To have your credibility attacked by an a dishonest political
machine. Named for four
ads run by a conservative group of Vietnam War veterans called Swiftboat Veterans for
Truth (SBVT) during the
2004 presidential campaign.
The
ads featured Vietnam veterans corroborating falsehoods about Kerry's service in Vietnam, and criticizing his testimony as a member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The accuracy of the
ads was discredited by official Navy records, other veterans, and several of the SBVT's own members. In spite of media sources openly questioning their validity, they were effective in raising doubts about Kerry's war record in critical swing states. Bush, a draft-dodger, managed to win his second term in the
2004 election, largely due to the Swiftboat
ads.
These days, when media figures have their image attacked, they claim they've been swiftboated in order to imply that the attackers are dishonest or using false information.
Steve: The New
York Post ran a story that Al Pacino is a child molester. They're trying to swiftboat him.
Bob: Wait, I read what that means on Urban
Dictionary. According to the highest rated definitions, that means he's raping little boys.
Steve: What? That's not what swiftboated means at all, just look on wikipedia. Those definitions must have been written by Bush supporters.
