02.22.08
Battle of the Swift Boat Vets continues
My flublogging has its moments, but there are times when I’m more than happy to yield to competently-edited professionals. I cheerfully refer you to Mark Hemingway’s piece in today’s National Review Online, “Swiftboating the Swiftboaters.” From the subtitle “Doing an effective political campaign historical justice” to the end, Mark’s economy of speech makes it a worthwhile read, and includes numerous points I missed in my last post.
Hemingway also discusses a new book, To Set the Record Straight: How Swift Boat Veterans, POWs, and the New Media Defeated John Kerry by Scott Swett and Tim Ziegler. If you want to know what the fuss is about, the article is a great launching point, and the book promises even more convincing evidence that “Swift Boat” is a term whose honor is worth fighting for:
The book’s detail is so extensive that even news junkies and SBV boosters will learn from it….We’re likely to hear more derogatory uses of “swift boating” and the “Freak Show.” But the media’s resentful rebranding of the Swift Boat Veterans’ campaign doesn’t stand up to the cold hard facts. To Set the Record Straight lives up to its title.
Read the whole thing.