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No outrage
Published: 6/8/2012 4:32 PM
Last Modified: 6/8/2012 4:32 PM

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.








Reader Comments 13 Total
232867 (8 months ago)
Aparently no one's talking creationism or illegal immigration right now so Mike Jones is creating another straw man to take issue with. I don't know of anyone who is fussing about Obama not having served in the military. So what's the problem? And Mike, in his delirium, continues to search for a point by saying those who had draft deferments were "draft dodgers", and Kerry's military service was "lied about". If anyone's military service was lied about, it was George Bush's.
Mike, if you don't have anything to write about, next time take the day off.
Loneprairie (8 months ago)
The associate editor must have a great amount of spare time on his hands to write such a *yawn* childish opinion regarding an issue of no importance.

If you want others to feel the outrage you feel, write about something that matters, cause this piece is embarrassing.
WilsonReagan (8 months ago)
Another piece of trash from the liberal media. We have fast and furious and high level security leaks but you chose this for your no outrage?
Inukshuk (8 months ago)
DITTOS from me on the 3 previous posts....and didn't some of Kerry's old vet buddies throw him under the bus??? I don't think it was just "Republicans."
Ray down the road a piece (8 months ago)
Mike tells us that the National Guard didn't get deployed overseas back then...back then was during the Viet Nam war...I don't know where Mike does his research because this is what Google tells us: "
The Official Website of the United States National Guard. ... in World War II, National Guard units were among the first to deploy overseas and the first to fight. ... During the Vietnam war, almost 23000 Army and Air Guardsmen were called up for duty. Today, tens of thousands of Guardmembers are serving in harm's way in Iraq."...
It would appear that those Guardsmen & women that served in Nam, Iraq & Afghanistan escaped Mike's attention.
Inukshuk (8 months ago)
Ray, how rude of you to make corrections and point out the facts ;-)
                    
Ray down the road a piece (8 months ago)
Yeah, I'm a pretty rude guy who is a stickler for the facts & weary of the spin.....:)
ClanJoyWalkSig (8 months ago)
Never point out double standards, Mike... it just riles the other side. These things only matter when they matter... If it was truly a reason to vote or not to vote for a particular candidate, there is no way Romney would be their candidate. It's just useful when it's useful... right now it's not useful.
Ray down the road a piece (8 months ago)
Clan, I'm surprised that you're not bothered by the willful omission of facts.
Mouset783 (8 months ago)
Mikey you pathetic lost soul. Remind me again what outfit Obama serve in.Do we now have Army,Navy,Marines,Air force,Coast Guard and a new military branch called community organizer? Put a plasic fork on the end of a seven iron and look out.
Blue Max (8 months ago)
Mike, Mike, Mike, have you nothing more to raze the other party about? Makes you look biased, desperate, and incompetent.
Q61 (8 months ago)
Jeez, how about a fact check. Donald Rumsfeld served honorably as an officer in the US Navy from 1954 to 57.
Reelman1 (6 months ago)
Mike, it's really getting hard to take you seriously on ANY level.
13 comments displayed


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Jonezin

Mike Jones is a native Oklahoman (not an Okie), born and raised in Seminole, Okla. He began his career at the Tulsa World in 1971 as an oil writer for the late Riley Wilson. After three years as an oil writer, he became a copy editor on the national desk. He moved to the city desk in 1974 where he also worked as a general assignment reporter. After stints on the late city desk, he became assistant city editor and in 1979 succeeded longtime city editor John Gold, one of his mentors, as city editor. He served as city editor for almost four years before joining the editorial staff as a layout editor and editorial writer in 1985. He was named associate editor and has since written a Sunday column and daily editorials. He has a son, Sam, who is a local musician with the reggae band Sam and the Stylees. Jones is the honorary CEO of that group, a title of which he is most proud.

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