Posted by Dan Ewert : 7/28/2004 11:23:00 AM (Archive Link)
He Served in Vietnam? Really?!

You’ve gotta be kidding me. Kerry is going to arrive at the convention by boat in order to illustrate his Vietnam War service. I can’t think of another candidate who has so brazenly exploited his time in the military. Bush Sr. was shot down over the Pacific Ocean and rescued by a submarine, but you didn’t see him parachuting into his conventions. Bush Jr. was an expert pilot of a highly difficult and dangerous fighter jet during his National Guard service, but he’s not flying one into to the convention in New York City. The last time he did take a trip on a fighter jet, he was roundly ridiculed by the media who didn’t want him to be able to use it as a photo op. Well, ok, they didn’t ridicule, per se, they just continually wrung their hands over how Bush was exploiting the scenario for publicity and how he might use it in campaign ads. I doubt we’ll hear the same things about Kerry’s blatant exploitation and whether he’s just using it as a photo op moment.

Which brings me to another point. During the Democratic Convention, everybody is talking about how great Kerry is, what a patriot, how he is and will be strong on defense and bullish with our enemies. Now, who honestly believes this last part, that he’ll be strong on defense? The man’s voting record in the Senate shows him continually voting against military spending and he’s constantly worked to decrease the military. He’s also spent the entire campaign denigrating military action we have taken. At the convention, any time a speaker says something about how Kerry will hunt down terrorists, you get only scattered applause. Not even the delegates believe this tripe. If he’s elected, he’ll pull out of Iraq as quickly as possible, sell out the Iraqis by withdrawing support and aid (South Vietnam, anyone?) and divert resources from the offensive, military prosecution of terrorism. The rest of his tenure will be spent confronting threats in the Clintonian model. That is, talk big but tuck your tail firmly between your legs. Whereas Teddy Roosevelt said to speak softly but carry a big stick (be nice but let them know you have the power of annihilation at your disposal), the Democrats’ theory is to bluster endlessly while openly having the will to use nothing more than a pea shooter.

One more point while I’m at it. Howard Dean and Theresa Heinz Kerry are out and about accusing Republicans of being un-American. Now, any time a Republican so much as barely, vaguely intimates that a Democrat is acting un-American or, horrors, unpatriotic, the donkey party (followed by the media) raves about the McCarthyism and the lies and the dirty tactics before falling back on the fainting couch and asking for their smelling salts. Heck, they even make charges of Republicans bashing Democratic patriotism when there’s absolutely nothing to back it up. See the examples of Max Cleland and John Kerry for that. Just so you know, questioning their Senate voting records on defense translates into you accusing them of being unpatriotic, flag-burning Commies… you, witch-hunter, you. And yet, the Democrats can very openly and blatantly make the same accusations towards Republicans and nobody bats an eye.