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| isbn = 0-89526-017-4}}</ref> that challenged Kerry's military record and criticized his subsequent antiwar activities as a member of [[Vietnam Veterans Against the War]]. The unsubstantiated charges against Kerry by the SVPT gave rise to the |
| isbn = 0-89526-017-4}}</ref> that challenged Kerry's military record and criticized his subsequent antiwar activities as a member of [[Vietnam Veterans Against the War]]. The unsubstantiated charges against Kerry by the SVPT gave rise to the term "swiftboating" to describe political tactics that were described by ''The New York Times'' as a synonym for "the nastiest of campaign smears".<ref name=Reclaim>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/us/politics/30swift.html | work=The New York Times | title=Veterans Long to Reclaim the Name 'Swift Boat' | first=Kate | last=Zernike | date=2008-06-30 | accessdate=2010-03-27}}</ref><ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/26/us/2004-campaign-vietnam-record-lawyer-for-bush-quits-over-links-kerry-s-foes.html The 2004 Campaign: VIETNAM RECORD; Lawyer for Bush Quits Over Links to Kerry's Foes]. New York Times</ref><ref>{{Cite book |
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Revision as of 04:33, 23 February 2012
The word swiftboating is an American neologism used pejoratively to describe an unfair or untrue political attack. The term is derived from the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth (formerly "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth," or SBVT) widely publicized,[1] then discredited, campaign against 2004 US Presidential candidate John Kerry.[2][3]
Since the political smear campaign[4][5][6][7][8][2] conducted by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth against John Kerry, the term "swiftboating" (or "Swift-boating", or "Swift Boating") is now commonly used to refer to a severe political attack of a personal nature, or even a harsh attack on a candidate's policies. Swift Boat veterans and media pundits objected to this new use of the term.[9]
Origin
The term "Swift Boat" itself refers to a class of US Navy vessel used during the Vietnam War. In 2004, a political 527 organization called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (later renamed Swift Vets and POWs for Truth or SVPT), composed of Vietnam veterans who served on Swift Boats, formed with the intent of opposing the presidential candidacy of John Kerry. Kerry himself had served for four months as a Swift Boat commander in Vietnam. The group produced a series of television ads and a bestselling book, Unfit for Command [10] that challenged Kerry's military record and criticized his subsequent antiwar activities as a member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. The unsubstantiated charges against Kerry by the SVPT gave rise to the term "swiftboating" to describe political tactics that were described by The New York Times as a synonym for "the nastiest of campaign smears".[6][11][12][13][14]
FactCheck.org analyzed the claims in one of the ads and observed, "the veterans who accuse Kerry are contradicted by Kerry's former crewmen, and by Navy records", and noted, "At this point, 35 years later and half a world away, we see no way to resolve which of these versions of reality is closer to the truth."[15]
Objections
The use of this term as a pejorative has caused objections from conservatives who object to the implied criticism of the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth.[16] At least one conservative commentator has denounced its repeated negative usage as "a hate term."[17] A group formed for the purpose of opposing John Murtha's reelection to Congress, Vets for the Truth, posts at its website a definition of "swiftboating" as "exposing the lies, deceit and fraud of self-glorifying public officials or candidates for office who exaggerate their military service by lying about their feats of heroism and combat wounds." [18]
In a 2006 interview, John O'Neill, spokesman for Swift Vets and POWs for Truth commented on the term's usage by "parts of the mainstream media": "Maybe what it really means is: 'Tell the truth, don't demean our troops, or you can be sure somebody like the Swift Boats will be right out after you."[19]
Many Swift Boat veterans, "especially those who had nothing to do with the group that attacked Senator John Kerry’s military record in the 2004 election", have expressed regret and dismay that the term "Swift boat" has come to represent a political attack or "political chicanery".[6]
See also
- John Kerry military service controversy
- Borking, a term with a similar meaning and origin
References
- ^ "University of Pennsylvania National Annenberg Election Survey". PollingReport.com. conducted August 9–16, 2004. Retrieved 2007-03-30.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ a b Cogan, Brian; Kelso, Tony (2009). Encyclopedia of Politics, the Media, and Popular Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 155, 187, 335. ISBN 0313343799.
- ^ "The Vets Attack". Newsweek. November 15, 2004. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
- ^ Casey, Leo (2009). "No redemption song: The Case of Bill Ayers". Dissent. 56 (2). University of Pennsylvania Press: 107–111. doi:10.1353/dss.0.0041. ISSN 0012-3846.
In recent elections, the patriotism and good names of Democratic war hero candidates, from John Kerry to Max Cleland, had been impugned so successfully that a neologism for such smears—to 'swift boat'—was coined out of the assault on Kerry.
{{cite journal}}
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ignored (help) - ^ Allen, Michael Joe (2009). Until the last man comes home: POWs, MIAs, and the unending Vietnam War. Univ of North Carolina Press. p. 294-299. ISBN 0807832618.
- ^ a b c Zernike, Kate (2008-06-30). "Veterans Long to Reclaim the Name 'Swift Boat'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
- ^ Donaldson, Gary (2009). The making of modern America: the nation from 1945 to the present. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 333. ISBN 0742548201.
- ^ Boehlert, Eric (2006). Lapdogs: How the Press Lay Down for the Bush White House. Simon & Schuster. p. 198. ISBN 0743299167.
- ^ Smith, Melissa M.; Williams, Glenda C.; Powell, Larry; Copeland, Gary A. (2010). Campaign Finance Reform: The Political Shell Game. Lexington Books. p. 105. ISBN 0739145665. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ^ O'Neill, John. Unfit for Command. Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing. ISBN 0-89526-017-4.
{{cite book}}
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ignored (|author=
suggested) (help) - ^ The 2004 Campaign: VIETNAM RECORD; Lawyer for Bush Quits Over Links to Kerry's Foes. New York Times
- ^ Manjoo, Farhad. True Enough: learning to live in a post-fact society. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-470-05010-1.
{{cite book}}
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(help) - ^ PBS Ombudsman; PBS; July 13, 2007
- ^ BBC News, US & Canada. "Glossary: US elections". BBC News. Retrieved 29 Nov 2011.
Swift-boating The name given by Democrats...
- ^ FactCheck.org (August 22, 2004). "Republican-funded Group Attacks Kerry's War Record". Retrieved January 2, 2012.
- ^ Rosen, Mike (2006-10-26). "Story is none too 'swift'". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on 2007-04-30. Retrieved 2007-06-14.
- ^ Tyrrell, R. Emmett Jr. (June 4, 2006). "Swiftboating has become a hate term". CNN. Retrieved 2007-03-30.
- ^ McMichael, William H. (2006-08-14). "Former SEAL wages campaign to defeat Murtha". Army Times. Retrieved 2007-03-30.
- ^ Moore, John (2006-11-16). "Behind the Scenes: Swift Boat Veterans vs. John Kerry". Useful Fools. Retrieved 2007-11-14.