Reply #5: I was horrified a few years ago when someone posted a CNN article [View All]

where Wolfson spoke of the lesson from 2004 being that swiftboating works and that meant that we should do it. I was horrified then but naively thought he was speaking of what we had to do to the Republicans. The earliest evidence that they really did intend this was when an anonymous HRC aide questioned what McCain did as a POW (http://www.nypost.com/seven/10152006/news/nationalnews/hills_so_sorry_over_viet_slap_nationalnews_maggie_haberman.htm ) Just as with later comments on Obama from Saheen and Kerrey, there was an apology. Think how many apologies there have been.

What really makes me angry is that the story of 2006 COULD have been that swiftboating backfired. All the vets that Kerry and others defended from swiftboating won. In the case of Patrick Murphy, the incumbent might have had a chance of winning had he NOT swiftboated from earlier polling results. In fact, that might become the conventional wisdom if Obama beats HRC - as seems likely. Look at what has happened to her and Bill's favorability numbers. She is being punished for what she is doing. I suspect, but can't prove that those negatives will be extremely hard to erase. The fact that she likely will not be the candidate is good, it would be ironic if at the point the public moves against the slice and dice nasty politics - we were the ones seen using them.

If HRC gets the nomination, that swiftboating is wrong may also be the conventional wisdom - because I seriously do NOT think that we can effectively swiftboat a Republican - and especially not McCain. Their swiftboating in 2004 worked to the degree it did because they had the echo chamber and because the MSM played along. We do not have an effective echo chamber like the Republicans - they have almost all teh radio time and a higher percentage of the cable airtime. The media may like McCain less than in 2000, but they will protect him as they NEVER did Kerry. Any attempt to swiftboat could backfire and backfire badly.

I really think we are at a point where it is so bad, the pendulum has to turn.