# Here's the attempt to "Swiftboat' Obama **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 16, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685 "2012-08-16T17:12:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/21 "2012-08-16T19:31:36Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Many people seem to think that Kerry’s problem was more in his failure to respond to the Swiftboat ads. He didn’t recognize the threat they posed until it was too late. > > So, do you think Obama should respond directly to these criticisms? And if so, how? I think Kerry’s response, or lack thereof, ended up making him appear ineffectual. As to how Team Obama **should** respond, I’m unsure, I know I’d be tempted to heap mockery and scorn upon this BS… ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/22 "2012-08-16T20:04:45Z")
> [@JQPublic](#): > > I thought the president was against spiking the ball. I thought the spiking the ball thing was about the Obamacare decision. For bin Laden, I don’t care if Obama spikes the ball, dances in the endzone, and mugs for the camera in ways that would shame Chad Ochocinco Johnson. He made a risky decision, knowing he’d get crucified in the press if things went wrong on the mission. That gamble paid off, and Obama deserves credit for it. ---
**Author:** ![Raintitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e99b99/32.png) [@Raintitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raintitan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/23 "2012-08-16T20:15:29Z")
The crew of the helicopter failed to take everything into account from a weight perspective and they were unable to power through a hover over the OBL compound and crash landed. In a stealth helicopter. From that point on, people were going to know pretty quickly about the operation with physical details (stealth helicopter wreckage) and the enemy as well. That point alone is so obvious that this video is ridiculous with claims that it should have remained secret for another day. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/24 "2012-08-16T20:21:30Z")
> [@XT](#): > > I’m not seeing this as an attempt to ‘Swiftboat’ Obama though. Perhaps I misunderstand the term, but this just seems an attempt to spin things a little, not a total character assassination (which is what I think of when I see ‘Swiftboat’-ing someone) What do you call when you take something a candidate CLAIMS is a strength and make it such a liability that they don’t want to talk about it anymore. See Bain Capital. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/25 "2012-08-17T01:07:36Z")
If all this does is keep the bin laden raid in the news, why would the Obama campaign even want to respond? Let them keep talking about it. The leak stuff actually is damaging, but not on this subject. The NY Times story on Iran and drone strikes is actually more significant, but even there it’s not the leaks themselves, it’s the administration’s denial, even though the NY Times cited “two dozen current and former officials of the administration”. There’s no way that makes the President look good. Either he leaked for political gain or he has no control over his direct subordinates. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/26 "2012-08-17T01:11:52Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I’d kind of be impressed if they can make killing Bin Laden a downside to Obama’s first term. Karly Rove’s SOP. Attack the opponent’s strength. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/27 "2012-08-17T01:19:48Z")
That only works if the strength is less than it appears. On war, Obama has if anything been much, much better than conservatives could ever have hoped. IMO, the ‘strengths’ to attack Obama on are his supposed postpartisanship, his intelligence, and his likeability. All three are part of a cultivated image that can be pierced. And he’s helping Republicans out with a relentless campaign of partisanship and negativity. Not to mention Joe Biden doing his level best to call the President’s judgment into question. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/28 "2012-08-17T01:56:04Z")
Now \*\*that would \*\*be impressive. Harvard Law? Never heard of it… ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/29 "2012-08-17T03:45:52Z")
George Bush was Ivy League too. But really, it’s not hard. For example, how does a constitutional professor get struck down 9-0 by the Supreme court on a 1st amendment case? ---
**Author:** ![Peanut\_Gallery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@Peanut\_Gallery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut_Gallery)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/30 "2012-08-17T04:07:22Z")
This same douche has been yapping about how awful it was that Osama dared to die while a Democrat was in office, ever since it happened. [Snopes on his bullshit glurge email](http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/navyseal.asp) [Previous thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=651598) I realize that it’s technically news again since he made a cute little video thinking he’d have some affect on the election, but it really is the same old year-long poopy-pants tantrum. I doubt Romney wants to hear bin Laden mentioned at all in the next few months. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/31 "2012-08-17T04:18:43Z")
But there are clearly republican political operatives behind the ad, just like the Swiftboaters, and you would have thought that George would have cringed at having Kerry’s medals for military action brought up, but is there any doubt at the end of the day that the Swiftboat stuff helped George and hurt Kerry? Why wouldn’t they think such brazen BS wouldn’t work again? A lot of the same morons who fell for it then are still a’votin’. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/32 "2012-08-17T04:21:51Z")
My guess is this is aimed at the Republican base. Let’s face it. They’re not going to turn killing Osama bin Laden into a negative. What they’re probably trying to do is keep it from being too much of a positive. They’re worried that there are some Republicans out there who might be thinking, “You know this Romney guy isn’t Ronald Reagan or John McCain. And Obama may be a Democrat but he did kill Osama and that was pretty kick-ass. So maybe I’ll switch parties this one time.” ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/33 "2012-08-17T04:30:17Z")
I think it’s more a case of emphasizing just how much self regard Obama has. It is always all about him. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/34 "2012-08-17T04:52:31Z")
[Obama Campaign Strikes Back Against Former Navy SEALs.](http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/08/obama-campaign-strikes-back-against-former-navy-seals/55847/) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/35 "2012-08-17T04:54:29Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I think it’s more a case of emphasizing just how much self regard Obama has. It is always all about him. It is always all about the **candidate.** Campaigning 101. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/36 "2012-08-17T05:02:05Z")
Is it really wise to fight this battle? I don’t see how the President can win an argument with Navy SEALS politically. Where is the evidence that their attacks had any chance of doing real damage? Seems like they are reacting to what happened to John kerry out of instinct. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/37 "2012-08-17T05:16:07Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > …Granted, it was no strapping on an over-sized cod-piece… Pics, or it didn’t happen. Second thought, I’ll take your word for it. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/38 "2012-08-17T05:25:42Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Is it really wise to fight this battle? I don’t see how the President can win an argument with Navy SEALS politically. Where is the evidence that their attacks had any chance of doing real damage? > > Seems like they are reacting to what happened to John kerry out of instinct. Of course you can win a battle with Navy SEALS especially when their arguments are as ridiculous as the ones made here. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/39 "2012-08-17T05:34:56Z")
What’s ridiculous about their arguments? The allegations don’t sound too damaging, but they don’t sound wrong either. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685/40 "2012-08-17T05:40:24Z")
Peanut, thanks for the links to the prior threads. Front page of CNN now, official rebuttal from Obama campaign = gaining traction? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-the-attempt-to-swiftboat-obama/631685.md?page=3)