So two things happened recently in the world o' politics regarding McCain and his vaunted military record. The first was General Wesley Clark saying "Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president." McCain has been using his time as POW as a justification that he has great foreign relations experience, etc so questioning how being a POW translates into such experience is a perfectly fair question. So how is this 'swift boating' John McCain? And what is up with the all the hysteria over this? Isn't this a question the damn press should have been asking?
The second thing that happened, today, is a comment by Jim Webb, the freshman senator from good ol' Virginia who was the Secretary of something (Navy? Staff? don't recall) under Regean. Webb said that McCain should "calm down" on the use of his military service as justification for political goals. Naturally, people are flipping out about that as well.
So, have any of these comments been demeaning to McCain's service record aka the 'swift boating' of John Kerry? Or are these valid concerns and people are blowing it up because, well, I don't know why.
UPDATE: And this is why I Heart Obama.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Everyone has to have something to bitch about!
I think these are absolutely valid concerns. I've NEVER understood how politicans try to use their military record (or lack thereof) as "Proof" of ability to serve as a government official! Really...what does one have to do with the other?
Well, Kirsten and Ryan, I think I might be able to shed some light on why people see this as important.
The most ultimate sacrifice that anyone could ever make for anything is to give their life. People that are willing to give their life for their country show a level of patriotism that I myself would never be willing to show. That, in and of itself, is something to be proud of and something to be considrered. I also can see it as foreign relationship experience if for no other reason than he knows what it's like to be on hostile ground in a foreign country.. something which many might think a leader inheriting the Iraq war should have.
Granted, I do think that there is only so much emphasis that a presidential candidate should place on their service, most should be on current policies.
My 2 cents.
Post a Comment