“I didn’t agree with everything Dubya did, but I respected the fact that he was a Fighter Pilot, and earned a level of respect that this assclown will NEVER get.”
Nor did I, by a long chalk.
But I’ll tell you something. The USAF may be different but we got three informal grades over here. You are a pilot. A fighter pilot. Or a flier. GWB is the latter. The guy loves to grab air. So he were in the ANG, not the USAF or Marines. Big deal - take a peek at his flight hours sometime. They are public record. He’s got 6, maybe 7 times the regular hours for someone not in an active combat zone.
Met him back in ‘03. We talked for about half an hour, maybe a bit more, after the Thanksgiving thing. He had zero reason to do so - a heavily armed bunch of foreigners who were just stationing through and sitting off to the side, not the very admirable men and women in the service of the United States. No votes involved, no cameras, no soundbites, just a guy sitting down to shoot the shit with a bunch of grunts who were enjoying edible food maybe a little too much! And he talked WITH us, not AT us. He wanted to take my baby for a spin - that got a VERY rapid no from his security detail! Then he got up, shook our hands, went to another table and started talking with them like an old friend. We were there for a few hours - couldn’t take off while the President was on the ground, and he was riveting to watch.
As President, yeah, he made mistakes. Some small, some bad. I’d still have him in my squad any time, or follow him if he were team leader without question. Might not let him take primary stick, but that is my job. More to the point, my team liked him, and they are a suspicious bunch at the best of times.
It’s just one anecdote, make of it what you will. Could it have been getting all “star struck?” Guess it could be. Or he could be a good, down to Earth man. I’ll go for the second, thanks. :)
“...No votes involved, no cameras, no soundbites, just a guy sitting down to shoot the shit with a bunch of grunts who were enjoying edible food maybe a little too much! And he talked WITH us, not AT us. ...”
Best description of George the Man I’ve ever read. I have nothing BUT respect for him.
“...As President, yeah, he made mistakes. Some small, some bad. I’d still have him in my squad any time, or follow him if he were team leader without question....”
As George the President, I think he really did what he thought best for his country. Yeah.. he made mistakes. But they weren’t Intentional like this clown.
I think he’s a decent human being, a fine American, and political differences aside, I think history will show him as such.
We’re on the same page, brother...