About to read "Unfit For Command"

[PresidentObama]

I bought it back in August in Orlando, Florida at some bookstore where it was like a dollar. I also got "The Many Faces of John Kerry" for 50 cents. While I felt dirty buying both, I also like to study the enemy. And at that time Kerry was still a Presidential contender, and I was reading up on what his enemies accused him of before 08'

I haven't read either yet, but I found them and probably will.

Either any good? Even for comedy value?

Or should I just prepare to :puke:

Just interested, whose read either? I've read all the books about Kerry I could get my hands on besides these two. For obvious and apparent reasons!

EDIT: I also bought that bought about Hillary, whats it called? The Truth about Hillary or something.

[fedupinBushcountry]

1. I would burn it

no way in hell would I ever read a book of lies. Please burn it.

[PresidentObama]

2. It's been shoved in a box for months.

I moved back in October, and I forgot I even had it.

When I first picked it up out of the box, I looked puzzled. I couldn't remember ever buying it. Then I remembered in August I was considering and debating whether to re-open my website John Kerry For America and I was doing some research about Kerry's critics and the lies they've spread all these years.

I would like to read it, I won't believe a word of it. But I always like studying the enemy. My grandpa makes me read all kinds of rubbish books just so we can debate and argue the content afterwards. He almost convinced me to read Ann Coulter's book one time, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

My old RW friend whom hated Kerry said "Unfit For Command" seemed like a pack of lies. He simply didn't believe anything in the book. And this is a conspiracy theory guy who usually picks up on any lie you throw at him, and runs with it. But he'd said the book was just total garbage. He even complained he wanted to go to Barnes and Noble or what ever place he got it at, so he could return it.

[Noisy Democrat]

6. I've looked at it

It's crap. Unfortunately, the site SwiftBoatLiars.com was taken down, but it demolished all their claims. There are other sources that demolish them too, though. I remember being confused by it at the time, because I was new to being a Kerry supporter, so I didn't know much about the man, but my gut told me that he *couldn't* have done the things they said he did. Now all the smears have been proven to be lies, but I imagine it would still be upsetting to read, even if you know the truth.

[PresidentObama]

7. Oh, I know it's all lies.

Without opening the book...

[karynnj]

13. I scanned it at Borders or Barnes & Nobles

(unusually I just routinely covered it with a good book - though I stopped that when someone pointed out that doing that added work.

Your RW friend sounds like he is pretty intelligent. The book is simply charge after charge after charge and some contradict each other - and none seem even close to reality. Even when they were in the mainstream media, these guys were insane - Thur low (appox name) who was another LT in the situation where Kerry got his Bronze star for saving Rassman claimed there was no fire - yet his own medal referred to gunfire. He also claimed he decided that Kerry was just there for a political career and that his goal was to get 3 Purple hearts quickly.

The most interesting things to me about it have nothing to do with the lies per se. The structure of what they did is fascinating.

- the accounts from the people pulled in were, per the book, all submitted with affidavits saying the account was true.
- There are literally 100s of charges
- for people with nothing other than "they served in Vietnam with Kerry" the phrase was literally true both were in Vietnam. (they may never have been within 50 miles of each other.
- things were distorted. There is a photo of Kerry in the VN war museum - but McCain was in the picture too. (He was a 50 yr old Senator - but the picture is a fuzzy shot from a distance. Odd that the Vietnamese give him more credit than then the Democratic president in the early 1990s.)

The reason that is interesting is that if you look at early smear campaigns - a charge or a small number of charges were made and they were responded to. Here, it seems to me like a cluster bomb with hundreds of little charges - some almost meaningless others in effect would make him a war criminal. The media ignored Kerry's attempt to defeat them in an inclusive generic way - they were contrary to the official record. The problem is that even in defeating dozens of charges - a few media stories essentially said if there are this many charges, something has to be true.

The affidavits are interesting as I assume they would protect the 2 creeps behind this - as they coud say that all these people swore to these things.

However, the key thing is it would not have worked without a complicit media.

[beachmom]

15. No. Nazis burn books. We just dig at the truth and disregard

books that have no credibility whatsoever. I think Kerry2008 should read it. I want to know if a real "Stabbed in the back" narrative goes throughout the book. The GOPers/conservatives are going to employ it for years and years, and I want to know how they do it, because you know that in 20/30 years the guys in votevets.org will be the target, probably in a similar way as Kerry was in '04. I just think you should treat it like you just got a letter from Iranian president Ahmadinejad and analyze what is between the lines and what the REAL agenda is.

[PresidentObama]

3. Does anyone know what they did to the cover?

That basically sums up the whole book.

It looks like they photoshopped it to bring out the wrinkles (which are flattering and show his wisdom and ripe age--not that close up though) on John Kerry's face, and applied lip stick to the picture?

Pathetic!

[wisteria]

4. Don't waste your time on that trash. honestly. n/t

[PresidentObama]

5. Maybe you're right.

I bought the books to study up on the smears and lies he would have faced if he ran for President again...And obviously, thats not needed. I didn't end up re-opening my website, nor did he run again. So it does seem rather pointless now.

I can't see myself reading too far into the book without stopping, and throwing it out the window anyway.

BTW, is Jerome Corsi STILL considering running against Kerry?

[wisteria]

8. I think he has set his sites on Hillary now.

Have you read the usual books on Senator Kerry? I have the Boston Globe Bio as well as A call to Service. You are welcome to borrow them.

[PresidentObama]

9. I have both, thank you.

:)

BTW, does anyone own "The New War"? I have a friend who is going to let me borrow it whenever my lazy bones make it that way. Sounds like an interesting read!

I can't wait for JK and THK's new book. When's it supposed to be released?

[wisteria]

10. i have an extra copy if you are interested. n/t

[MH1]

11. Publication date of This Moment on Earth = 3/26/07

:-)

http://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/publicaffairsbooks-cgi-bin/display?book=9781586484316

[karynnj]

14. I read New War

because my husband got it for me along with another Kerry book. It is fascinating. It is also pretty scary even though his writing is the opposite from sensationalizing the problem of international crime. The idea that a state could become so controlled by crime that it would operate to help criminals was a pretty eye openning thing to read.

[ray of light]

12. I understand your desire to learn about the enemy. But...

I think reading the book is less useful than trying to discover the ties behind the swifties and other right-winged organizations.

I'd start with Creative Response Concepts (google it--I sure as heck am not linking it here!)
Read David Brock's book about the media called Blinded by the Right
Find out everything you can about Perry (Perry homes) (One of the biggest financiers of swiftboat lies even in 06)(others too)
Find out where conservative think tanks donate money to and make the connections to the campaigns. (Opensecrets.org)
And become a conservative-spin-buster by taking down the media's talking points or showing/sharing their hypocricy.
Michael Stark's site is a good place to learn more about right-winged talk shows. As is media matters.

[wildflowergardener]

16. Honestly

Why put yourself through that. It's bad enough reading lies about Kerry here.

Meg

[emulatorloo]

17. well, I am about to start "Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War"

by Douglas Brinkley. Also a dollar from a bookstore going out of business.

Can't wait to hear your book report. Glad it isn't me.

However, may I suggest another dollar remainder table book before you dig into Unfit for Command?

Joe Conason
Big Lies; The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How it Distorts the Truth

It is great