Posted on 05/25/2012 10:16:29 PM PDT by brityank
When presidents were military men
Article by: John Nagl , Special to the Washington Post | Updated: May 25, 2012 - 11:52 AMIn every presidential election since 1992, the candidate with the less distinguished military resume has triumphed.
Bill Clinton defeated war heroes George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole; National Guard pilot George W. Bush beat Vietnam veterans Al Gore and John Kerry; and Barack Obama was decisively elected over John McCain, who had displayed extraordinary valor during years of captivity as a Navy pilot in North Vietnam.
In 2012, we won't have the chance to test this trend: For the first time in modern American history, neither major candidate for the presidency has any military experience.
This is a dramatic change. The crucible of combat not only created these United States but has also given us many of our most successful presidents.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wars have given the United States many of its most important political leaders, and we can expect those who have led this country's sons and daughters in the sands of Anbar province and the mountains of the Hindu Kush to turn their sights to the highest office in the land in years to come.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
John Kerry was in the Viiet Nam War? Who knew?
I thought Thurston Heinz served on the Love Boat.
Romney version 2.0, now says that he “longed in many respects to actually be in Vietnam and be representing our country there.”
I guess the military wasn’t hiring back then.
Brand spankingnew.
That must be a pic of the one day reporter Al Gore spent in the bush.
I think interceptor pilot trumps REMF reporter in the warrior continuum.
Gore must have had influence to land a Journalism slot on an unassigned 2 year enlistment, and to have managed to go to Vietnam only 4+ months before he was discharged.
Getting a slot to anything was impossible when you were getting ready to ETS in a matter of months.
Didn’t Gore have a personal bodyguard?
Why is he touching that gun? Maybe he is just posing for the camera.
Agree about West! I think most of the people running for POTUS now were too young when Vietnam was going on. My hubby is 58 and was in high school during that one. I’m not sure how old Romney is though. Probably should have looked that up before posting a comment. lol
(Disclaimer: I was a REMF).
Teddy Roosevelt led charges, put his life on the line, but then campaigned to get himself a MoH, which he got.
There are, no doubt in my mind, countless numbers who earned one, but never got it, probably because all around them who might have vouched for them, died too. That's life. But don't go campaigning for one for yourself. Nope.
There are probably some who earned mere Bronze Star with a V, who, under different circumstances, would have gotten an MoH. It depends upon who saw what.
Has anybody here ever seen anything to top that? I haven't.
'Nuff said.
"When presidents were
military men"
BOVINE EXCREMENT!!!
That may have been true with regards to Klintoon and George H.W. Bush and Dole, but was NOT true concerning the TRAITOROUS, Rat-Bas-TURD, Snake, John "F'n" Kerry.
Let us not forget that he served all of 4 months in Nam and using an obscure and little known Reg/Provision (that 99.9% of those serving were not aware of) got himself sent home after receiving 3 purple hearts.....
....2 of which were "Self-Inflicted" and at leat one, was denied (actually his CO laughed at the phony, "hero" when he put in for this award) but after the CO was gone, re-applied for it and the medic who treated him, removed a "SLIVER" of shrapnel with "Tweezers" and applied a band aid.
That wound was as a result of this MORON having fired a grenade launcher (though he had been advised not too) close into shore.
Another was when this IJIT, tossed a grenade into a chache of rice with the intent of destroying it and got a few pieces of rice embeded in his back side.
None of his wounds caused him to miss even ONE day of duty.
DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HIS DESPICABLE BEHAVIOR AFTER RETURNING SND ASSUMING THE LEADERSHIP OF THE VIETNAM VETS AGAINST THE WAR.....IN WHICH HE SLIMED, DISPARAGED AND DENIGRATED MILLIONS OF VETS WITH HIS LIES, DECEPTION AND DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT.
George Bush though he may not have served in harms way, risked his life every time he took to the skies flying (at that time one of the most dangerous fighters) his F-102.
Good picture. Forgot Truman though, he was an artillery officer during the first world war.
Why is staring down the working end of a weapon? Idiot.
Hilarious!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.