By MIKE JONES Associate Editor on Jun 8, 2012, at 4:32 PM Updated on 6/08 at 4:32 PM
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Where is the outrage?
Mitt Romney, the Republican Party’s candidate for president, never served in the military. Not only did he not serve, but he supported the Vietnam War but received deferments to stay out of it.
When John Kerry, who voluntarily served in Vietnam and won some medals for his service, ran for president, the Republicans called him unpatriotic and questioned his war record. Al Gore, who also volunteered for Vietnam, had his military record dismissed by Republicans. Instead, they supported George W. Bush, whose military record is questionable, and Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld who never served.
I don’t particularly begrudge Romney his deferments. He is about two years older than me. He had deferments for about four years. I had student deferments (2-S) for two years beginning in 1967. Then, they lifted the deferments, I took my draft physical and was declared 1-A.
While I had friends who joined the National Guard (the Guard didn’t go into combat overseas back then) my friend David and I gambled and waited on the first lottery. We both got lucky. My number was 333. I don’t remember his, but it also was high.
When Barack Obama ran for president against John McCain in 2008, Obama was often criticized for having no military experience, while McCain was called a hero. I respect, then and now, McCain’s sacrifice for his country. Thank God there are many more like him. But that doesn’t make Obama any less qualified to be president. And I have yet to figure out how serving actually hurt Kerry and Gore. Well, I guess I do know. Their service, especially Kerry’s, was lied about.
So far in this election cycle, the military experience question has not been addressed. Maybe it will, but I doubt it. Calling candidates and others unpatriotic and traitors seems to be a Republican political tactic.
This go-round the experience mantra seems to be business. Since Romney has some business experience, I suppose he can be forgiven for dodging the Vietnam draft. I wonder if Republicans could forgive me for being the same type of draft dodger?
It just so happens that Obama was too young to serve in Vietnam. That, however, didn’t stop Republicans from criticizing him for not joining the military anyway.
For Romney, I suppose it’s OK. Move along, nothing to be outraged about here. Republicans don’t have to military experience, only Democrats.
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