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PERCEPTION IS KEY. If you knew little about the candidates (as most voters do), would you vote for someone photographed smiling in a Nazi SS uniform while calling them “incredible?”

I already agreed that the created perception from the photo would not be worth it in his case. He would have been better off being photographed being bayoneted by an Allied troop, or something. His choice of the word "incredible" is actually a good one, as it mainly means "unbelievable" (coming from the Latin credere, to believe). Unfortunately, it usually has a positive connotation. I agree that when you get to comments (not mere re-enactments) that words matter, and that the time of the event matters. What Hannibal did was incredible, and even though most of us view him as the bad guy, we wouldn't take umbrage at someone saying that he was incredible and did amazing things.

I would not let that lapse in judgement disqualify him from holding office. If he pays politically by having a close call, I'd like to think he'd rethink how he goes about the extra-curricular activities.

Anyone who would say something like that doesn’t belong anywhere near the government. Sub in Al Qaeda for the Nazis(Waffen SS)

Can you imagine if a dem candidate had said he’d “always been fascinated by Al Qaeda...a relatively small group that from a strictly military point of view accomplished incredible things...19 guys with no tanks, no army, no air force, no navy, and they took down the WTC and landed a direct hit on the Penatgon...from a purely historical view, that’s incredible”.

Would you take umbrage at say Pres Obama or Nancy Pelosi saying AQ did some incredible things? Saying Bin Laden is incredible? Would you say that would be a good choice?

What would the GOP reaction be? Conservative reaction? If any sitting office-holder said that about AQ they’d be forced to resign immediately. If Obama said that about AQ his approval rating would drop to the single digits within 24 hrs.

Also, the guy is just totally wrong on his history. Germany was not relatively small. In terms of area and population it was one of the biggest if not the biggest country in Europe. Way moreso than England or France or Italy, or any of the low countries. It had by far the largest and most powerful military of any European country. He’s making it seem like they were some group of underdogs who overcame steep odds. Like Hoosiers or something.

BTW, the group’s website says the following:
The website says of the German unit used as a model for the reenactments, “We salute these idealists; no matter how unsavory the Nazi government was the front-line soldiers of the Waffen-SS (in particular the foreign volunteers) gave their lives for their loved ones and a basic desire to be free.”

Idealists???????? No one who belongs to any group that refers to members of the Waffen-SS as idealists has any place in the US Govt. There’s really no way to explain that.

Again, any sitting US politican who referred to the Waffen SS as idealists would see their career ended immediately. And rightly so. Take the most popular/powerful Republican or conservative in the country and they’d be finished if they said that. Even among their own supporters.

Do you think the Waffen-SS, the official armed wing of the Nazi Party, under the command of Heinrich Himmler, were idealists?

Do you really think the members of the Waffen SS had a basic desire to be free? That that’s why they invaded Poland, the USSR, France, the Low Countries? That’s why they carried out the Malmedy Massacre? Because they had a basic desire to be free?

To me calling the SS idealists is disqualifying. You belong to a group that says that and you don’t belong in office.

Better yet, imagine if some dem was a member of a group that did rennactments from Vietnam and he dressed up as a member of the NVA or VC.

Imagine he praised the NVA/VC and called them incredible. How they were a relatively small country and took on both France and the US. How they were very impressive from a military point of view.

Think anyone might be offended or take umbrage at that?

What if his group referred to the NVA/VC as idealists and said they just had a basic desire to be free and should be commended and honored for that?

What would the GOP/conservative reaction be?