An insider's story: Why Barack Obama was not Swift Boated

Here’s one about the Swift Boat that didn’t happen, related by Republican adman Larry McCarthy at a California Chamber of Commerce post-election gathering this week at Torrey Pines in La Jolla.

As the Democratic National Convention was beginning, a newly formed group, American Issues Project, launched an ad that sought to tie Barack Obama to his Chicago acquaintance, Weather Underground founder Bill Ayers.

Texas billionaire Harold Simmons, who helped pay for the devastating Swift Boat attacks on John Kerry in 2004, paid almost $3 million to air the spot in battleground states.

American Issues Project was intended to serve the function in 2008 that Swift Boat and a few other groups filled four years ago -- that is, to derail the Democratic nominee.

McCarthy, one of the Republicans’ most skillful ad producers, put the spot together, and was prepared to do many more.

As it turned out, however, American Issues Project raised about $7 million, a tenth of what was raised by independent groups in 2004 against Kerry and for President Bush.

"There simply wasn’t the donor base to support it," McCarthy said.

And there are some rather interesting ....

...reasons why not.

One, the federal campaign finance law that John McCain helped write has made it increasingly difficult to fund independent campaigns legally. Thus, McCain’s own law was used against him.

Two, some of the biggest would-be donors on the Republican side saw their net worth fall by significantly in the Wall Street debacle.

Perhaps more interesting, big money people who might have had the stomach for spending big money on such spots simply did not much like McCain.

"None of them had any warmth for McCain," he said. "Traditional Republican givers didn't like McCain."

Here is a final reason: Although many big money people oppose Obama’s policies, "there was no visceral dislike for Obama."

What if Hillary Clinton had been the Democratic nominee? "I think Hillary would have stirred more giving," he said.

--Dan Morain

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Photo: Bill Ayers in 1968. Credit: Chicago Historical Society

Comments

[Robert Hahn]

It's kind of silly to blame the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act. That was passed in 2002, became effective in 2003, and applied to everything done by the Swift Vets.

It's equally silly to blame the "Wall Street meltdown." That happened quite late in the election cycle and would not have affected early giving.

It really was about "visceral dislike," of Kerry, by Vietnam Vets. People forget that the Swift Vets raised millions over the web in donations averaging below $50 each. Those guys -hated- Kerry for what he'd said and done in the 1970's. There was nothing like that concerning Obama.

Plus there is truth in the idea that big-time R's had no particular love for McCain, who made his living stabbing Republicans in the back. Goes around, comes around.

[ari]

While I now think Clinton probably would have won (though it is hard to know - McCain wouldn't have been stupid enough to pick Palin), I do agree the right would have raised more money to attack her.

She kept saying she had been thoroughly vetted & withstood right wing attacks, but new things would have emerged, & other would be rehashed & made up.

[Nick in Virginia]

For years, McCain trashed the big-money in-the-background Republicans. It was never any surprise that they did not care for him. I don't understand why people expected them to all-of-a-sudden love McCain and spend millions trying to get him elected.

I like McCain, but I never thought his strategy of trashing the big boys was a very bright one, not if he wanted the Presidency. Maybe it was a principled stand, at least from his viewpoint. As long as he stayed Senator in Arizona, he had enough "home town" support to do it on his own.

But once he stepped onto the national stage, it all came back to haunt him.

[Bob]

Ayers was the ghost writer for Obama's book, they have been bosom bodies, not just acquaintances.
Hussein is a mendacious hater and a traitor, his wife is spewing with envy and hate of white people.

[Bobc]

I think there were some " behind the scenes" going on that got McCain the winner of the primaries, because there were a lot that didn't want him...something was up!

I think the swift boating this time was against Hillary, done in by Obama and the DNC.

[escapefromobamastan]

Obama didn't get swift boated because he's Wall Street's sock puppet and he's going to do exactly what they want.

[Chris]

Over 73% of all homes in America have internet access and the information of almost all of the Communist and subversive associations of NObama are readily available so the nonreporting of the media of character flaws and exposing his obvious agenda which includes his active role in destroying our economy was the voters fault alone.

America has been rail-roaded and liberty has been effectively defeated through sheer ignorance within apathy.

[KingSnake]

The real and only reason is that the people who paid for the Kerry ads did NOT like McCain. I personally know the people. Some of them actually ran ads against McCain (remember the coal ads) when he ran against W. They tried to make nice with McCain and actually scheduled a fundraiser for him when he found out they were being investigated by the SEC/DOJ/IRS and he withdrew. They never reached out again and, in fact, convinced other large donors to ignore McCain, also. Ross Perot publicly told another acquaintance of mine that he would NEVER support McCain after what he did to his 1st wife.

McCain NEVER reached out to Rush, Ann and the other CONSERVATIVES that are needed to get behind a candidate in order to invigorate the base of the Republican Party. McCain was ONLY interested in reaching out to the middle - a losing strategy every time it's been used.

[dorsey]

I was accused and am a member of the so called Weathermen underground yea "stick em up " Mother F but you never pinned me.

[Edward S.]

Listen to Alan Watt, Jerome Corsi, Michel Chossudovsky and others interviewed about Barack Obama and other subjects on the Alex Jones show. They are available as free MP3 downloads at http://drop.io/Summerbird

[Peter Vervoorn]

If you were a power broker and wanted to do something very unpopular without causing a revolution that might get you executed; who would you choose to implement it; a demcratically illegimate and hated figure like Bush; or a popular, legitimately elected candidate reflecting the hope of a disappointed nation, like Obama?

[farang]

Reluctantly, I have to agree 99% with 'escapefromobamastan"

[sobe]

To all you Obama haters:
Get some sugar for those sour grapes.

[big boss]

To all you Obama haters the election is over and Obama won. It is sad to see all this hate because a BLACK MAN won the election get over it.

[Matt]

Sorry, "big" boss, has nothing to do with his skin color. He is an arrogant empty suit with nothing but an absolutely horrible agenda, and America has begun to catch on. Check the latest polls... you can bet that he and sweet little Bobby Gibbs are checking... daily.