Just to be fair, Bush was trained on and flew a supersonic interceptor that was one of the most dangerous and difficult to fly that we’ve ever had in our arsenal. A “Widow Maker” F-102. And he volunteered to go active service in Viet Nam and was turned down as the aircraft he was qualified on had no role to play in anything much short of a Soviet nuclear bomber attack (the kind that was anticipated coming from airfields in Cuba and directed at the cities of Texas and the Gulf coast). In comparison, Perry piloted a big, lumbering four engine transport. Not to disparage Perry’s service at all, but I hate to see someone swallow Dan Rather’s crap that Bush’s was not a genuine pilot and somehow did not serve.
When ever I try to defend conservative values I get Bush throw in my face. That man did more damage to US conservatism then anyone I know since Nixon.