'08 Presidential Candidates: Who served & who didn't
POSTED BY: CrevanReaver
UPDATED: Friday, August 25, 2023 18:32
VIEWED: 13523
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In a post-9/11 world I believe the voters should know about a presidential candidate's military service or lack thereof:
Democratic Candidates:
* Joe Biden (Did not serve)
* Hillary Clinton (Did not serve)
* Christopher Dodd (Served)
- Army National Guard and later served in the U.S. Army Reserves
* John Edwards (Did not serve)
* Mike Gravel (Served)
- U.S. Army as special adjutant in the Communication Intelligence Services & as a Special Agent in the Counter Intelligence Corps
* Dennis Kucinich (Did not serve)
* Barack Obama (Did not serve)
* Bill Richardson (Did not serve)
Republican Candidates:
* Sam Brownback (Did not serve)
* Jim Gilmore (Served)
- U.S. Army's 650th Military Intelligence Group. Served in the Army's counter-intelligence unit in Germany during the Vietnam-era
* Rudy Giuliani (Did not serve)
* Mike Huckabee (Did not serve)
* Duncan Hunter (Served)
- Vietnam veteran. Served in the 173rd Airborne and 75th Army Rangers
* John McCain (Served)
- Vietnam veteran. 22-year career as a U.S. Navy aviator, former POW
* Ron Paul (Served)
- Flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force from 1963-1965 and in the Air National Guard until 1968
* Mitt Romney (Did not serve)
* Tom Tancredo (Did not serve)
* Fred Thompson (Did not serve)
* Tommy Thompson (Served)
- Wisconsin National Guard and the Army Reserve
...something to think about when you're casting your vote (either in the general election or in the primaries) on who should be Commander-in-Chief of the brave men and women who are risking their lives to protect American freedom. Remember most of the candidates weren't willing to take that risk.
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Since when is the military the be all, end all? And what do most of the wars we've fought in the last 60 years have to do with our freedoms?
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Quote:
Originally posted by yinyang:
Since when is the military the be all, end all? And what do most of the wars we've fought in the last 60 years have to do with our freedoms?
Quote:
Originally posted by CrevanReaver:
...something to think about when you're casting your vote (either in the general election or in the primaries) on who should be Commander-in-Chief of the brave men and women who are risking their lives to protect American freedom. Remember most of the candidates weren't willing to take that risk.
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Yeah, that's what we want. Good ties between the presidency and the military. Something closer to a junta should do it.
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Since the President isn't the one who directly commands the military, you still haven't answered the question.
----
I am on The List. We are The Forsaken and we aim to burn!
"We don't fear the reaper"
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But, the Commander-in-Chief has military advisers and a brain, right? Besides, in the Constitution, there is no mention of military service as a requirement for president, so surely someone back then recognized that you don't have to have served in the military to lead it.
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I hope none of you have ever bashed Bush over his military career or lack thereof. Some say Iraq is in the crapper because Bush knows nothing about war and does not listen to those who do. Perhaps more military experience could have mitigated or lessened this. Damned if you do, damned if you don't as always.
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Quote:
posted by yin yeng- Since when is the military the be all, end all? And what do most of the wars we've fought in the last 60 years have to do with our freedoms?
i actually just heard this quote today, and your question reminded me of it
Dwight Eisenhower-
Quote:
i hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.
it makes me think twice about Bushs military record(rather lack thereof)
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I don't see how Bush's lack of military service and him not listening to his advisers are related. I take the advice of my doctor, even though I am not (nor will I ever be) one.
As far as Eisenhower's quote: It's great that he survived to say that, physically and mentally. Some people don't.
And, back to the original post, it is not cowardly or unpatriotic to say, "I do not want to aid in the military extension of the United States of America by serving in any of the armed forces," which is what I think is being implied by "weren't willing to take that risk."
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It is prudent to expect the guy fixing your brakes to have automotive experience, your Doctor to have medical experience. It is prudent to expect the head of FEMA to have emergency management experience and the Commander-in-Chief to have military experience.
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