No, you related your unflattering "version" of events, without a bit of support, and I laid out what people actually did during the war, which both of us are old enough to remember. You saying, "The truth lay somewhere in between, I imagine." implies just that, something you imagined.
If you look at the last two pages of threads, here's what we have... Anti-Kerry Threads... Did Kerry commit Treason? John Kerry Crushes Dissent John Kerry's Blue Ties aren't dark enough Kerry flubs a throwaway line Kerry and THK have shouting match Kerry Lied about Cambodia Kerry is unfit for command Anti-Bush threads... Job growth is weak Plame Investigation Republican plans to go negative at the convention Chalabi and son charged with counterfeiting and murder Iraq developments Exposure of Al-Q double agent Torture in Iraq Bush's statements on Tax policy 1990's video of Bush drunk at wedding Cost of Iraq War WMD's Bush's economic policy Pro-Kerry Threads... The Kerry Rally Protestors at rallies Pro-Bush Threads... Media bias moves a voter towards bush Why Chance will vote for Bush (There are others that could fit into a category, but these were the most obvious. Some, like the debate thread really favored no candidate.) A comparison between the negative threads are most telling...
That's because one guy is the president of the United States and the other guy as an absentee senator in the campaign trail.
Here's my major post on this topic: "I heard that when Kerrry volunteered for the swift boats, they were assigned duty off the coast of Viet Nam. In the interim, their duty changed to one more dangerous and hazardous on the delta. Is that not true? I'm only asserting that that is what I heard. And what about the volunteerism... so he wouldn't be drafted. Is that a lie or possibly the truth?" <b>How in the world is this my unflattering version of events? I count 2 "I heards" and 2 distinct requests for validation.</b>
Again, why would you assume the worst about it? Do you not think Kerry had the same means as Cheney, Dubya, Clinton, or <insert any conservative chickenhawk name here> to avoid the draft? It's telling that you'd dismiss someone's volunteering to go to Vietnam for political reasons. It's disgusting, as is this entire smear campaign against Kerry. I've lost respect for so many people due to this, you being one of them. BTW, between his vacation days and the days he and his Vice-President have been campaigning (more like preaching to the choir since they're p*****s and don't allow anyone in without a pledge), I'd say you can't really criticize Kerry for campaigning.
Uh, that's a perfect example actually because it shows some excellent spin. If you were in the Navy and not a pilot, how else would you get anywhere near Vietnam if not via swiftboats? The way you word it, talking about being off the coast and what not, makes it seem like he volunteered for a job that would keep him out of harms way. By not talking about his other options, you are being decietful.
I didn't assume anything. I reported what I had heard and I asked some questions. You sure go overboard because someone asked a few questons. I didn't know that your man Kerry was above having his assertions challenged. I'm in charge of nothing about this "smear campaign." I've asked a few questons and you can't stand it. Get over it. Questions can and will be asked. Stop lumping every critic together you open-minded liberal. Hah! BS. You are particularly obsessed over Bush's alleged "Lost Weekend" like that is a huge deal. I think he missed the class where they taught him how to push the beverage cart up and down the aisle. I've lost count now how many times you've lost "respect" for me or so many others here and, of course, you have to announce it like anyone really cares a whit about your opinion of someone else. Get over your self-importance. Why do you think that what you "think" about someone is so all-fired important that you have to tell us all about it again and again.... and again. Lighten up. As Jeff pointd out, you are in some kind of pissy mood.
I don't know anything about his other options. My original questions were an invitation to fill in the blanks and/or change the perception. What were his other options?
Giddy, asking questions is fine. But it's still questions based on something that you heard. It's not evidence supporting an assertion. Meanwhile there are documents which are evidence supporting actions contrary to what you heard. Did you read Kerry's request for transfer to either commanding a swift boat, or a patrol officer? Neither of these are indicitive of someone who wanted to avoid a draft, or dangerous action considering he was on a ship removed that kind of dangerous action. I know that I am still puzzled how, after seeing documentation of Kerry's record of volunteering for the navy and then requesting even more dangerous duty, you would still question this based on something you HEARD. Finally you concede that the truth may be somewhere in between. But it isn't. The evidence supports Kerry volunteering for more dangerous duty and performing bravely while there. One of the men who's in the swifties against Kerry group wrote of Kerry that his actions during combat were 'unsurpassed.' Now 35 years later this guy changes his mind.
For once I'd like to hear you ask questions about what Bush was doing. I'm not in the navy, but I can easily figure out his other option is to stay onboard a ship and out of harms way.
one way of looking at this is to look at what the campaigns are saying on the trail. the bbs, with some exceptions, mirrors or reacts to what the candidates themselves say. i've said for months that all kerry wants to talk about is "I served in Vietnam." you'd have to be blind, or willfully obtuse, to miss the emphasis on Vietnam in Boston, from the whole trip across the harbor w/ the swifties, to max's speech, to "reporting for duty." kerry has focused on his service record, admorable tho much of it may be, to the point of ignoring much else. sure he's talked about other issues, but the real thrust of his campaign has been, " i served in vietnam, therefore i'm more qualified to direct our military than someone who hasn't". he's dared republicans to come after him on that score, then when they have, either suggested it was some sort of vicious smear, or in the swimming-to-cambodia issue, ignored it and sent surrogates out to suggest he was just confused ("seared, kurtz, seared. it was seared into my memory"). we're just reacting to what the campaign is giving us. let kerry go a week w/o mentioning vietnam and all this stuff would fade away...well, perhaps not all...
You can't even factually substantiate that the majority of his speeches have been about Vietnam. If you are gonna make that assertion, go dig some of his recent speeches up and tell us how much of it has to do with Vietnam. Of course you won't do it though because you know you'll be proven wrong.
