John Kerry adviser outlines how Harris and Walz can beat 'Swift Boat' style attacks

With Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz facing misleading Republican attacks on his service record in the Army National Guard, some political commentators are drawing comparisons to the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth," a GOP smear campaign where Vietnam veterans attacked the service record of 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

Speaking to Politico in an interview, Bob Shrum, an adviser to Kerry, outlined how significant these attacks might be — and how to defuse them.

When it came to Kerry, who received three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star, he said, "In the end, the attack didn’t matter, except — and this did matter — that it disturbed the campaign in the month of August. But by the time you got to Election Day, if you asked people, 'Could John Kerry be commander in chief?' Their answer was yes. They watched the first debate and they made a conclusion. I think it’s different this time. People have heard this stuff before, many of them, not the whole electorate. Walz’s record has been defended by a whole host of folks across the political spectrum. I don’t think this is going to go anywhere."

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Walz, who served 24 years in the Army National Guard on disaster relief missions and support missions in Europe for Operation Enduring Freedom, has been accused by former President Donald Trump's running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), who himself served as a Marine, of abandoning his unit when it came time to deploy to Iraq, even though Walz's retirement papers to run for Congress were put in before any notification the unit would be deployed.

As for how the Harris-Walz campaign should respond, Shrum said, they're largely doing what they need to do.

"Keep doing what they’re doing, which is answer the attacks, have other folks answer the attacks, but then pivot — which has also been happening," said Shrum.

Additionally, he said, they should go after Trump, who managed to produce a dubious "bone spurs" medical diagnosis to get draft deferments out of serving in Vietnam.

"Look, it’s such a rich attack. And I mean that in an ironic way, coming from a campaign for a guy whose father got some doctor to swear that he had a medical disability that is hardly identifiable."