Swift Boat Controversy detracts from healthy political debate

August 22, 2004 2:43 PM from

With all the talk of the SBVT and their ads against John Kerry, one has to feel that the real issues of the election are getting shoved aside!

Both candidates have issues far back in the past that we could bring up again and again, but that's not going to help inform America who would be the better president. John Kerry may not have served honorably in and after Vietnam and George Bush may have gone AWOL on national guard duty, and to this day he still won't deny the he used cocaine and drunk heavily when he was younger.

But all that's really beside the point. The issues facing us today are Iraq, terrorism, jobs, the economy, health care, and many others not what the candidates may or may not have been doing over 30 years ago. The more time that gets spent on that the more time we lose on considering the legitimate issues of the election. The candidates and 527s need to stop digging up the past and start looking to the future, so we can figure out how to make America better.

Please share your own thoughs and feel free to agree or disagree.

politics

6,113 views 3 replies

Reply #1 August 23, 2004 12:57 AM from

PolMach Forums Top

I agree totally....unfortunately the right wing has made a living of character assasinations and if one does not fight back they win.

Reply #2 August 23, 2004 9:39 PM from

PolMach Forums Top

Hmmmm well let me say first that as for this swift boat stuff, it was Kerry at the convention that wanted to make his time in Vietnam so important. I agree that there are much more important issues facing us now, but why did he spend most of his time at the convention talking about the past? I didn't hear much about his 19 years or so in the senate.

Now as for the right wing with character assasinations, I find it hard to believe you can say that with how the left is talking about President Bush. Comparing him to Hitler, you don't consider that character assasination? Al Gore saying he betrayed the country. That isn't character assasination? I just have to disagree with you, not saying that it don't happen from the right wing but it sure happens on the left also!

And I listened to one of these guys today, one of the swift boat vets. President Bush today called for them to end the spots but this guy said he don't care how much he is asked they won't pull them. He said it is a very private matter between these 200 or so vets with Kerry. Again I think this is because Kerry has chosen to make his Vietnam service so important in this race. So there you got my opinon. Thanks for your time.

Reply #3 August 24, 2004 7:01 PM from

PolMach Forums Top

Thankfully, Kerry, himself has decided that now that he has finally faced the accusations, he will now speak about the issues. It may be too little too late. By focusing on the S.B.V.T. strawman, the Kerry campaign has nearly stalled by not taking advantage of their real strengths; the social and foreign policies that democrats usually win on.

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