Posted on 08/24/2008 5:46:30 AM PDT by Froggie
Sunday, August 24, 2008 OBAMA-BIDEN: FIRST TIME IN 68 YEARS A TICKET WITH NO MILITARY EXPERIENCE Posted by: Michael Medved at 2:18 AM THE OBAMA-BIDEN TICKET IS THE FIRST TICKET OF EITHER MAJOR PARTY IN SIXTY-EIGHT YEARS IN WHICH NEITHER THE CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT EVER SERVED IN THE MILITARY!
At a time of war, the Democrats give us something the nation hasn't seen in more than two generations: a ticket where neither of the the running mates ever wore a uniform of any kind.
Shouldn't Republicans make a big deal of this?
Consider the history--
2004 -- GOP -- Bush served in National Guard/ DEMS- Kerry served in the Navy 2000---GOP -- Bush served in National Guard/ Al Gore served in the Army 1996 ---GOP -- Dole served in the Army/ Gore (Clinton's running mate) served in the Army 1992--- GOP -- Bush Sr. served in the Navy/ Gore served in the Army 1988 -- GOP-- Bush Sr. served in Navy, Quayle served in National Guard/DEMS --Dukakis served in the Army and Bentsen served in the Army Air Corps 1984-- GOP -- Reagan, Army Reserves and active duty (Capt. Rank), Bush Sr. served in Navy/Mondale served in Army 1980--GOP -- Reagan, Army, Bush Sr. served in Navy/Carter served as Naval Officer, Mondale in Army 1976--GOP --Ford servd in Navy, Dole in Army/ Carter, Navy, Mondale Army 1972--GOP -- Nixon served in Navy, and Spiro Agnew in Army/ McGovern, Army Air Corps 1968-- GOP-- Nixon, Navy, Agnew Army/DEMS-- Ed Muskie, Navy (Humphrey twied twice to enlist, turned down because of Hernia) 1964 -- GOP -- Goldwater, Major General in Air Force/ LBJ -- Navy 1960 -- GOP -- Nixon, Navy, H.C. Lodge - Lt. Col in Army/ JFK and LBJ both Naval officers 1956-- GOP--- Eisenhower (are you kidding?), and Nixon, Navy/DEMS --Stevesnon, Navy 1952-- GOP -- Eisenhower (five star general) and Nixon, NAvy/ Dems, Stevenson, Navy 1948-- GOP -- Earl Warren (Dewey's running mate). Army/ DEMS, Harry Truman, Army 1944--GOP -- John Bricker (Dewey's Running mate), Army Lt./ Harry Truman (FDR's running mate), Army artillery officer
finally, you have to go all the way back to 1940 to find a ticket with no military experience: FDR and the pro-Stalin Henry Wallace (though FDR had been Assistant Secretary of the Navy during WW I). His opponent, Wendell Wilkie, by the way, served in the army in WWI.
In other words, in the last 68 years of American history we've had 32 tickets representing the two major parties. Every single one of those tickets featured at least one candidate -- often both of them -- with military experience. Obviously, the GOP ticket for 2008 will again feature a heroic veteran in one of its slots.
But the Democrats, at a time of war, offer us a modern first: a national ticket with two candidates who never served a day in uniform in any capacity.
And why didn't Joe Biden serve? He's a year younger than Dick Cheney, so even more subject to the Vietnam draft. Remember how Democrats reamed Cheney for his "five deferments" during the height of the war as he pursued his education.
So what about Biden? He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1965, just as the war began to escalate intensively and he would have been exposed to the draft. Instead, he attended law school (at Syracuse University) graduating in 1968-- the very height of the war and the Vietnam draft.
And why didn't Biden go to war -- instead beginning the practice of law and his political career?
If he were a Republican, the press would be all over this one... remember what they did to Dan Quayle because he served "only" in the National Guard.
Meanwhile, whatever Biden's story of draft avoidance (I've told my own tale in that regard, very candidly, in RIGHT TURNS), you know that if he were running on a GOP ticket the press would be grilling him already on his lack of service.
The sad fact remains that for the first time in 68 years we see a national ticket for a major party where neither the Presidential nominee nor the Vice Presidential nominee spent time in military service of any kind.
Kerry was in the Navy?
Probably the same way Cheney did.
The lack of military experience should not be a surprise. The democrats think the military is composed of fools and idiots completely lacking in any type of mental rigor. Consequently, they believe that any person with even limited intelligence can make wise military decisions with no experience required. Anyone with experience as a ‘community organizer’ or a ‘diversity counsellor’ should be able to make better military decisions than a General.
In fact, I think Obama is on record as saying that the one area where he is most qualified is to be ‘Commander-in-Chief’.
I had heard something about that. He was some kind of hero right?
I live in MA and I have been hearing rumors about this for years. Can someone clarify this for me?
Wasn’t he in Vietnam? I heard some rumors to that effect.
Young lefties will flock to this ticket as non-neocon non-chickenhawkish.
He was in Cambodia for Christmas,no wait-that’s not right...
He was in Cambodia in 68, on direct orders from then-President Nixon.
It’s seered..seered into his memory.
BUT - as Mr. P just pointed out, the good senator was Shot At in the Green Zone. So, he’s had military experience.
Oh....and I just turned the color of ths sky green all over the world with a wave of my hand. Isn't it pretty?
You beat me. Less than a minute apart...GMTA. ;-)
Most military enlistee’s from the past 10 years pretty much view their service as a job. No longer your daddy’s military.
It looks like Biden avoided exposure to the draft by going to Law school. I believe at the time, going to law school allowed you to continue your 2S student draft deferment.
I remember seeing a lot of this. And I think that it is a component of how America ended up so over-lawyered. Furthermore, the lawyers we ended up over-lawyered by were the kind of person who became lawyers to avoid being in the military. Not a good combination.
. . . and he won three purple hearts!!!!
I love what you did with the sky, though.
On a pro-military forum, with many active duty families, that’s a magnificent insult.
WoW, wouldn’t you know it — after reading some posts here on this thread I did a little research and wouldn’t you know it; one of the most damning comments about Bush/Cheney come from the DU web site. And my changing the names Bush/Cheney to Obama/Biden and then re-reading the article — I think I actually like it better;
Obama and Biden, the two most powerful men of earth with the ability to put U.S. citizens in harms way, refused to put themselves at risk when their nation was at war. While it is proper and just that the brave men and women of our military pursue everyone culpable for the tragedy of 9/11 and to bring them to justice,...they personally avoided service themselves.
God I love the Internet. We can do this next 70 some odd days until the election - “they personally avoided service themselves.”
Ping
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