(I didn't miss it.) ...IMHO Vietnam was divisive BECAUSE of people like Kerry.
I seriously suspect that I am stating the obvious, and/or 'preaching to the choir here, but...
Certainly Kerry was playing the same game with Vietnam ('peace' movement) as Gore was more recently playing with the environment (and 'global warming'.) It's NOT that EITHER of these men so very much BELIEVED, or were so COMMITTED to those causes, it's that they both saw the opportunity for political advantage with those issues and, being the opportunists they both are, they tried to use those issues to gain power.
Kerry's self-serving actions damaged America's ability to conduct, and win, that war then, and he has been doing the same sort of thing with Iraq, for the same reason. The jury is still out on how much Gore damaged the country with HIS opportunism, but both men are exceedingly dangerous because they will do, or say anything, as long as they perceive it will further their own ability to grasp political power.
With his background, McCain ought to KNOW better (about Kerry) but, as someone else on this thread aptly observed, and I am paraphrasing here, he DOES like the spotlight, and his contrarian, inexplicable positions, on a number of different issues DO always get him that.
