I hate to say, but the Swift Boat Liars are hurting Kerry

[ButterflyBlood]

Now I don't think most people care about the nonsense they're babbling about, or take them seriously (although in all fairness, I don't think most people care about * being AWOL either.) However, they're taking attention away from the economy, Iraq and basically the most miserable record of any president in history. While Kerry's comebacks to them have been pretty good, all the time he spends defending himself from their smears is time he isn't spending trashing *'s absolutely atrocious record.

So ironically, the RNC might end up helping us, it'll take them off the front page, and by the time it's done hopefully this story will be all spun out.

[WindRavenX]

1. They'll hurt us in the short term, but long term, Bush will be hurt

The longer this goes on, and the more the credibility of the SBVFT is shot to hell, the more it benefits Kerry.
Kerry is going to do the right thing and continue talking about THE ISSUES. People WILL pick up on the fact that Bush has been dodging that dialog and will swing back to Kerry.
Keep in mind this positive: Kerry still has more Electoral votes and is fairing better in swing states (minus Ohio, but I still think Ohio will go Kerry in the end).
This has been a rough couple of weeks. Kerry is tough- he'll survive and come out the victor.

[Jack Rabbit]

5. I agree, WindRaven

There is no way they can keep these lies up any longer. They've been exposed. The polls that came out today reflect the initial shock of the smear. By now, the backlash should be beginning.

In the end, it won't hurt Bush as much as it should. What will hurt Bush is the economy (more lost jobs this week) and Iraq (74 peaceful marchers slaughtered today in Kufa). Those are real issues that Bush doesn't want to discuss.

[WindRavenX]

7. bingo

You think it's coincidence that these poverty and uninsured numbers are coming out a few days before the RNC?
These numbers need to become a mantra for the Kerry camp: 1.5 million new people in poverty; 1.4 million new people who lost their health care last year alone.
How Bush has not been sunk yet is saddening, but the truth is on our side and it will be heard.

[chaumont58]

8. Another agreement

The swift boat liar ads weren't designed to hurt, they were designed to kill. Looking at the polls out today, the ads may have hurt some, but nowhere near to killing. The RNC is next week, no swiftie ads then(probably). The whole brohaha will have lost a lot of heat.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. It's not what you say, it's how you say it with this issue

We need to avoid Rove's trap of getting into a spitting match bashing the Vets. Rather, we need to bash Rove & W's roll in this whole thing. Then we will win.

Not to respond appropriately, or not respond at all, will only give Rove what he wants.

[BillZBubb]

4. Good analysis!

We also cannot let Rove and Bush* get away with equating all independent ads. MoveOn's ads are factual and go after policy failures. Swiftscum ads are lies and ad hominem attacks only.

[nolajazz]

3. If only taking attention away from the issues is its effect,

then it will only be temporary. It may also take attention away from the Repub Convention, and that will help us.

There is still enough time to debate the issues. The situation in economy and Iraq is not going to get much better before November.

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. Surrogates are doing a better job lately

(at least from what little I've seen lately...been busy) at getting the discussion changed back. K/E is still in the process of fully discrediting the "Swiftvets for Bush" though. On the one hand, I wish we'd get back to the issues also. But on the other, I'm pleased to see the media is paying attention to stories discrediting them.

As a Vietnam War child...that being too young to have been more than an observer of the world around me...the biggest thing I've always regretted for our country is the way that we treated the soldiers when they returned. It's disgraceful that they were spit on, tormented with 'baby-killer' insults, left untreated for deep psychological wounds, and basically kicked to the curb. Whether one disagreed or supported the war, that type of treatment was wrong.

I think Kerry was bold and correct to put his service front and center. It was about time that we stopped letting Republicans have that. But, Kerry picked a scab in doing so. In many ways, I think those deep wounds of how our contry treated vets from that war is why we do not seem to have healed from it.

(edit typos)

[Birthmark]

9. Yeah, thanks to the Swift Liars...

...my wife now magically has a job. Oh, wait. No she doesn't. Neither do millions of other Americans. I believe that this is more important. We'll see in November.