Let Me Get This Straight

[adios]

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It speaks to character. Vietnam was a part of the Truman Doctrine which in reality won the Cold War.

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So you believe that Kerry was essentially wrong when he condemned the Viet War.

Interesting ...

[adios]

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I think this entire debate underscores what's wrong with the 2-party system. In '92 & '96, the GOP thought it was important that *their* candidate had a service record and Clinton did not. The Democrats, on the other hand stressed that military service was not a prerequisite for the Presidency.Now in 2004, they suddenly reverse positions. It is nothing short of opportunistic partisanship.

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I agree totally.

[andyfox]

Out of curiosity, do you (or does anybody) know if Bush has ever voiced an opinion on the Vietnam War? I say "out of curiosity," because I don't think what either guy said or didn't say thirty-five years ago should be a major factor in deciding for whom to vote, but I'm actually just curious.

In the Boston Globe series on Kerry, his father said Kerry was a gung-ho patiot type when he entered college, but then had his doubts about our foreign policy by the time he graduated. The Globe also said the Kerry was a New England Establishment type, and thus would have felt that when JFK instructed people to ask what they could do for their country, Kerry would have been at the front of the pack.

Anecdotally: I'm ten years younger than Kerry but I felt the same way. When I went into college in 1969, I was gung-ho (for lack of a better term) as well, but the more I learned about the history of Vietnam, our involvement there, and the way the war was being fought (as well as the lies we were being told), the more I changed my position. So if indeed there was a turn-around in Kerry's thinking, I can relate to it.

[Cyrus]

...but, for reasons of partisan loyalty perhaps, you refuse to acknowledge the conclusions. Please reconsider.

Elwood > "Kerry felt that serving in Vietnam was the right thing to do until he witnessed the war first hand. Armed with new information, his opinion changed."

Adios > " Bingo! And might that new information be widely disseminated when Bush's deferment ran out? John Kerry enlisted in the Navy on February 18, 1966. George Bush enlisted in the National Guard in May of 1968."

What is the relevance of the above chronology?? George W Bush never changed his opinion on the Vietnam war. John Kerry did. Whether Kerry served in '63 or '71, or whether he served before or after Bush, is irrelevant, in view of the two men's positions on the war: One subsequently changed his mind, by what he saw and learned , and the other didn't.

As to your objection to the statement "Kerry believed the war in Vietnam was just so he went to serve", please understand that whether that is accurate or not it doesn't matter! He went and served, is what matters! If we accept that John Kerry was not a mercenary and that he did not desert, his actions were of a man heeding the call of his country. I'm sure we can agree on this. It is really very simple.

As to "the other guy" in our story, well, you might be interested in seeing how that chickenhawk got the gig in the Guard.

[CORed]

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Now that being said, this is whole Vietnam he said she said crap is really getting old. My head starts to hurt whenever I see another piece about this whole mes, no matter what side you are on.

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I couldn't agree with you more. Both sides seem to be using this Vietnam stuff to avoid talking about important issues.

[CORed]

John Kerry changed his mind about Vietnam. This proves that he is a flip-floper. Why would we want a flip-flopper when we can have someone who never changes his mind, no matter how wrong he is.