The Swift-Boaters were fronted by the fellow who was Kerry's successor as the commander of Kerry's ship and was found to be a mini-Queeg, a wimpy martinet who didn't know what he was doing and disliked by the men that Kerry had commanded. His resentment of Kerry (and the paying of political favors in later years) made him Nixon's choice to appear as Kerry's public opponent, where Kerry bested him again.