The GOP’s attacks on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s (D) military record are drawing parallels to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign against then-Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in his 2004 presidential bid, but political strategists say they are unlikely to stick around this time, thanks to a very different media landscape and Walz’s 24 years in uniform.
The Republican smear campaign – in which questions were raised about Kerry’s military awards as a fast boat commander during the Vietnam War – is similar to those waged since Vice President Harris announced Walz as his White House running mate.
Walz’s detractors have tried to separate his time in the Army National Guard when he retired from service, his stance on retirement and the inaccurate language he used several years ago to describe carrying a gun in war.
“In 2004, when the Swift Boat ads ran, it’s important to remember the context,” said John Geer, a political scientist at Vanderbilt University. “Political ads for a period of time – they are no longer true because you have Twitter, Truth Social, etc. – political ads drove the narrative in many different ways that campaigns were covered.”
Kerry – who made his military record a major talking point at the Democratic National Convention, even beginning his nomination speech by saying he was “reporting for duty” – was inundated with Republican television ads that sowed doubts about whether presidential candidate had earned his three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star during the Vietnam War.
“Republicans filled in the narrative and then the media took it to a new level because Kerry wasn’t responding,” Geer said.
Walz, on the other hand, is not the presidential candidate, and the Harris campaign has responded to any accusations of “stolen valor,” he added.
“The truth is he served for 24 years. So I think, at the end of the day, it probably won’t… hurt Walz very much,” he said of the GOP attacks. “It just won’t have legs, I guess.”
Walz himself spoke about the attacks during a speech Tuesday to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union.
“These guys are even attacking me because of my service record. And I just want to say I’m proud to have served my country and I always will be,” Walz said.
“I am very proud of my service to this country,” he repeated. “And I firmly believe that you should never denigrate another person’s record of service. To anyone brave enough to wear this uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I have just a few simple words: thank you for your service and sacrifice.”
Two decades ago, Kerry’s team was caught off guard by the Republican Party’s onslaught in the summer of 2004, in the midst of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Republicans raised questions about his service in the Vietnam War, with a political group known as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth leading the charge. The attack was the idea of Trump’s now top campaign adviser, Chris LaCivita, with the group spending millions of dollars on television ads. One even included men who served in Vietnam doubting Kerry’s leadership.
LaCivita appears to be using the same playbook this time, post on August 7th on social platform that the fast boat claims “have never been refuted.”
Kerry’s campaign appeared to falter in the face of the allegations, denying them to the press but not resorting to television ads to respond.
“We didn’t understand the nature of the threat it posed in 2004. We definitely do now. We shrugged it off in 2004 because it was so stupid and obviously a lie, and that wasn’t enough,” said Matt Bennett, executive vice president for public affairs at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way.
In contrast, Harris’ campaign quickly and vehemently rejected Walz’s attacks, which revolve around a 2018 clip of him speaking out against gun violence. In the clip, Walz says he wants to “make sure the weapons of war that I carried into war are the only place those weapons are,” suggesting he has been in a combat zone.
In a statement released last week, Harris’ presidential campaign said Walz “misspoke” in the video.
“Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country – in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It’s the American way,” a campaign spokesperson said in a statement.
GOP lawmakers, led by vice-presidential candidate and Marine Corps veteran Sen. J.D. Vance, also seized on Walz’s retirement from the military to run for Congress, accusing him of leaving the Guard to avoid sending his unit to Iraq. The allegations do not match Walz’s official record, which shows he retired in May 2005 after submitting his request months earlier, long before a deployment order was given to his unit in August of that year.
Other allegations leveled at Walz include whether he misrepresented his position. Walz referred to himself as retired sergeant major—a title he received while still serving, but retired one step up as sergeant major. The change was due to him not completing the courses required for the higher rank before leaving the military, according to the National Guard.
The Harris campaign has sought to quell criticism on that front, updating its online biography of Walz’s military service last week, noting that he previously served at the rank of sergeant major, rather than calling him “command sergeant major.” retiree”.
“I think what you’re seeing now is a very different kind of resistance to Vance’s insane claim that this is stolen value. We’re just not going to sit back and accept this,” Bennett told The Hill.
And Geer, who pointed to Walz’s “Norman Rockwell” all-American character, said Republicans appear to be scrambling to grab any scrap of potentially damaging fodder.
“The truth is that this is a guy who is a teacher, a football coach. I mean, he’s squeaky clean, and that’s the best [they] can do,” he said.
Vance will maintain focus on military matters this week with scheduled comments in Pennsylvania on Thursday alongside a trio of Republican veterans in Congress.
“The United States military faces unprecedented recruiting difficulties because of the dangerously liberal Harris-Biden administration,” the campaign said in a statement about the event.
“For the past three and a half years, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have been more focused on advancing their woke agenda in the military rather than ensuring success on the battlefield.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
