I assume you all know that Kerry fought in Vietnam. Indeed, insofar as his autobiography was presented at the Democratic Convention, at times it appears he has done little else. As David Broder observed,
Kerry and other speakers fixated on one brief shining moment in his pre-political career: His valiant service as a Navy officer in Vietnam. It became the all-purpose metaphor — “I’m John Kerry, and I’m reporting for duty.” But it never really merged with the story of his later life….
Left largely unanswered — or only vaguely outlined — was the question of what Kerry had done with his life in the decades since he came home from Vietnam, particularly in his 20 years of Senate service….
John Kerry was in Vietnam for four months. He has been officially running for president for over 11 months, nearly three times as long. He was in the Senate for 20 years. In his acceptance speech, however, here is the amount of space taken up by all of his comments about what he did during those 20 years:
xxxx x xxxx xx xxx xxxxxx, x xxxxx xxxx xxxx xx xx xxx xxxxx xx xxxx xxx x xxxxxxxx xxxxxx, xxxxxxx x xxxxxxx xx xxx xxx xxxxx xxxxx xx xx. x xxxxxx xx xxx x xxx,xxx xxxx xx xxx xxxxxx.
xxx xxxx x xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx, xx xxxx xxx xxxxx xxxxx xxx xxxxx xxx xxxxxxx xx xxxxxx, xxx xx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx.
By contrast, here is how much space was taken up by his direct references to his experiences in his four months in Vietnam (nothing was said about his post-war denunciation of that experience):
xxx xx xxxx xxxxxxx, x xx xxxxxxxxxxx xx xx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx xx xxxxxxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxx, x xxxxxxx xxxxx xxx xxxxxxx. xxx xxxx xx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xx xxx xx xxx xx xxxxxxxx, xxx xxxxxxx xx xxxx xx xxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxx. xx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xx xxxxx xx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xx xxxxx. xx xxx xx x xxxxxx xxxxx xxx, xx xxx xx x xxxxxx xxxxxx, xxx xx xxxxx xxxx xxx xx xxxxx xxx xxx xxxxxxx.
x xxxx xxxx xxxx xx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxxxxxxx xx x-xx xx x xxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxx. x xxxx xxxx xxxx xx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxx xx xxxxxx xx xxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx. x xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxx.
xx xxxxxxxxx, x xxxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxxxxx x xxxxxxx xx xxx. xxxxxx xxx xx xx xxxxxx, xxx xxxx xx xx xxxx xx xxxx x xxxxxx xx xxx xxx xxx xxxxxxxxxx xxx: xx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxx xx xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxx xxx. xxx xx xxx xx xxxxxx. xx xxx xx xxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxx, xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx x xxxxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxxxxxx.x xx xxxxxx xxx, xxxx xx xxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxx xx xxx.
x xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xx x xxxxx xxx xxx x xxxx xxxxxx xx xx xxxxxxxxx.
xxx xxx xxxx xxxx xx xxxxx. xx xxxx xxx xxx xxxxx. xxx xxxxx xxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx. x xxxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx, xx xxx xx xxxx xx xxx xxxx xxx xxx xxxxxx xxx xxxxxxx. xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxx xxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx xx xxxx. xx xxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxx, xxx xx xxxxx xxxxxx xx xxxx xx xxx xxxx. xx xxxxxx xxx xxxxxxx xx xxx x xxxxxx xxxx xxx xxxxxxx x xxxx xx xxxx.
x xxxxxxx x xxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxx xx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxx xx xxxx xxx xxxxxx, xxxxxxxx, xxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxx. xx xxx xxxxx xxxxx xx xxxx xx xxxxxx. xx xxx xxxxx xxxxx xxx xxxx xx xxx xxxxxxxxxxx. xx xxxx xxxxxxxxx xxx xx xxx xxxx xxxx. xx xxxxxx xxx, xxx xxx xxx xxxxx – xxx xx xxxxx xx.
When those Swift Boat veterans who are critical of Kerry attack his actions in Vietnam, it will be hard for his campaign to reply that his behavior there is not relevant.
UPDATE [5 Aug. 10:10PM]
From the Seattle Times (via InstaPundit):
The fundamental problem with Kerry’s campaign is that it presumes the worst thing possible about American elections: that the voters are too dumb to see through the holograms. An alien watching the convention might have reasonably assumed that the Democrats had nominated a 28-year-old for the presidency, so absent was any mention of the candidate’s other career in the U.S. Senate.
If Kerry wants the leadership campaign to be about his time in Vietnam, he and his emissaries should be careful about impugning the motives of his veteran detractors….
Well, Kerry does have the advantage that the leader of Republican Swift Boat Vets Against Kerry didn’t actually serve with him. I don’t think this is Rove/Bush’s best plan, especially if it inspires someone to ask George Bush’s fellow Guard pilots what they thought of him, and they can’t remember seeing him!
But Bush isn’t going on and on about his time in the Guard. Can’t anyone is Kerry’s camp get him to shut up about Viet Nam? Once i found out he served there for 4 months, I just stopped listening.
“Left largely unanswered — or only vaguely outlined — was the question of what Kerry had done with his life in the decades since he came home from Vietnam, particularly in his 20 years of Senate service”
That government which governs best, governs least.
Why wouldn’t the Bush mafia disparage the heroic service of John Kerry, who won three purple hearts, a bronze star and a silver star during those few months of service?
Aren’t they the same gang that called John McCain, a former POW “unhinged”, and “a traitor?” Didn’t they use push polls in South Carolina saying he has a black (not quite the term they used) baby? McCain actually adopted a child from East Asia.
Isn’t this the same crew that declared Vietnam triple amputee Max Cleland was “soft on defending America?”
Isn’t this the same bunch that just slashed millitary housing for 10,000 families in the latest defense budget?
Just exactly which party do you say truly supports our troops?
–Cobra
“the Bush mafia”. A new low for the left. The increased stridency and histrionics means they’re getting very nervous.
I was amazed to learn Kerry had faked many of his medals, that his fitness reports were dismal, that he only served 4 months of a 12 month tour. The phony even recreated his “heroic” moments for home movies!
When I heard about the “Unfit for Command” story, I knew Kerry was done. The democrat party controlled media can’t shut this up forever.
REPORT FROM THE FRONT FINAL THOUGHTS – the Vietnam Veterans against Kerry demonstration at the DNC.
It’s now been a week since the Vietnam Vets serenaded John Kerry at the Fleet Center and in front of his house. The thing that amazes me the most is the degree to which the mainstream media has totally ignored our legitimate expressions of anger at the con job the Democrat National Committee was trying to foist on America so they could grab more power over us.
My wife, the fabulous Cindy, reminded me of PT Barnum’s favorite saying “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” The latter is what Kerry and his minions are trying to do to America this election season. Apparently they think us Vietnam Era Vets are senile by now and don’t remember his treachery that caused us to lose that war and denied us the honor we so richly earned.
I have this warning to the veterans of latter generations:
IF JOHN KERRY IS ELECTED, I PROMISE YOU HE WILL STEAL YOUR HONOR AS HE STOLE OURS.”
Back to our demonstration and march. The media was there outside the Fleet Center by the hundreds and I had hundreds of cameras in my face as we advanced our banner into their consciousness. I personally was interviewed perhaps twenty times and I saw numerous other comrades interviewed also. WHERE ARE THOSE TAPES? ARE THEY BEING HIDDEN ON PURPOSE?
I will say that Channel Five ABC in Boston did show brief snippets of our efforts Wednesday and Thursday on their eleven o’clock news and another guy handed my daughter a cell phone and a voice told her:
“You’re on the radio, how old are you?” To which she answered “Nine.”
He then asked “Why don’t you like John Kerry?” and she answered “Because he’s a liar and I don’t like his chin.”
But that was all I know of. Kerry can never win if we can get the word out that two thirds of all Vietnam Veterans dislike him intensely, but how are we going to do that if the media will ignore us?
The following links describe my experience those nights and a few pictures I took of the situation:
http://pep.typepad.com/public_enquiry_project/2004/07/report_from_the.html
http://pep.typepad.com/public_enquiry_project/2004/07/report_from_the_1.html
http://pep.typepad.com/photos/viet_vets_at_the_dnc/index.html
Kerry has built his campaign on his Vietnam war service. But he was only in Vietnam for four months, only in combat for approximately one month. He expects americans to be stupid enough to believe he earned all his medals, and the label “hero”, in that time?
His is a campaign in the process of unraveling.
Andrew, my perception is that this is one area in which the Republicans don’t at all mind if Bush is dragged down as well, as the National Guard service was hardly a major bulletpoint on his resume. It’s a victory for Bush if both candidates end up perceived as lying cowards in regards to their Vietnam era activities, effectively canceling each other out on the issue.
Lazarus is awfully partisan for someone who claims to be above such things.
First, the men in the ad did serve with him, for the most part they were officers of other swift boats in the same command.
Secondly, it’s Kerry who is trying to mislead the public by parsing the statements in the ad. In the ad the men claim to have “served with” Kerry, but his response via letter is that they were not “crewmates”. While his statement is true, it doesn’t speak to the ad at all. Kerry has no intention of pursuing the matter in the court, this is just his way of accusing the opposition of dirty tricks. He’s hoping the media will once again make the story the Republican tactics instead of the issue in the ad, just as he did with the “9/11” ads months ago.
So it’s both Kerry and Lazarus who are wrong for claiming the ad is misleading in this respect.
On the other hand, I don’t think the ad is particulary important. Kerry probably used his service as a springboard to politics and tried to load up on medals to further that purpose. So what? None of that changes that he was there. If we’re not going to hold it against people that they didn’t go at all I don’t think it’s particularly relevant that Kerry was only in country for 4 months. The ad isn’t going to convince the undecideds.
The relevant question is “Why should we elect someone President who believes his primary qualification was fighting in a war 35 years ago?”
I have read Unfit for Command and seen the film Stolen Honor. Believe me, anyone who looks at both and still thinks of Kerry as a hero,with integrity and honor and not as a selfserving , deceitful liar is a fool!I think they should shut their mouths and open their eyes to see who and what he really is !
I am a Vietnam Vet. And, I am damn angry that this guy is even getting a chance at the hightest office in this country.He and Hanoi Jane lied about us and heaped shame on honorable men.If people are coming forward to stop this travisty, then it is only justice catching up him.I only wish both of them had been charged with treason.