Trump was indeed the better thing offered between he and Hillary in 2016 and between he and Biden in 2020. It was a binary choice. 2016 and 2020 were the first two times in polling history that the American people choose between two candidates each of whom was underwater on the favorable-unfavorable question. It looks like 2024 will be the third time.
I have no grandfather in the military as they were immigrants beyond military age by the time of WWII. I do have a father in the military. I myself was in the military. And my son was in the military.
Everybody at the Naval Academy is there at taxpayer expense. Ditto the other service academies. Ditto everybody on active duty. Ditto those in our police and fire departments. And, I could go on. Why does this bother you? You didn’t serve in the military and you also have problems with paying those who serve. Something’s wrong with your thinking.
And for naval aviators, they tend to be rascals. Here, I will quote from a study,
“Findings showed that the prototypical naval aviation candidate appeared to have high goals and engaged in constructive activity to achieve those goals. Under ordinary circumstances, typical candidates were likely to appear more calm and uninhibited than the average individual and more willing to tolerate personal risk.”
The last is key: willing to tolerate personal risk.
Texas Congressman Sam Johnson, a former Air Force pilot, was in the Hanoi Hilton along with Senator McCain. I met Congressman Johnson right after the Republican Revolution of 1994, along with other newly-elected Congressmen that I and my group supported. he reached out to shake my hand with his hand that was deformed by the communists. It was like he was proud of that deformed hand.
Of course, Congressman Johnson defended Senator McCain when Donald Trump questioned McCain’s heroism. Of course, Congressman Johnson defended McCain.
Trump made his point about McCain, revealing something about himself. Upon McCain’s death, Trump kind of apologized by sending Air Force Two to Arizona to transport McCain’s remains to Washington, D.C. Still, Trump stayed far away, and sent Vice President Pence and General Kelly to represent the country instead. It was awkward. Trump has a way of alienating people. In a democracy, you alienate too many people, and you lose elections.
Your memory seems to lack critical information. Let's begin with the primaries where the Republican field was wide & varied with 17 different candidates that included:
Jeb Bush - Former Gov. Of Florida
Scott Walker - Former Gov. Of Wisc.
John Kasich - Former Gov. of Ohio
Mike Huckabee - Former Gov Arkansas
Jim Gilmore - Former Gov of Virginia
George Pataki - Former Gov of New York
Bobby Jindal - Former Gov. of Louisiana
Rick Perry - Former Gov of Texas
Chris Christi - Former Gov. of New Jersey
Ted Cruz - Sitting Senator Texas
Rand Paul - Sitting Senator Texas
Marco Rubio - Sitting Senator Florida
Lindsey Graham - Sitting Senator from South Carolina
Rick Santorum - Former Senator from Pennsylvania
Carley Florina - Former CEO of HP
Ben Carson - Renowned neurosurgeon
Donald John Trump - Real Estate Developer
That's 9 former Governors, 4 sitting Senators, 1 former Senator, & 3 successful people with no prior political experience at all, making 17 choices from which to choose. The winner was a successful Real Estate Developer with no prior political experience.
Now let's move on to the General Election.
For The Democrat Party your choice was:
Hillary Clinton Pred. & Tim Kaine Vice Pres.
For The Republican Party your choice was:
Donald Trump Pres. & Mike Pence Vice Pres.
For the Libertarian Party your choice was:
Gary Johnson Pres. & Bill Weld. Vice Pres.
For the Green Party your choice was:
Jill Stein Pres. & Ajamu Baraka Vice Pres.
For the Constitution Party your choice was:
Darrell Castle for Pres. & Scott Bradley Vice Pres.
For the Independent Ticket your choice was:
Evan McMullin for Pres. & Mindy Finn for Vice Pres.
Thus in neither the primary of the general election was your choice a binary one, but in reality every presidential race is a binary choice. Because third parties historically only take from one of the two dominate political parties. With a successfully stacked deck, the only winner is the Uni-party.
Which is the party that not only supports evil, it promotes evil. Since the Uni-party is the conglomeration of the two dominate parties.
John McCain was a member of the Uni-party. I condemned that man, not the John McCain who served his nation in war. I respected his service to this nation, but he was still never a hero in my eyes either.
I was not a peacenik who attended anti-war rallies. I was a supporter of the Vietnam War. My attitude as modified over the years as I gained a better understanding & more knowledge of what war really means, which has left me with the reasoning that war should be avoided at all costs, and should absolutely be the sole remaining option available.