Senator - and soon-to-be-Secretary of State - Global Test was called out for what he is early on

Scott Johnson at Powerline reminisces about being a foolish young lefty in college and hearing Kerry speak.  This would have been 1971, when Global Test was heading up Vietnam Veterans Against the War.  He still had his years of end-running official US policy toward the Sandinistas (a link in the Powerline post to a 2004 NRO article by Jay Nordlinger about this), or accusing the US of torturing Iraqis ahead of him.  But a guy who was sitting near Johnson saw what GT was all about:

One of the students right next to me in the audience stood up to walk out on Kerry’s speech and shouted to Kerry as he approached the steps descending to the first floor of the Hop: “You phony. You’re just in this to promote yourself.” Kerry was only momentarily flustered, bending down to the microphone and asking the guy to stay and talk after he’d already made his way down the steps.

At the time I couldn’t believe the obtuseness of the student; I bought Kerry’s act completely. In retrospect, however, that student may have been the most perceptive person with whom I’ve ever crossed paths.