Saw a Debate last night from 1971 between John O'Neil and John Kerry

[Bandit]

It was actually very informative and in hindsight every talking point used by O'Neil has proved wrong. Kerry was suave and dignified and didn't get ruffled at all. He was a very good debater and it is easy to see how he has been elected to high office all these years. I think it was supposed to be a negative thing for Kerry but I found just the opposite to be true. Even the right-wing Dick Cavet was uneasy with O'Neil and interrupted him a few times to set things straight. Anyone else see this and have any comments on a 27 year old John Kerry?

[Bandit]

1. One thing I heard that caught my attention

When they were talking about Free Fire Zones O'Neil said that every single mission that their unit was involved in was always under intense fire. It was sort of a rebuttle (30 years previous) to the meme that Kerry didn't deserve any of his medals.

[peacetalksforall]

2. Which John O'Neil was this?

[Bandit]

5. He was twenty five years old and a Lt. in the same Navy unit as Kerry

Other than that I don't really know. He was part of a Vietnam Veterans group for the war which was opposed to Kerry and his Vietnam Veterans against the war.

[A J]

6. Not the same as you might be thinking.

He is a Houston lawyer now, and not a former FBI official, I believe. That is John O'Neill with two "l"s

[A J]

3. I saw it last night.

Kerry was extremely articulate. Best of all, he actually answered the questions that were asked.

O'Neil tried to justify Nixon's exit strategy, but looking back it was easy to tell who was right. I just wish we had TV like this now. It was compelling stuff.

[Nomad559]

4. Another thread on It here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x484643

:)

[Bandit]

7. Thank you I missed that thread somehow.

:thumbsup:

[seabeyond]

8. i had only heard a part of kerry speech

and seeing him so young,. and listening to his grace in the speech, is what gave me hope in kerry to find that young man again. what i saw thru primaries was a kerry in senate too long, so was good to see the young kerry for me

[CBHagman]

9. In the lead to the show on C-SPAN...

...they kept telling us how "sincere" John O'Neil was. Frankly, when I heard him on the Dick Cavett rebroadcast, he sounded scripted, belligerent, and defensive. He went out of his way to try to smear Kerry. O'Neil would, sadly enough, fit right in with the current Coulter-Hannity breed.