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Feminist advocate Susan Estrich works in many fields: as a lawyer, professor, political operative, author, and news commentator. She was educated ...
Read more about Susan Estrich.
Feminist advocate Susan Estrich works in many fields: as a lawyer, professor, political operative, author, and news commentator. She was educated ...
Read more about Susan Estrich.
The Politics of Patriotism
Susan Estrich
Should John McCain have to "defend" his military record? Of course
not. But the fact that he served in the military, with distinction,
does not mean he's qualified to be president.
Should Barack Obama have to explain why he didn't serve in the military or somehow apologize for it? Of course not. Most people of his generation did not serve in the military. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Condi Rice did not see any active duty, although all of them are older. So what?
Democrats learned four years ago that choosing a candidate with a record of service in combat is no guarantee of anything. John Kerry's military record became one more piece of ammunition for the supposedly independent mud fight that defined the election. The defenders of the mud fight said it was Kerry's own fault because he interjected his military record front and center into the campaign. (Remember that line at the convention about Lt. Kerry "reporting for duty"?) By that logic, Democrats have a right to question McCain, who makes Kerry look like a piker when it comes to playing the military card, but Republicans have no right to question Obama, who has hewn to the George W. Bush approach of talking about other things.
Dream on.
This week's round of punching and counterpunching began with comments by retired Gen. Wesley Clark, an Obama supporter, that made the very same point I just did: Serving in the military, as honorable as it is, doesn't mean that you're more qualified to be president. "I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president," Clark said.
I think the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth said something very much like that about John Kerry captaining a Swift boat. Actually, what they said was much worse. They questioned John Kerry's record and turned it into an issue of character. No one has done that to McCain, at least no one with any association to Obama. Can you imagine what McCain would say if someone did?
As it was, Sen. McCain and his allies tried to turn Clark's comments into a concerted Obama attack, which then allows them an excuse to attack Obama. Sen. McCain, responding at a news conference, said that remarks such as Clark's are "unnecessary," pointing out that such an attack "doesn't reduce the price of a gallon of gas by one penny." Fair enough. Neither does attacking Obama's lack of military experience. But then he added, "I know that (Gen. Clark's comment) is not an isolated incident, but I have no way of knowing what involvement Sen. Obama has in that issue." Robert McFarlane, who was the national security adviser to President Reagan, went one step further, suggesting that Clark's comments "may be part of a larger gambit." He told the press: "If the opposing candidate doesn't really have the experience or knowledge or depth in international affairs, then one approach can be, I suppose, to try to deny that Sen. McCain does."
Take that, Sen. Obama!
In fact, in a speech Monday in Independence, Mo., Sen. Obama went out of his way to praise his opponent for his patriotism and his record of service to this country. But he also made clear that he would not tolerate questions of his own patriotism. "I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign," he said. "And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine." He even wore a flag pin.
In politics, we always spend more time on the question of who started the fight and whether it's actually an intentional fight than whether there is anything worth fighting about. So it is with the candidates' patriotism. In other contexts, one might point out fairly that experience as a prisoner of war leaves scars that last for a lifetime. But if any Democrat within a mile of Barack Obama even suggests as much, that person will be thrown overboard faster than you can say Samantha Power (who was thrown overboard, you may remember, for telling a foreign newspaper that she thought Hillary Clinton was "a monster"). If Gen. Wesley Clark can't make what should be the obvious point -- that military service doesn't qualify a person for the presidency -- imagine the backlash if anyone actually raised questions about the impact of McCain's stint as a POW?
========
To find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
Copyright 2008 Creators Syndicate Inc.
This news arrived on: 07/02/2008
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Posted Comments:
07-10-2008 23:07
Texas Katie wrote:
Politics of Patriotism
Susan is right on!
Linda, what in H___ are you talking about? Of course Obama has a birth certificate and of course he was born in this country! Do you think for one minute that Hillary would not have made this a huge issue if what you say is true?
Think, woman, think! Don't just listen to the claptrap passed around on the internet.
Linda, what in H___ are you talking about? Of course Obama has a birth certificate and of course he was born in this country! Do you think for one minute that Hillary would not have made this a huge issue if what you say is true?
Think, woman, think! Don't just listen to the claptrap passed around on the internet.
07-09-2008 10:41
Dave in CNY wrote:
POW Qualification for presidency?
being a POW idnt necisarily a qualification for presidency its an enforced inprisonment. there are more ways to serve you r country and be a patriot than being a prisoner. does going to jail for staning up for what you believe in make you qualified for presidency, of course not. by constantly bringing up his POW time McCain proves he is living in a biter past that he still cant get over. can we alow our country be run by some one who is resentful of their past or should we look to our future. if we truly want peace then we need to look to leaders who are willing to speak the truth even if it ist what we want to hear and not let their personal past resentments be the deciding factor for the coming years.
McCain has made 3 major statments;
1. "It's not important when our troops come home".
2. "We will go to war for 100 years".
3. "There is nothing wrong with the economy".
just one of these is enough for me not to vote for a biter fool with dreams of grandger and being a war hero. we need to ask our selves why are we fighting and what are going to profit from it. we can fight terorism with out having to send our children to die over seas. the war isnt going to bring down fual prices. and if you dont see some thing wrong in the economy you are probably so wealthy that you can aford to wipe your %^$$ with $100 bills.
Obama has atleast stated the truth. Gimics will not fix the problems. we need to sit down and look at what is realy going on and decide what the best course of action realy is that will correct this sinking ship.
if we gain little to nothing from being at war, its a bad investment.
what can we realy do to bring the economy back on track that isnt just anougther bad fix that only treats the symptoms not the cause.
in the end no mater who is to be president Obama or McCain there will be problems and the economy colapsing is just one of them.
DAVE
McCain has made 3 major statments;
1. "It's not important when our troops come home".
2. "We will go to war for 100 years".
3. "There is nothing wrong with the economy".
just one of these is enough for me not to vote for a biter fool with dreams of grandger and being a war hero. we need to ask our selves why are we fighting and what are going to profit from it. we can fight terorism with out having to send our children to die over seas. the war isnt going to bring down fual prices. and if you dont see some thing wrong in the economy you are probably so wealthy that you can aford to wipe your %^$$ with $100 bills.
Obama has atleast stated the truth. Gimics will not fix the problems. we need to sit down and look at what is realy going on and decide what the best course of action realy is that will correct this sinking ship.
if we gain little to nothing from being at war, its a bad investment.
what can we realy do to bring the economy back on track that isnt just anougther bad fix that only treats the symptoms not the cause.
in the end no mater who is to be president Obama or McCain there will be problems and the economy colapsing is just one of them.
DAVE
07-08-2008 15:17
Darlene wrote:
questioning military service??
Ken-how can you be so one sided? If you are questioning peoples military service as a qualification for president or vice-president then how did we end up with the current administration? They both ducked serving in Viet Nam. One by deferments to have kids and the other by hiding in the national guard. Bush wouldn't release his full military record either. Where was he for that missing year and how come he didn't get sent to Nam when he failed to show up for his final test as a pilot. the rule is if you don't complete the requirements you go straight to the active service. seems Kerry, Bush and Cheney have a lot in common by your logic. Also no one has shown more disrespect for this country and its people than the Bush/Cheney duo.
07-08-2008 13:23
Walter Unterberg wrote:
Patriotism
I read Susan Estrich's column on Patriotism. A
famous early American wrote
"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel".
Was it Ben Franklin? It certainly applies to some
candidates. Why do we term someone, like John McCain, a hero for having been a POW ? In antiquity heroes were winners, not losers.
famous early American wrote
"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel".
Was it Ben Franklin? It certainly applies to some
candidates. Why do we term someone, like John McCain, a hero for having been a POW ? In antiquity heroes were winners, not losers.
07-08-2008 11:48
Ken from Oregon wrote:
Well Susan, apparently you are proving my case about the total failure of the American educational system.
Lets compare a few facts...
John Kerry - Questionable service at the very best, especially since he still has not disclosed his complete military record. Just what is he hiding? lets see, just how many weeks of "service" did he perform before he found a way to get out of it? Oh, and then there is the disingenuous act of throwing away his medals and then still wearing them - so, who's medals did he toss? And then let us not forget that many of the people commenting negatively on his service were people who knew him in the service.
Seems like Kerry spent more time trying to find a back door out than doing any actually leading!
Now then, McCain seems to have actually led men into battle, made actual life and death decisions, and by all acounts served this country proudly even while being held as a prisoner of war.
Oh, and then there is Clark, forget the title... He has shown his disdain for the military by taking as negative a role as possible for the past 8 years. He has shown disdain for his brothers in arms if they aren't of the correct political affiliation. And he has disrespected his country on several occasions.
then we have the Obama... who admits to spending his high school and college years smoking dope, snorting cocaine and partying... yeah, now there is an excellent resume!
Yeah Susan, right on the left with your own personal adgenda and full speed ahead without any regard for the long term impact on the country! How leftish of you!
Lets compare a few facts...
John Kerry - Questionable service at the very best, especially since he still has not disclosed his complete military record. Just what is he hiding? lets see, just how many weeks of "service" did he perform before he found a way to get out of it? Oh, and then there is the disingenuous act of throwing away his medals and then still wearing them - so, who's medals did he toss? And then let us not forget that many of the people commenting negatively on his service were people who knew him in the service.
Seems like Kerry spent more time trying to find a back door out than doing any actually leading!
Now then, McCain seems to have actually led men into battle, made actual life and death decisions, and by all acounts served this country proudly even while being held as a prisoner of war.
Oh, and then there is Clark, forget the title... He has shown his disdain for the military by taking as negative a role as possible for the past 8 years. He has shown disdain for his brothers in arms if they aren't of the correct political affiliation. And he has disrespected his country on several occasions.
then we have the Obama... who admits to spending his high school and college years smoking dope, snorting cocaine and partying... yeah, now there is an excellent resume!
Yeah Susan, right on the left with your own personal adgenda and full speed ahead without any regard for the long term impact on the country! How leftish of you!
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