Anybody here ever consider military service as one of your qualifications to elect somebody?

Nice bait and switch. Now which question would you like answered?

Yes it is odd that all of the other fascist/dictatorship countries around the world continue to have Military Leaders but the USA dosen't........instead we have CEO's........

"Bush Sr, in 1944, flew 58 combat missions in World War 2, and won the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and the Presidential Unit Citation."



Bill Clinton was in college and "everybody" during The Vietnam War knew that was one of things to do to "dodge the draft".

Bush Jr., joined the National Guard and during The Vietnam War, and "everybody knew to join it if you didn't want to serve over seas".

John Kerry faught in Vietnam and had the right to come back and protest the war if he wanted to even though the rumors have it that some of the VC saw the footage of him protesting the war and used it as propaganda aginst the POW's even though there is no proof of that. I still voted for John Kerry.

And, John McCain served his country and then some. It takes a person with a strong spirt to keep on going as a prisoner of war for five and half years.

Actually he did put in for a 3 year stay of college to serve, but then the US changed the draft policies which resulted in him being bypassed for service by a matter of days.

Did you vote for Gore, who also served in Vietnam?

Never.

Why should I.

And how does that prepare you for the presidency? Never has and never will be a qualification in my book... I know enough people that joined the military just to get out of the ghetto... and they're not privied to the affirmative action that Bush Jr. and McCain were allowed because of their parents. I can respect anybody who serves in the military... but it in no way qualifies them to run a country.

No comment.

I didn't really know anything much about both parties other then the normal party lines.

Now that I paid more attention.

Al Gore was kinda like a "reporter" in Vietnam like that movie.

Anyway, I have my own opinions about "Global Warming" though.

I know what you mean... only real military people were killed in Vietnam

No. Since the Constitution says the commander-in-chief needs to be a civilian, BTW, even if former military, they are never supposed to appear in military dress.

Grant, Eisenhower, and our other former military presidents were quite careful about this. Not like Latin American military dictators who usually appear in full regalia.

From my POV, it's something worth considering (military service), but it's not a necessary qualification, even for the president to lead us in time of war.

Definitely not ... especially when like McCain, your only real world experience is military experience ... as they say, "when your only tool is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail."

If a person who is looking for my vote has "military experience", then I judge them a lot more harshly for it, as in most cases I don't believe military service is about anything that I want in a leader, except maybe a leader of the military.

If the person was drafted into the military and serves well then I will cut them some slack ... those who volunteer do not (automatically) impress me at all, as in most cases what you have is young brash men looking for adventure, and in some cases even looking for an opportunity to take out their blood lust urges on some "non-human brown people" .. there are many that have more noble reasons, but they have to prove that to me.

There is only one military person that I know of that I would vote for because of their military experience and actions, and that person is Roméo Dallaire , someone who defied his military orders to save thousands of people in Rwanda.

[quote name='IndpendentConserLibertar' date='Sep 29 2008, 03:17 AM' post='171463']
"Bush Sr, in 1944, flew 58 combat missions in World War 2, and won the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, and the Presidential Unit Citation."

This must of pissed off facist "Grand-pa Bush"

"I don't doubt Bush Sr. is totally embarrassed by Bush Jr."

War heroes we got em!




1943 - In the Solomon Islands the young man used to a life of luxury lived in fairly primitive conditions in a thatched-roof hut while his PT squadron was put in shipshape.

Jack's PT 109 was at first a dirty, bug infested boat in need of repairs. Jack and his crew cleaned and painted the boat while mechanics fixed the engines and hull. PT 109 then went on night training patrols. Returning from patrols, Jack and the others often raced their boats back into the dock. On one occasion, Jack couldn't stop PT 109, crashed into the dock and earned a temporary new nickname, "Crash" Kennedy.

Mid-July 1943, PT 109 was ordered into combat - the mission, to disrupt night-time Japanese supply convoys of ships known as the "Tokyo Express."

Monday, August 2, 1943 - On night patrol PT 109 was rammed by a Japanese destroyer, killing two of the 13 crewmen. Jack rescued a nearly drowned crewman with bad burns, dragging him out of the water onto the floating hulk. In the process, Jack swallowed a lot of sea water and gasoline and would suffer life long stomach problems.

12 hours later they abandoned the wreckage of PT 109 and swam for a nearby island using a makeshift raft built from pieces of the boat. Jack swam while towing the burned crewman for four hours. That night Jack Kennedy swam out with a lantern and a pistol hoping to flag any patrolling PT boats, but was unsuccessful.

They moved to a larger island nearby, with Jack once again towing the injured crewman. Jack made two more attempts to flag PT boats without success. The men lived on coconut milk and rainwater until they eventually made contact with friendly natives. Jack carved a rescue message into a coconut husk which made its way back to the Navy and the crew of PT 109 was rescued by PT boats.

A few weeks later, the story of PT 109 and Jack Kennedy made the front page of the New York Times and Boston Papers. Later, flattering accounts appeared in The New Yorker magazine and Reader's Digest.

Jack spent a total of nine months in the South Pacific. After PT 109, he commanded a gunboat, the 59, but saw little combat. He returned to the states, then underwent surgery for his back problems.

There's nothing from my service I would consider a qualification for elected office.

When did you serve IndpendentConserLibertar?

lemme guess;
"it doesn't exist"
or
"its God's plan"

am i right?

Nope, not ever. We don't need a war monger, we need a leader.

McCain, huh? 5 years as a POW? Problem with his temper? Soldiers return from war without being POW's with PTSD, does that concern you? I dated a guy in high school who's brother was a POW, civilian, released in 1973...captured 1971...he was never the same. Makes you wonder...or does it?

Nope, and nope.

I believe The Earth would have changed it's climate anyway, even if man got involved or not, but the only difference is, man spend up the process.

In my opinion Al Gore just capitalized it to say it's "solely man's fault".

And, if I'm not mistaken, I heard Al Gore "gets paid my some of the Global Warming groups"?

And if he really gets paid by these groups I'm more partisan to that.

I don't doubt McCain was the same when he came back. I don't think anybody is ever the same from something like that. But, I think he moved on alot after he got divorced from his first wife and married his second wife.

It's kinda hard to come back to somebody after five and half years. I bet he felt guilty for being away for so long, and the coming back into somebodies life after they lived their life for five and half years without them.

So, emotionally you don't win.

why would a Nobel Peace prize Laureate get paid from "global warming groups"?
any links to back that up?

don't paint him to be a victim here.

link here
and if you dispute that
snopes confirms

Of course his wife's accident left her a little different than when he left, not quite the trophy wife he'd married,"for better or worse" I might add. So of course he can be forgiven for shopping around, right?

Funny...his wife had no problem waiting for that idiot to come back....I guess it was that rich young heiress and his inability to keep his word to the woman who waited for him. He was 40, snuck behind his wife's back with Cindy for nearly a year, got his marriage license before his divorce was even final. Cindy is no better...I doubt SERIOUSLY that he felt guilty. I think he's just a pig.

War hero my ass!

I do, because Carol McCain still supports her ex-husband for president.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_McCain

Despite the divorce, Carol McCain has remained on good terms with John McCain,[25] and has supported him in all his subsequent political campaigns.[1] She refused to discuss her marriage with an election opponent of McCain's in 1982 who was seeking negative information about him, telling the opponent that "a gentleman never would have called."[32] She supports her ex-husband's 2008 presidential campaign, and told The Mail on Sunday in June 2008 that she was not bitter and that, "He’s a good guy. We are still good friends. He is the best man for president."[1]

That's why I said "I heard it". I forget wear I heard it though.

But when I have time I'll do some research.

So because she still doesn't see the reality of his dishonor, I shouldn't as well? Sorry, doesn't wash with me...there must be money involved.

then retract it.

Like I said, being away from somebody for five and half years does something emtionally that most people will never understand.

Carol McCain still supports her ex-husband even though she lost out on a superficial thing as being the "First Lady".

Cindy McCain is the home wrecker who snuck around with John while he was married to CAROL.

You don't seem to have a very good grasp on the facts now, do you

Yeah, I retract the part where "I heard Al Gore gets paid by Global Warming Groups".

I really don't know, but the part where he took the "credit for pointing out the obvious" I do not.

Opps, I'm sorry, I meant Carol McCain.

Honest mistake thanks.

Is it really a "dishonor" or "doing somebody a favor"?

They did get a divorce.

You're Caught!!! I can tell by the grammar... this is Sarah Palin isn't it!

I know some here don't care for Ted Sampley but his scathing recount of what happened is an indictment of John McCain and his character. Not to mention what Ross Perot, the man who paid Carols hospital bills while McCain was in Hanoe, said at the end of that snopes article.

Ahem.....

This entire thread could be brought to a slamming halt by reminding certain individuals that a tell-tale sign of the maturation of a sentient species is the hesitancy to engage in past behaviors that brought pain and confusion to the population as a whole. Thus, the refusal to reward those who engage in this behavior with leadership positions of any merit beyond what others could safely ameliorate.

If this puts your panties in a knot, please remember that cotton is always more comfortable than Pampers or Depends. Perhaps the problem is one of your choice and not our perspective.

Kyoti

She sounds dumber then Bush doesn't she.

What was McCain thinking.

Even if Hillary supporters felt alienated, they still won't vote for Palin.

In a weird way I feel sorry for her. I can't really explain it... I just do.

I know what you mean.

he sold her down the river for a quick buck and legs.
gimme a break!

absolutely, apparently.


when you paint someone to be a victim, make sure there's nothing out there that contradicts the perception.

have fun with that, see ya next year on that one.
unless it a freeper site sourced.

You meant "sped up the process"' right?

Anyway, it doesn't take a genius to know that climate change occurs naturally, only a religious idiot would refute that fact ... the question you need to consider is by how much has man sped up the climate change process.

Normally the process took thousands of years, giving time for many of the flora and fauna to adapt to the gradually changing climate.

Man had sped this process up to the point where changes that would have taken thousands of years, maybe even tens of thousands of years, are now happening in a matter of a few decades.

If your argument really is that "man has only sped up the process", without any consideration for the "factor" by which the process has been accelerated, then you really should get yourself a new hobby ... the old "critical thinking hobby" seems to be a bit out of your league.

Yeah... its mainly because she hasn't had the opportunity, you know, not even the slightest chance to prove herself... in war and be the true war hero she needs to be to get my vote.

What the fuck makes you think Bush Sr. was a war hero?

run for cover icl, ya just got her attention.

You mean after he dumped his wife who was facing her own challenges following a disfiguring accident, even though she'd stood by him while he was a POW? That slimy little move?

Oh yeah, he moved on alright, to a rich blonde bimbo, and summarily forgot all the men he served with and would spend the next 40 years actively betraying them.

I promise I won't make him cry.