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Norton

Yes.


When regular Army troop levels are insufficient and the government doesn't have the political balls to impose a draft, they sure are!

Texpat

Yeah, I gathered that it was based on what Clark said, but something like this is clearer:
Is military service an attribute to a US pres candidate?

The term sufficient qualification gives me the hump.

Accidental Ajarn

Nothing wrong with military service, I did it, but I don't think one needs to have worn a uniform to be a true American. I would not vote for a person for president solely on whether the person served in the military or not. We have had good (and bad) presidents who were ex-military and good presidents who never went through the experience.

Norton

Based on the campaign rhetoric it sure seems to be a issue of great importance. I think it is an attribute which plays well with voters but as with you certainly not an overly important one. I think the whole war record thing is a throwback to post WW2 politics. In the future, as fewer and fewer candidates will have served in the military it will become irrelevant.

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Ban Saray

^^ I think that says more about your Army and Defence (Navy) than US presidential candidates. - from Texpat.
Perhaps you are right, but the present Bush has proved all and gentry that he is a moron, that he was AWOL for most of his military serving time, that he resorts to underhanded methods to win an election.
His father had Saddam as a house guest, and previous presidents gave Saddam military and financial support, to turn their knives on him when it became convenient.
This lacks sound reasoning, and is typical military oneupmanship thinking, kick the kid while he's down.
Comments like "you're with us or agin us" do not inspire great leadership qualities to me.
Shinawiz's police/military service was spent mainly at higher education facilities and he turned out to be a thief, and fraudster (yet to be convicted of course)
Simply put - military service would be better avoided to mould a good president or manager.
All it taught me was to avoid the methods unless a means to an end, such as if caught in disaster type rescue work where on must take command - but not many military commanders I've met had the ball to do this either, the set up committees instead, or delegated to someone else - so they had a scapegoat.
There its of my chest, been waiting to say that for 30 years.

Ban Saray

One last jibe, how are the ill-treated veterans with poor or limited medical treatment going to react to a "returned hero"
The Oz government tried to kick us in the head a few years back, they were going to ignore a commissions advise to increase pensions and medical service; but the report was leaked and they had to back down.
Never liked that bastard Howard since.

Texpat

No military presidents:

J. Adams
J.Q. Adams
VanBuren
Cleveland - hired a substitute in the Civil War
Taft
Wilson
Harding
Coolidge
Hoover
FDR
Clinton

Doesn't amount to much, really. The vetting process is so thorough (too thorough) now that people know every aspect of the candidates life by November. Filleted and splayed open for all to examine. The speeches are online, transcripts for the C'n'P warriors and Youtube for the techno geeks. These are what milkman would call high-info voters.

Ban Saray

I don't know about the older ones, but didn't Clinton get head jobs in his office? wasn't Hoover a bit of a commie basher, and afraid of dirt?

Ban Saray

Just goes to show there's always a bad egg in a basket

Norton

A cripple with no military experience! How in the world did the allies win WW2 with such an incompetent member?

jandajoy

As a non-american can I ask a question.

Doesn't the fact that your politicians wallow in the war hero thing, and you all have a thing about guns, and you all get very excited about killing and shooting stuff, and full on blood letting seems to be the national pastime, all kind of links together to suggest that a fanatically patriotic, anti Islamic ( read. any non fundamentally Christian belief) Arnie/Stallone type character, will in all likely hood take power in the not too distant future.

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chinthee

This whole thing is total crap. Nobody judges someone's ability to be President by their military service. Rather, they judge the totality of their life experience and leadership ability.

I'm sure both of the candidates are well enough situated for this, although the best candidate would be a corporate leader who had led international teams building companies, rather than just spending tax dollars. But, unfortunately, no private sector person would be idiot enough to try it on, except for Ross Perot, who was a bit of a nut.

jandajoy

Your point being that there is no hope for the Western World as we know it.

Texpat

No, his point that your stereotype, along with most other American stereotypes on this forum, is wrong.

1. Your politicians wallow in the war hero thing
There are no war heroes in the race. There is a 20+ year sailor who was a POW for a few years. Neither candidate refers to him as a hero. The media sometimes try to play it up.

2. You all have a thing about guns.
Most Americans on TD don't have a thing about guns. If you want one and you're not a nutter, you can buy one. Laws regarding its use still apply.

3. You all get very excited about killing and shooting stuff
Beer cans maybe. Who gets excited about killing (I presume you mean) people? No American I've ever met.

4. Full on blood letting seems to be the national pastime.
Do you watch too many Hollywood movies?

5. All kind of links together to suggest that a fanatically patriotic, anti Islamic ( read. any non fundamentally Christian belief) Arnie/Stallone type character, will in all likely hood take power in the not too distant future

Yawn ... Get real.

jandajoy

So, what's the bloody answer?

chinthee

Yes, of course Texpat you got it right. All these candidates are merely human, and not that successful as compared to the real top winners, or they would be in the private sector knocking down the big bucks and not caring much about which idiot throws his hat in the ring next.

But, they are the best we've got in this system that rewards the true performers with extraordinary gains for their success, and leaves a large place for the middling performers, e.g., in politics. These people have a gift for rhetoric,
speech-making, and an addiction to Public adoration. They also seem to be gluttons for punishment exposing their personal lives like this...oh, well.

So, we see the same types year after year, decade after decade. These political types, who've done well, but nowhere near the expectations for people of their education and intellect. But, we accept that this is the best we can get in public servants, and I suppose that's true.

So, we'll elect another of these in November, probably the first black. I hope the power doesn't go to his head.

jandajoy

Surely it must have done already.