Swiftboating

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Swiftboat" redirects here. For the naval vessel, see Fast Patrol Craft.

Swiftboating is American political jargon for an ad hominem attack against a public figure, coordinated by an independent or pseudo-independent group, usually resulting in a benefit to an established political force.

This form of attack is controversial, easily repeatable, and difficult to verify or disprove because it is generally based on personal feelings or recollections.^[1] It frequently refers to a campaign that uses viral marketing techniques to sell the allegations. By using credible-sounding sources to make sensational and difficult-to-disprove accusations against an opponent, the campaign leverages media tendencies to focus on a controversial story.^[2]

The name comes from the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth organization's negative portrayal of Presidential candidate John Kerry's military service in Vietnam and subsequent antiwar activities. Although many of the charges were unverifiable, they were disseminated widely^[3] leading to swiftboating's reputation as a controversial but effective form of "smear campaign".^[4]

The term has gained currency among some writers and commentators, mostly as a pejorative.^[5] At least one conservative commentator has denounced its repeated negative usage as "a hate term."^[6]

A group formed for the purpose of opposing John Murtha's reelection to Congress, Vets for the Truth, posts at its website a definition of "swiftboating" as "exposing the lies, deceit and fraud of self-glorifying public officials or candidates for office who exaggerate their military service by lying about their feats of heroism and combat wounds." However, the group has not focused on Murtha's military service but on his statements in regard to the war in Iraq. ^[7] ^[8]

A similar definition of "swiftboating" supporting the Swift Vet and POWs for Truth has found its way to conservative t-shirts and other paraphernalia sponsored by similar groups: "Exposing lies, deceit, fraud or deceitful/fraudulent person(s)" ^[9]^[10]

[edit] Other terms used to describe political attacks

Ad hominem attack
"Borking" Originated from Democratic opposition to the nomination of Robert Bork to the United States Supreme Court, 1987
Character assassination
"Demonizing the opposition" [2]
Fair Game (Scientology)
"Politics of personal destruction" (frequently used during Clinton's impeachment hearings) [3]
Smear campaign
Mudslinging

[edit] Examples of "swiftboating"

2 October 2006. "The Democrats' Anxiety Closet" Jed Babbin in The American Spectator. [4]
13 July 2006. "How Much Is That Admiral In The Window?" James Boyce in the Huffington Blog alleges that Republicans are planning to swiftboat Iraq War veterans who are running for Congress, like Jim Webb, Joe Sestak and Tammy Duckworth.[5]
21 August 2005. "Swift Boating Cindy Sheehan," Frank Rich in the New York Times[6]
22 August 2005. O'Reilly Factor, Fox News: "The 'Swiftboating' of Cindy Sheehan, that is the subject of this evening's 'Talking Points Memo'." transcript
9 November 2005. "VT: Columnist Says O'Neill Aiming To Use "Swift Boat" Tactics On Sanders," The Frontrunner (via LexisNexis)
18 November 2005. "Murtha Stirs Policy Debate," Fox News: A 'Swift-Boating' of Murtha? [7]
19 November 2005. "Kerry rap GOP actions as 'shameful,' 'Swift-boating' moves," Worcester (MA) Telegram & GazetteMcGovern (via LexisNexis)
22 November 2005. "Does Bush really seek a new tone?" Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN): "Whether it was Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in 2000, former Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga., in 2002, former counterintelligence official Richard Clarke or the Swift Boating of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in 2004, the no-holds-barred tactic was to go right at the opponent's strength and seek to destroy it." (via LexisNexis)
1 December 2005. "Kerry Swift-Boats Bush," Slate Magazine [8]
1 December 2005. "Coulter's Swift Boat-style smear of Vietnam veteran Murtha" [9]
1 June 2005. "Swiftboating has become a hate term," R. Emmett Tyrrell on CNN Politics [10]