Bush and His Public in a Disinformation Age [barfer]

New York Times ^ | September 22, 2006 | Craig Crawford

[Enchante]

When he sets his jeweler’s eye upon the so-called Swift-boating of the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, for instance, future candidates for office get point-by-point instruction on how to turn a campaign liability into an asset: in this case how someone with no combat experience can successfully run on national security issues against someone who was actually shot on the battlefield.

Mr. Rich asserts that the Bush camp, “so brilliant at creating fictional stories for their own man,” managed to “create a fictional biography for Kerry” that offset the stories of his heroism as captain of a Swift boat in Vietnam, leaving the war hero “stripped of his medals — so that he would be on the same footing as a president whose Vietnam service consisted of sporadic participation in the Texas ‘Champagne unit’ stateside.”

The gambit of course worked. The president won re-election in 2004, thanks in no small measure to the seeding of doubts about one of Mr. Kerry’s major assets in that wartime campaign: his own combat record.

[Enchante]

Hilarious (unintentionally) review of Frank Rich's screed against the Bush WH. I knew that Frank Rich was a vicious, dishonest, snivelling leftist, but I didn't know much about Craig Crawford because I don't watch PMSNBC. The couple of times I've seen Crawford on the tube he seemed to be trying to be objective, but I sensed that he was much farther to the left than he lets on..... this "review" - which is a pathetic love-letter to Frank Rich - confirms that Crawford is totally dishonest when he pretends to be any kind of middle-of-the-road objective analyst in the MSM. In reality, Crawford is as delusional as Frank Rich, MoDo Dowd, Paul Krugman, and friends....

[P-40]

“create a fictional biography for Kerry”

A biography he could have challenged. He chose not to.

[cardinal4]

When he sets his jeweler’s eye upon the so-called Swift-boating of the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, for instance, future candidates for office get point-by-point instruction on how to turn a campaign liability into an asset: in this case how someone with no combat experience can successfully run on national security issues against someone who was actually shot on the battlefield.

This the third SwiftBoat reference I have seen in the last 24 hours. Kerry is spending money..

[Brilliant]

“so brilliant at creating fictional stories for their own man...”




Ironic that the NYT is complaining about someone else writing "fictional stories." Afterall, that is the NYT's business.

[dirtboy]

The Dems by nature will cling to their delusions as to why they lost in 2000 and 2004. Because the alternative is to re-examine their core political positions, and they aren't about to do that.

So they claim that SCOTUS gave Bush the election in 2000, despite all subsequent findings to the contrary. And they call the Swifties a bunch of liars, despite the fact that their claims about Kerry have held up to withering scrutiny.

Lord knows how deranged their excuses will get if they fail to win either the House or Sentate come November.

[weegee]

MAJOR NYTimes puka puke alert...

Media Schadenfreude and Media Shenanigans PING

for instance, future candidates for office get point-by-point instruction on how to turn a campaign liability into an asset: in this case how someone with no combat experience can successfully run on national security issues against someone who was actually shot on the battlefield.

Ha f***in' HA!

Bubba Clinton was an Arkansas governor who played DOWN George HW Bush's foreign policy experience.

Bubba downplayed his clear draft dodging and his "I loathe the military" letter.

GHW Bush was shot down and bailed his airplane.

THEN in 2004, the draft dodger Bill Clinton stood shoulder to shoulder with the traitor John Kerry and decried the military service of George W. Bush.

[dirtboy]

Just the standard response to Dem talking points being issued. It's not just about Kerry - it's an attempt at a pre-emptive attack against conservative truth-telling in 2008.

[Suzy Quzy]

Craig Crawford is Spittin' Chrissy's little B*TCH.

[Gordongekko909]

It's really funny that Dems complain about us attacking Kerry's military record. It's all he ran on. If you hold your nose and watch some video from the 2004 Democratic National Convention, the video that they play about Kerry is Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam. His entire campaign was in black and white because it was all still shots taken in Vietnam.

Is it any surprise that the response ads attack - GASP! - his war record?

[Cicero]

Why not dispell these attacks once and for all, Monsieur Kerry, by authorizing the military to release all of your records to the public?

All of them. With no friendly flunkies to sort them out and choose what to release.

Bush did it.

And, hey, how about releasing clinton's academic and medical records while we're at it? All other recent presidents have done so.

[Digger]

THEN in 2004, the draft dodger Bill Clinton stood shoulder to shoulder with the traitor John Kerry and decried the military service of George W. Bush.

Then GW treats him like his brother & the kool-aid drinking pubbies see nothing wrong with this. Your corrupt "Two-Party Cartel" is/has been playing you for the fools that your are to keep voting them back n.

[msnimje]

"We're not controlling the news, WAAAAAA!"

[Digger]

That little puke, Rich, doesn't have any ba!!s. The communist NYT has to send another puke to support the other puke. If I ever got close to Rich like O'Reilly did on Russert last yr I would be unable to contain myself & that little puke thought that Mr. O just might reach over & pull his vocal cords out. Priceless!

[weegee]

WAIT! Kerry served in Vietnam?

I thought he was in Cambodia on top secret orders from President Richard Nixon who sent him BACK in time to 1968 to cover his tracks...

[Richard Axtell]

Let me try my hand at writing a "RNC Talking Point". I give this free without strings or need for attribution to anyone who wishes to use it. Next time this issue is brought up, or some Democrat mentions "Swiftboating" offer this advice. "I agree, this issue should be settled once and for all. Senator Kerry should and can easily sovle this public perception problem, simply by having the courage to do what President Bush did long ago; release his form 180, and let the public see his entire military record. That will end speculation on whether the Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth are telling the truth... or not. Perhaps that is exactly what Senator Kerry fears, after all?"

[DakotaRed]

I'm always amazed at how they paraded Kerry's scant 4 months in country and Gore's mere 5 as if they were the only men to ever set foot in Viet Nam.

They make them out to be above reproach due to their "war hero" status, yet have no problem denigrating, ridiculing and minimizing the stance of over two million others who served there honorably, actually did earn their medals and bear the scars of that conflict's outcome, thanks to the lefts own cowardice and adoption of the enemy's position.

For the first time in my life, I witnessed a true grassroots effort by true war heroes (although I have yet to hear of any make that claim themselves) and two years later, they are still be trashed by the leftist Democrats.

As far as I'm concerned, Kerry et al are just as big of traitors today as they were back then.

If Gores 5 months and Kerrys 4 months qualifies them for office, then shouldn't my 18 months boots on the ground there double qualify me to speak out against them? Or, shouldn't the honorable service of all the Swifties give them the right to oppose one they know to be treasonous and a glory hound?

The world of the left is a backwards as it can get.

[Condor51]

Bush and His Public in a Disinformation Age
by:"Craig Crawford" Craig Crawford is a contributing editor and columnist for Congressional Quarterly; a news analyst for MSNBC, CNBC and “The Early Show” on CBS; and author of

“Attack the Messenger: How Politicians Turn You Against the Media.”

Yeah Craig, it's the "politicians" not you lying leftist scumbags.

BTW Craig, how's Dan Ra^ther and Mary Mapes doing? Are they playing three handed pinochle with Jason Blair?

[Chicos_Bail_Bonds]

Crawford is horrible...he's a buddy of Olbermann's and that's all you need to know.

Each election he predicts a Democratic win and each election he is horribly wrong.

He attempts to be impartial on PMSNBC but he can never go an entire bit without a smirky response or dig. He's horrible, nothing else to it.

[expatpat]

Mr. Rich asserts that the Bush camp, “so brilliant at creating fictional stories for their own man,” managed to “create a fictional biography for Kerry” that offset the stories of his heroism as captain of a Swift boat in Vietnam, leaving the war hero “stripped of his medals......”

"heroism"? "war hero"?

What fools these liberals be!

[roses of sharon]

Yes he is, and he, Chrissy, nor Frank Rich believe a word of what they write and say.

This to complete propaganda for public consumption.

They KNOW that Americans who REMEMBERED John Kerry coming back and TRASHING our brothers, sons, and fathers, voted against him on principal.

The battlefield behavior is not what sunk Kerry.

It was the video of his testimony before Congress.