Swiftboating.. Veterans for a Strong America only "one guy" who is a former republican operative

[Sexyeccentric1]

Video that discusses the political tactic of swift boating turning Obama's strengths into weaknesses.


http://youtu.be/JsrSAqRrCc0

An outfit called Vets For a Strong America unveiled this video last week, attacking President Obama for his comments on killing Osama bin Laden, and it's done quite well. But as attacks go, I'm not sure if this one's on the right track.


The point is pretty straightforward: the video, professionally made with high production values, wants the viewer to think Obama wants sole credit for the mission that killed the al Qaeda leader last year.

The claim is demonstrably untrue, but the right doesn't much care about such niceties.


Vets For a Strong America's Joel Arends, the founder and sole staffer at the "group," freely admits, "Yes, it's the swift boating of the president, in the sense of using what's perceived to be his greatest strength and making it his greatest weakness."

I see. So, Obama's "greatest weakness" was ordering the strike that killed bin Laden, keeping a campaign promise Mitt Romney criticized, and following through on a commitment George W. Bush chose to disregard.
Hmm.


Dave Weigel's not buying it: "[T]his is cheesy. The aesthetics evoke the 'Army of One' ads that play in front of movie trailers. The Swift Vets ads worked for reasons that can't be recreated in the OBL capture story."
Quite right. The Swiftboat claims came from individual men who said, on camera, that John Kerry was lying about military heroism. Kerry was telling the truth and his accusers were lying, but again, in Republican politics that just doesn't matter. The smear campaign offered "proof" that the Democratic war hero was not to be trusted.


Vets For a Strong America's lie is weaker, less compelling, and based on a premise that's simply less important.


Weigel added, "[T]he commander-in-chief isn't stealing valor when he talks about a mission he ordered. That's what 'commander-in-chief' means. The average American who fist-pumped at the OBL news had much less to do with the operation than Obama. I'd doubt he/she feels guilty and wants to take back the 'USA!' or the 'wooooo!' into the TV camera."


Or Jed Lewison put it, "[T]he best case scenario with the ad is that people who see it are convinced that Obama is a dick ... but even if they are convinced he's a dick, he'd still be the dick who killed bin Laden. And the last thing you want to do [if you're a Republican] is talk about how President Obama killed bin Laden."


Regardless, Joel Arends' one-person operation -- the funding of which remains a mystery -- isn't done. Judd Legum and Adam Peck noted that Vets For a Strong America is trying to recruit Navy SEALS to condemn the president before the election.


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The video is repugnant to me as everyone should know that the decision making took months of planning on President Obamas part to accomplish this and take the risk with the go ahead on getting Osama bin Laden, just because he didn't pull the trigger himself does not mean he doesn't have the right to claim credit for this accomplishment.

[joe bloe]

I think Arriana Huffington's comments on this issue are right on the money. She described Obama's tactic of exploiting the Bin Laden killing, in such a nakedly political way, as despicable. Obama is shameless.

To use "Swift Boating" as a pejorative is silly. Swift boating means to cause political damage to a candidate by revealing an unpleasant truth about their character. The book "Unfit for Command" and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth revealed the fact that Kerry had lied about his war record. When most American's found out that Kerry had filed for a Purple Heart for what amounted to a paper cut, he was sunk (no pun intended). The book provided a valuable public service by revealing John Kerry as the weasel that he is.

http://www.mediaite.com/online/huffi...ad-despicable/

[Guest040616]

Over 4500 American lives were lost because GW lost his focus on OBL and the perpetrators of 9/11. Obama regained America's focus and as a result, OBL sleeps with the fishes.

End of story!

Way to go Mr. President!

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by bigtex

Over 4500 American lives were lost because GW lost his focus on OBL and the perpetrators of 9/11. Obama regained America's focus and as a result, OBL sleeps with the fishes.

End of story!

Way to go Mr. President!

You forgot to mention Saddam Hussein -- who was, btw, granted a trial before he was executed by his own people.

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by I B Hankering

You forgot to mention Saddam Hussein -- who was, btw, granted a trial before he was executed by his own people.

Are you speaking of the same Saddam Hussein, who had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11?

IB, you have yet to learn that you must keep your eyes on the prize. OBL was the perpetrator of 9/11, not Saddam Hussein. While you and GW were content to focus on Saddam, it is obvious that President Obama made the decision to focus his attention elsewhere.

Way to go Mr. President! You made the correct choice , not GW and IB!

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by bigtex

Are you speaking of the same Saddam Hussein, who had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11?

You have to keep your eyes on the prize IB. OBL was the perpetrator of 9/11, not Saddam Hussein. While you and GW were content to focus on Saddam , it is obvious that President Obama made the decision to focus his attention elsewhere.

Way to go Mr. President! You made the correct choice, not GW!

Yes, it was the Saddam Hussein who murdered hundreds of thousands using WMD and who wouldn't abide by the the terms of the UN Sanctions levied against him: the criminal who flagrantly violated the terms of his parole.

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by I B Hankering

Yes, it was the Saddam Hussein who murdered hundreds of thousands using WMD and who wouldn't abide by the the terms of the UN Sanctions levied against him: the criminal who flagrantly violated the terms of his parole.

That's the spirit IB, keep drinking GW's Kool-Aid! Meanwhile, OBL now sleeps with the fishes, because of President Obama's correct decision, as opposed to GW's decision to focus his attention on a pain in the ass, 3rd world dictator who was no longer a threat to America's national security!

GW probably could have killed OBL on his watch, but he completely lost focus and allowed the perpetrator of 9/11 to slip through his fingers! What happened to Wanted, Dead or Alive anyway?

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by bigtex

That's the spirit IB, keep drinking GW's Kool-Aid! Meanwhile, OBL now sleeps with the fishes, because of President Obama's correct decision.

GW probably could have had OBL, but he lost focus and let him slip through his fingers!

What happened to Wanted, Dead or Alive anyway?

Saddam was given the opportunity to surrender peaceably, and he did. Uday and Qusay made a different choice, and engaged U.S. military forces in a fire fight. See how that works? Figured you knew that from your Vietnam days.

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by I B Hankering

Saddam was given the opportunity to surrender peaceably, and he did. Uday and Qusay made a different choice, and engaged U.S. military forces in a fire fight. See how that works? Figured you knew that from your Vietnam days.

Since you brought the subject up, there is a comparison between Vietnam and Saddam. They were both American foreign policy mistakes!
But keep on sippin'! Your Kool-Aid seems to be especially potent this time of the year!

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by bigtex

Keep sippin'! Your Kool-Aid is especially potent this time of the year!

Keep drinking your Kool Aid, BigTicks. You need the fortification it brings you.

[i'va biggen]

Originally Posted by I B Hankering

Keep drinking your Kool Aid, BigTicks. You need the fortification it brings you.

the parrot strikes again way to go I B the buffoon

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by I B Hankering

Keep drinking your Kool Aid, BigTicks. You need the fortification it brings you.

IB, I understand your frustration. I truly do!

Your still upset that they killed OBL on Obama's watch and not GW's. As for me, I didn't care whose watch it was on. I am just glad that OBL finally sleeps with the fishes!

MISSION FINALLY ACCOMPLISHED!

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by bigtex

IB, I understand your frustration. I truly do!

Your still upset that they killed OBL on Obama's watch and not GW's. As for me, I didn't care whose watch it was on. I am just glad that OBL finally sleeps with the fishes!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!

And Saddam sleeps with the worms, BigTicks.

Originally Posted by Ekimtriplezero

the parrot strikes again way to go I B the buffoon

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by I B Hankering

And Saddam sleeps with the worms, BigTicks.

If nothing else, you guys are entertaining as hell! Me, I didn't care who killed OBL, just so he's dead! You guys wanted OBL dead as much as me.

Unless it occurs under Obama's watch!

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by bigtex

If nothing else, you guys are entertaining as hell! Me, I didn't care who killed OBL, just so he's dead! You guys wanted OBL dead as much as me.

Unless it occurs under Obama's watch!

And Saddam still sleeps with the worms, BigTicks. He was perhaps the greatest mass murder to survive into the 21st century, and the world is a better place without him.