What does it mean to swift-boat someone ?

Question

What does it mean to swift-boat someone ?

Answer 1

Originally, to tell the truth about someone and cost them the election. Now I think it also covers lying about a candidate.

Answer 2

In the 2004 election Hanoi John Kerry was justifialbly criticized by real war heroes that actually served witht he faux charlatan hero Kerry.  Kerry served less than 3 months in Nam and fabricated Purple Hearts.  His Swift Boat brothers in Arms exposed him for what he was.

Answer 3

Swift-Boating is a term to mean smear job.

During the Bush Kerry presidential run, the political allies of Bush ran ads claiming that Kerry was a liar with regards to his medals for serving in Vietnam.

The claims came from people who wanted to discredit the Kerry Campain using rumor, implication, as those who served on the actual boat with Kerry stand by him.

Swift-Boating has the characteristics of rumor and creating enough momentum for a lie to make it into the political disscussion weather it is debunked or not.

Answer 4

To "swiftboat" means to expose a generally hidden and  / or undesirable fact. Expose the truth.

Answer 5

Get the real truth out about them.  

Answer 6

In the case of John Kerry who besides winning a silver star also bragged about receiving 3 Purple Hearts. He truly earned the silver star for rescuing a man under fire...In the case of injuries received in battle he put himself in for those Purple Heart for injuries that basally amounted to bandage cuts and a bruised elbow. None of his 'injuries' were serious enough for him to be pulled from duty.

In fact injuries received in one action were accidentally self inflicted. He threw a hand grenade into a pile of rice despite being advised not to. He caught a small fragment in the hip. Medic removed it with a pair of tweezers, placed a bandage over the small puncture and said "return to duty". It was pretty much the same story with his other 'injuries'.

Many also said John Kerry put in for those Purple Hearts so he could get out of his tour of duty sooner. Remember receive 3 Purple Hearts and they send you home.

So to me it means getting a bunch of people in this case fellow swift boat veterans who knew what's what to come forward and speak out. Be careful in what you claim it may come back to haunt you. Even years later.

Answer 7

To tell the truth about a person.

Answer 8

To flood the airways with slander about a politician.

Answer 9

To spread vicious rumors about someone in an attempt to ruin their reputation.

Answer 10

Allowing billionaires, such as T. Boone Pickens, to fund a smear campaign about a decorated Vietnam war veteran and candidate for President of the U.S.  This mud-slinging perpetrated during the 2004 election was the lowest and most despicable in recent memory.  

Answer 11

To fill the airways with Lies and falsehoods.  

Answer 12

Make up total defamation lies that will harm you and your reputation.

Answer 13

To tell the truth about someone you notice the people on YA claiming that they were lies.  John Kerry as of this day has not denied what they said about him he just claimed they swift boated him.

Answer 14

means to stab them in the back using credible lies to tarnish their reputation