Hi, it's been a little while since I last crawled out from under my rock :hi: , but I found this little tidbit of insight about what may have been going on inside JK's head during a... well, let's just call it a particularly trying time of his life.
Emphases are mine:
"Swiftboating" is different in that (1) the person is attacked in an area of strong emotional import and (2) the person is attacked by a group of people with whom he has identified, displayed deep and abiding concern for, and has experienced years of genuine and validated emotional attachment.
Kerry is obviously proud of his service, of his speeches to end the Vietnam war, proud of his work for improved veterans' benefits. I saw on his face a genuine love and deep concern for his comrades-in-arms, so much so that he could not bring himself to respond in kind to those few who opposed him. Just my analysis, but it looked like he was wounded emotionally by his fellow veterans' attacks and then his personal ethics would not allow him to return fire.
One of the best-selling recently books talks in detail about the power of shock. The paralysis felt after a blitzkrieg of lies, unrelenting repetition, and emotional appeals... by someone, or some group, you have always loved and trusted.
Swiftboating, therefore, involves something a bit more profound than suffering damage to your reputation. It's being put into a position where you doubt every choice your ever made, especially the positive ones, because the attacks
have taken and poisoned something beloved to you. (From the thread
here. It's mainly about Hillary, except for the JK reference)