to light, will see Kerry's poll numbers tick upwards again. This may not show for a week or so because of the GOP confab but at least this despicable and disgraceful smear will be behind us.

Vickie

[DoYouEverWonder]

23. I don't think Bush is behind the SBV's

I KNOW HE IS!

[rawstory]

25. ha

was worried there for a second.

[Blayde Starrfyre]

11. Good deal

This shows a marked improvement in America's ability to put 2 and 2 together.

[JoFerret]

12. Excellent

.

[annabanana]

13. kick (and vote)

:kick:

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Liberal Veteran]

16. Hey! What's that?

Is that a house about to drop on you?

[are_we_united_yet]

36. delete

wrong place. I'm brain dead

[happynewyear]

17. shows how desperate these people are

and in the words of Mike Malloy, 'HAVE I SAID HOW MUCH I HATE THESE PEOPLE TONIGHT?!!!!"

cyl loser

:dem:

[iamjoy]

18. Nothing They Do Surprises Me

the Republicans will stop at nothing in their negative attacks

[Lerkfish]

20. enjoy your short visit!

:)

[Erika]

19. Bush Did the Same Smear Job on McCain

and now they realize there is a hook up. Bush is the dirtiest politician we've seen in our life times.

[Lerkfish]

21. no, Karl Rove is the dirtiest politician. Bush is just his client. nt

[DoYouEverWonder]

24. They both suckled from the tit

of Lee Atwater. Don't let the dumb look fool you.

[pinniped]

27. An article I saw the other day regarding eerie parallels...

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/08/24/MNGF78DCN01.DTL

NEWS ANALYSIS
Observers see eerie parallels in attacks on Kerry, McCain
As in 2000 campaign, Bush attempts to distance himself from hits against rival

Zachary Coile, Marc Sandalow, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Washington -- Four years ago, as George Bush struggled in the polls, supporters of his bid for the Republican presidential nomination unleashed a ferocious attack on rival John McCain, questioning his commitment to veterans and his fitness to serve.

After the charges took root, Bush distanced himself from the veterans group that made the attacks, called the Arizona senator's service "noble'' and cruised to a nomination-saving victory in the South Carolina primary.
------more:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/08/24/MNGF78DCN01.DTL

------

Standard operating procedure.

Seems crystal clear to me. Anyone who doesn't see the connection is a Kool-Aid drinking repuke.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

22. Then the people see that Bushler is a filthy SOB!

[rawstory]

32. Kerry still has lost majorly in the polls

:(

[wabeewoman]

26. I asked a republican friend

who had told me she was voting democrat this year what she thought of the Swift boat business. She said she didn't really care-at least Kerry was there and it didn't matter. She was still voting against bush.

[dArKeR]

28. WILL LESTER, a man of MORALS

[struggle4progress]

29. kick

:kick:

[Shallah Kali]

30. is this why they announced yet another no-new-info terror threat alert?

?

[rawstory]

31. when did that happen?

I guess i missed it.

[DeepModem Mom]

33. Good news -- thanks, rawstory --

[struggle4progress]

34. Swift boat ads push GOP veteran into Kerry camp

Wednesday, August 25, 2004
By Milan Simonich, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ed Belfoure, who flew helicopters as a Marine in Vietnam, is a registered Republican. But he promises to cross party lines in November to vote for Democrat John Kerry for president.

Belfoure, of Washington, Pa., said yesterday he cannot abide the "despicable television ads" that donors to President Bush's campaign have aimed at Kerry.
<snip>

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04238/367395.stm

[liberalcanuck]

35. Thanks for the link. That's a pretty good story. According to the

'media', America wants to talk about issues but damn you'd think that since we're voting for a person's character, the choice would be fairly obvious. Kerry went, * didn't. That's gotta be one for the good guys right? The fact that Shrub and the swiftboat liars have been able to muddy the waters so-to-speak AND gain in the polls is a damn shame. I don't know how far running a positive campaign is going to get us. Kerry chose to use his Vietnam service as a defining difference and we've gotta make it work for him in some way IMHO.


edited for spelling

[are_we_united_yet]

37. Well duh!

:)

[NewYorkerfromMass]

38. This weeks polls should confirm it. (eom)

[yellowcanine]

39. Backlash should dampen Bush convention bounce.

Hopefully this will make the convention a wash and Kerry will be poised to move ahead across the board in the battleground states in September.

[yellowcanine]

40. Swifties may have shot their wad too soon. If they had waited until

mid October there would not have been time for Kerry to respond and second thoughts to develop. The Swiftie story will continue to unravel now and fuel a backlash which helps Kerry but hurts Bush.