Mr. Trump’s curious remark about John McCain’s time as a POW: Misstep or trap?

Coach is Right ^ | 7/20/15 | Kevin "Coach" Collins

[DoodleDawg]

Trump has had vast experience at the negotiating table. Deals often hinge on even the slightest of nuances. He did not get where he is by making off hand remarks that are not completely thought out and debated prior.

You sure about that?

[867V309]

So, if this is a ‘trap’, exactly what does a fight over McCain’s war record accomplish? Wouldn’t a fight over Hillary’s record be more useful?

He's not running against Hillary.

You might say he's not running against McCain, but he is. McCain leads the GOPe wackobird charge and must be taken out.

[Raycpa]

Absolutely sure. What I’m not sure of it trump’s end game.

[Political Junkie Too]

I think Trump has an easy play here to totally deflect this issue. It's time for Trump to raise a new issue to follow illegal immigration.

Trump should start talking about the deplorable management at the Veterans Administration and what he will do about it.

Then he can ask what has war hero McCain and Graham have done about it? Hold hearings? Visit Walter Reed Hospital?

Let's see Trump force a new issue onto the candidates that will resonate with the people and smoke out the politicians.

-PJ

[Georgia Girl 2]

I watc.hed the whole thing. If Trump had said anything that was bad the audience would have booed him and he would not have gotten a standing ovation when he left the stage

[Ohioan]

You are on the right track, here. Trump & Cruz, both, need to address real issues; not let the media lightweights divert them into silly arguments that do not address issues vital to the American future. Here is how I responded on another thread to the silly Wall Street Journal attack on Cruz for not attacking Trump(!):

An exchange of insults--like pre-adolescent confrontations in a playground--is not an issue for anyone really serious about an American future, to get upset over. That the Journal would seek to focus attention on that exchange--and draw moral conclusions from that exchange, antagonistic to those who have the sense not to comment on that exchange--is to take journalistic absurdity into the clouds of really confused analysis.

Let me suggest that the Journal focus on something that concerns the U.S. Military, that is 1,000 times as important as Trump returning John McCain's insult, with one of his own. What is that?

In recent weeks and months there have been repeated threats from America haters, against our military personnel & their families. Yet the Administration still has Marines & others, serving as potential targets in "gun free zones." Does anyone reading this not believe that that is the sort of outrage that the Journal ought to be concerned with--not an exchange of insults?

Will anyone defend the mental priorities of the Journal staff, in this situation? They, not Senator Cruz, who has a sense of proportion, need to be the butt of condemnation & ridicule.

[slumber1]

We know he was a pilot ... yeah, so? He wasn’t an “ace” to my knowledge.

His detractors referred to him as "ace" because of his frequent cockpit mishaps. He crashed three planes due to pilot error and probably would have been washed out except for the fact that he was the admirals son. The incident on the Forrestal wasn't his fault. He was in the cockpit of his plane when a missile was accidentally fired on the deck. McCain ejected but his plane was destroyed in the resulting explosion and fire.

Here's the story > McCain's mishaps in the cockpit

[infowarrior]

He crashed three planes due to pilot error and probably would have been washed out except for the fact that he was the admirals son.

Not just "admiral's son", but grandson, as well (although in full disclosure Grandpa passed away just days after the surrender ceremonies on USS Missouri, which he had attended...)

the infowarrior

[tanknetter]

McCain flew light bombers (A-4s). On the Forrestal tragedy, McCain was sitting in his A-4 when the external fuel tank of the A-4 next to him was hit by a rocket missfired by a third jet and exploded. In the video, McCain can be seen egressing his burning jet, walking along it’s refueling probe and diving through the fire to escape.

Some have tried to pin the Forrestal fire on him. All his other issues aside, doing so is complete BS and a nasty smear.

[jersey117]

Jeb must be stopped. He is a loser waiting to happen.

[tanknetter]

Keep in mind, also, that crashing planes back then wasn’t nearly as out of the ordinary as it is today. Look at some of the Class A Mishap figures from back then, with rates approaching 20.0 for some aircraft when today’s norm is in the 2.0-4.0 range.

Another “Black Ace” was Tom Harkin. His job was to take recently damaged but salvaged and repaired aircraft back on their first flights to see if they were really fixed. Can’t really fault him for crashing something like 8 aircraft.

[tanknetter]

Need to add that the rate isn’t a % but rates per 100,000 flight hours.

[DNME]

Let off the hook because dad was an admiral ... yeah, I can see that happening.