Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
by John Cole| 18 Comments
This post is in: Politics
Maybe I am crazy, or not simply partisan enough, but it sure seems to me like this NY Times article is nothing more than a hit piece on Dean, with the paper of record doing Kerry and Clark’s dirty work. The again, this could just be a little bit of media inoculation by the Dean campaign.
The choices Howard Dean made 33 years ago
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Kimmitt
Yeah, that’s a weird tone for the article.
Few people snipe at anyone’s National Guard service (okay, we made fun of Quayle, but it was part of the national aghastness at his being VP) — it’s what appears to be Bush’s decision to skip that service (and refusal to release relevant military records) which causes difficulty.
Andrew Lazarus
As I understand it, Dean can’t carry a backpack. (You don’t need a backpack to go skiing.) I don’t think that bodes well for a successful career in the military.
The truth is, none of us wanted to be in the military. One friend was starving himself (he was naturally very thin), while his best buddy had eaten his way into morbid obesity.
Gary Utter
I was a big time Clinton hater. Still am, for that matter.
But I objected to the “draft dodger” characterization. I did my time in Viet Nam, two tours, in fact, so I think I’m qualified to speak, and I say, DROP IT.
I don’t think well of Clintons methods, but his goal was a good one. In those days, if you could find a way to avoid the draft, it was not only socially acceptable, it was considered admirable.
Maybe not everywhere, but where Clinton was, and where I was, avoiding the draft was freakin’ MANLY, it meant you were smart and able. I ,of course, was not smart and able…
Anyway, Viet Nam was considered to be a Bad War by the civilians (which includes draftees). Getting out of it was NOT an act of cowardice, it was an act of common sense.
Andrew Lazarus
Thanks, Gary. In the event, I missed the draft (and what to do about it) by 8 months, and my whole family was relieved.
mark
From Kimmitt’s website, what Dean would say in a debate he would like to see:
“DEAN: My opponent is a fuckbrained moron who went AWOL in the military”
Yep. THAT one really holds up now.
For the record, I don’t care about this issue. But what amazes me is how Dean supporters call Bush a draft-dodger for serving in the national guard.
Emperor Misha I
I’m with you on this one, John.
Unless Dean starts turning military service or lack of same into an issue, this one is a no-starter for me as well.
drew
You have to admit a medical deferment for an “anal cycst” is much funier than a deferment for a bad back.
I only pick on Rush because he attacked clinton as a draft dodger
Kimmitt
“Yep. THAT one really holds up now.”
HUMOR. A DIFFICULT CONCEPT.
The point was to make fun of Gov. Dean’s reputation for speaking plainly and losing his temper. Grownups view their candidates as human beings, not demigods.
DANEgerus
Dean works for Hillary’s aspirations for 2008 if he loses…
Kimmitt
Hillary-hatred is its own sad form of psychosis, and it simply does not conform to reality. Hillary isn’t running this year. She’s almost certainly not going to run in 2008. There are two major reasons for this:
1) She already has a great job that she’s very good at, and
2) She would almost certainly lose both the nomination — and, if all of her opponents were to die suddenly of SARS, the general. A fact of which she is no doubt thoroughly aware.
M. Scott Eiland
“Hillary isn’t running this year. She’s almost certainly not going to run in 2008.”
Of course, those who should have known were saying she wouldn’t run for Senate in 2000, either.
As for electability, the last time I looked she was doing as well or better than any Democrats actually in the race as far as preference among potential Democratic voters. Of course, the other shoe dropping is that she seems to do worse against GWB than even Dean. Those two facts in conjunction suggests to me a good chance she runs in 2008.
Kimmitt
Like I said, psychosis. Hillary is never running for President.
jennifer
The excuse used is all fine and good, if that what makes it OK in their head, but to me it just goes to show they are not leaders. They are doctors, lawyers, etc. Not presidential material. They made their choices ( 5 years ago, 30 years ago, whatever) and you deal with your choices. It’s called being a responsible adult. You live with the consequences of your decisions, whenever you made them. Maybe you just don’t get to be the president because of it.