As the Obama Change Frenzy - which America will know as the Chicago Express Pain Train if he is elected - spins up in the emotionally charged liberal psyche, a few things are sticking out of the liberal media zig-zag paper.
Zachary Roth is exemplifying one of them - when the media dictates the definitions of the words used to describe things, it is very difficult to discuss the issues without playing into their game.
Presidential races generally hinge on character issues - as Republicans understand. That’s why, the last two times out, the GOP has won the White House by hammering into voters’ minds the idea that the Democratic candidate embodies a particular negative quality. In 2000, Al Gore was depicted (with the help of a lazy and compliant press corps) as a serial exaggerator. Four years later, John Kerry was portrayed as a weak-willed flip-flopper. Ultimately, it was these personal caricatures, far more than any specific policy prescriptions, that doomed the Democrats.
Take the term “swiftboating” as an example. The media has coined this to define when someone is maligned unfairly. However, that was not what the Swift Boat Veterans did. They exposed the nature of John Kerry to exaggerate his role as a military leader based upon their eye-witness accounts of service with him. They refuted some of his tall tales and portrayals of himself as a strong leader.
So, now that the world is scrutinizing Senator Obama and Senator McCain, along comes Zachary Roth with a claim that the Republican Party is “swiftboating” Barak Obama. Let’s look at this on a couple of levels:
1) Just Senator Obama?
Assuming the liberal media definition for a moment, how could a journalist see only the “swiftboating” of Senator Obama? Have not democratic party operatives “swiftboated” John McCain with rumors of inappropriate behavior with a business contact? Have not democratic operatives recently attacked John McCain’s military service as insignificant and his being shot down as poor proficiency, and his being held prisoner as much ado about not much at all?
2) Criticism isn’t “Swiftboating”
By any definition, simply identifying concerning issues - especially when all indications point to their veracity - about a person or his policy stances is not “swiftboating”. I know liberals like to put a label on everything, but your candidate has a total of 3 1/2 years of national political experience. He came from a background of political ultra-activist parents, political ultra-activist affiliations in youth, and is known for legislation which is considered by all respected sources as very liberal. He is running for the presidency of the United States of America - arguably the most powerful position on earth. People are going to criticize and scrutinize everything about him. If something troubling comes up, he has the option of addressing it or not - the fact that someone asked the question or posed the issue is not “maligning”. It is called vetting - something Senator Obama is doing to find a VP candidate.
3) “Swiftboating” or Vetting
The Swift Boat Veterans - who put their reputations and livelihoods on the line to do so - provided Americans with a view of John Kerry the nation would otherwise not have gotten. Many Americans who are sucked in by the Kumbaya Vision Thing of liberal policy were still forced to reject Senator Kerry because there was reasonable doubt about his veracity. You might not like a guy, but you have to feel that he is what he says he is. I understand that this is difficult in politics because politicians tend to believe they must boil the ocean to be accepted by everyone they need to get elected.
John McCain is going to have to work hard in this regard as well. I have been a vocal critic of Senator McCain’s policy stances on several issues. However, with McCain you have 20-odd years of track record. You know what his tendency is on a given policy. Barak Obama has 3 1/2 years of national political experience and has only been a member of a quorum at the state level. So, what do we have to go on with him? What he claims and what we have seen from his limited political record.
Bringing up Barak Obama’s inconsistencies in policy statements is vetting. Addressing the differences between who he says he is and who he’s affiliated himself with is vetting. Criticizing him for portions of his policies with disagree with is vetting.
To me, given the truth of what the Swift Boat Veterans were about, vetting and “swiftboating” are the same. The difference here is, the only person who has “swiftboated” Barak Obama is Reverend Jeremiah Wright. You see, Rev Wright knows Barak Obama and knows why Barak Obama spent 20 years in his church. You may not see this for what it is, but Revered Wright gave America a good look at the character of Barak Obama and even Revered Wright found that character wanting.
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