I've been reading some of the latest mudslinging and wanted to pick your brains. This time it's from my candidate of choice, Obama, indirectly and from a man I respect and who I wish could be president..Wes Clark. As we all know, Wes Clark was the Nato supreme commander during some or all of the Bosnia campaign under Clinton. Further, without divulging his resume, he's an absolute master of all things military both scholastically and in practice. He's one of your more educated generals. Sadly his bid was out-dollared in 2004 on the Dem ticket to be president.
Anyway, he is a military advisor for Obama and recently laid the smack down on McCain and let everyone know he really doesn't have qualifications to be Commander-in-Chief because he was a fighter pilot, shot-down, imprisoned, and lead a non-wartime squadron. While very honorable and heroic his actions, they're just that... honorable and heroic. His non-commanding positions in military and in the Senate likewise illustrate a lack of experience in commanding the troops. So why the attack on McCain then? Well, McCain is going around being "Captain America" and calling himself experienced in all things military touting his experience in the Vietnam war (even though 5 years of it was in the clink). He's accusing Obama of being inexperienced..so, Clark called his bluff and showed how inexperienced he is. It was quite amusing. And of course the old dude got pissed (probably smashed his computer screen when he read it) and is demanding Obama censure Clark.
My purpose in bringing this story, and with it my bias, to you to give your opinions on what truly "qualifies" a candidate to be "experienced" enough to be a Commander-in-Chief..aka "the one person responsible for deploying our fighting men and women, for conducting warfare with said lives, and finding an end in the means." How does one truly qualify? Sure, a former Joint Chiefs Chairman would be nice..a Colin Powell, a Wes Clark, a Schwartzkopf or Patreaus might be qualified having already conducted themselves thus. But from my reckoning, McCain is a politician who served in Vietnam, was even imprisoned, never commanded in war time...and is basically shown himself to be a sellout to the troops he casts votes for while on his senatorial seat.
Any comments on what qualifies one to be CIC?
Any comments on a possible Obama Clark ticket??
Some reading on the topic in case I'm a little inaccurate...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/30/ … index.html
Anyway, he is a military advisor for Obama and recently laid the smack down on McCain and let everyone know he really doesn't have qualifications to be Commander-in-Chief because he was a fighter pilot, shot-down, imprisoned, and lead a non-wartime squadron. While very honorable and heroic his actions, they're just that... honorable and heroic. His non-commanding positions in military and in the Senate likewise illustrate a lack of experience in commanding the troops. So why the attack on McCain then? Well, McCain is going around being "Captain America" and calling himself experienced in all things military touting his experience in the Vietnam war (even though 5 years of it was in the clink). He's accusing Obama of being inexperienced..so, Clark called his bluff and showed how inexperienced he is. It was quite amusing. And of course the old dude got pissed (probably smashed his computer screen when he read it) and is demanding Obama censure Clark.
My purpose in bringing this story, and with it my bias, to you to give your opinions on what truly "qualifies" a candidate to be "experienced" enough to be a Commander-in-Chief..aka "the one person responsible for deploying our fighting men and women, for conducting warfare with said lives, and finding an end in the means." How does one truly qualify? Sure, a former Joint Chiefs Chairman would be nice..a Colin Powell, a Wes Clark, a Schwartzkopf or Patreaus might be qualified having already conducted themselves thus. But from my reckoning, McCain is a politician who served in Vietnam, was even imprisoned, never commanded in war time...and is basically shown himself to be a sellout to the troops he casts votes for while on his senatorial seat.
Any comments on what qualifies one to be CIC?
Any comments on a possible Obama Clark ticket??
Some reading on the topic in case I'm a little inaccurate...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/30/ … index.html
Last edited by IRONCHEF (2008-06-30 10:46:19)
