Frankly, I'm only listening with half an ear to the latest dust-up involving Wesley Clark and his opinion of whether John McCain's military experience is relevant to his abilities as a potential President.
McCain's supporters now claim that his status as a veteran and former POW make him off-limits to criticism, and that to suggest otherwise is not only an insult to the good senator, but to the military in general and all who serve in it, not to mention generations of veterans.
But simple logic tells us this: If military service by itself qualifies and enables you to become president, then there are hundreds of thousands - millions - of qualified candidates out there abroad in the land.
I would settle for one.
Just as every poodle is a dog, but not all dogs are poodles, every candidate should be a war veteran (so they say), but NOT EVERY WAR VETERAN IS A QUALIFIED CANDIDATE (so says the GTL).
Remember your basic logic, people.
I for one am thankful that there are men and women who are willing to serve their country through violence and risk. They deserve our gratitude, respect, and help in later life. They put themselves in harm's way and are willing to die for our nation. Think of that. They have so much trust in our country.
Most of us mistrust politicians, don't believe most of what they say. Not them. These individuals are willing to kill or even die when a politician in Washington, D.C. tells them to. That takes some kind of guts, some kind of courage. The GTL stands in awe of such bravery.
But that doesn't mean they'd all make good presidents.
John McCain wants a free pass from scrutiny based on his war record. I say the war was over a long time ago, we did not win, and the large forces that brought us Vietnam are no longer in play. The world has changed.
More relevant than his life as a war hero is what John McCain the man and the senator has done in the intervening four decades, and what he would do as president.
It is our duty as citizens to figure these things out before election day, and then vote. There is too much at stake not to.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
We don need a war veteran for POTUS. We need an economist and a realist. Have you been to the mall lately? It's a ghost town... not that that is a bad thing... the mall is a vapid soul sucking black hole. I'll be glad when they tear the last one down. But for our purposes let's look at it as an illustration of the demise of the so called Ameican Middle Class Dream.
Any jackass can lead us into an unwinnable war, but neither of our current candidates can lead us through our current financial crises. Fasten your seabelts we are in for a bumpy ride...
Post a Comment