The Red and Black

"riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is not a qualification to be president."

You honestly think that doesn't sound degrading to McCain's actual story? McCain didn't just "ride" in a plan and get shot down. The characters in LOST "rode" a plane. John McCain PILOTED a plane and was then held in captivity for 6 years, and as a result, cannot lift his arms above his shoulders.

I agree that there shouldn't be a military qualification to be President, but the fact is that Wesley Clark caricatured McCain's service. Something it seems you agree with.

"And they'd destroy his Vietnam record just like Bush's Swift Boat Veterans for Truth did to John Kerry in 2004. "
The problem is that it is impossible to attack his record, because you and everyone knows McCain served his country honorably. He did not come back to his country and slander his fellow troops a la John Kerry.

"Instead of continuing to expose the dubious qualifications of his opponent, Obama said that McCain "deserves the utmost honor and respect for his service to our country."
Dubious qualifications? He's been in the Senate for 20 years and the House for 4. The reason Obama denounced the comments is because he doesn't want to get into a "qualifications" contest that he would surely lose.

"riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is not a qualification to be president."

You honestly think that doesn't sound degrading to McCain's actual story? McCain didn't just "ride" in a plan and get shot down. The characters in LOST "rode" a plane. John McCain PILOTED a plane and was then held in captivity for 6 years, and as a result, cannot lift his arms above his shoulders.

I agree that there shouldn't be a military qualification to be President, but the fact is that Wesley Clark caricatured McCain's service. Something it seems you agree with.

"And they'd destroy his Vietnam record just like Bush's Swift Boat Veterans for Truth did to John Kerry in 2004. "
The problem is that it is impossible to attack his record, because you and everyone knows McCain served his country honorably. He did not come back to his country and slander his fellow troops a la John Kerry.

"Instead of continuing to expose the dubious qualifications of his opponent, Obama said that McCain "deserves the utmost honor and respect for his service to our country."
Dubious qualifications? He's been in the Senate for 20 years and the House for 4. The reason Obama denounced the comments is because he doesn't want to get into a "qualifications" contest that he would surely lose.

You include some interesting information in this article. You say that McCain is "advocating . . . an attack on Iran." You also speak of "Bush's Swift Boat Veterans for Truth," implying that Bush somehow managed, directed, or controlled this organization. These are novel and surprising statements. Can you point to an example of McCain advocating an attack on Iran? Can you show how the Swift Boat Veterans are controlled or operated by Bush?

This article really bugs me because I actually considered the implications of what was being said. To be honest it is hard not to get sucked into the argument about Clark. However, his article needs more context.

Right now, we have cable news channels that seem to spend a great deal of energy covering what various political people say about our political process or the news. The standard operating procedure that BOTH campaigns seem to be engaging in is: send out a surrogate to make a potentially inflammatory remark, gauge the reaction, and decide whether or not the message is worth repeating. I recommend watching the highlight reel referenced in the original column; whether you find Clark's remarks offensive or not, one will likely be surprised by how strong (silly) the reaction is.

What Richards seems to be advocating is a slightly different but equally dysfunctional political theatre. Instead of using surrogates, the candidates themselves would just go for throat of their political opponents as often and as viciously as possible. This might actually be more entertaining but it would probably be more distracting and harmful than our current political drama is. Statements like, "Republicans start wars for the sake of corporate greed" or "Democrats want to tax us all to death" cannot foster a meaningful discussion; probably because neither statement is fundamentally true.

The whole political drama scene is all so vacuous. Aside from often failing to predict accurately events within the political arena (like the inevitability of Sen. Clinton's nomination) they do not in any way educate people about the issues. The question becomes, "how will a flailing economy hurt McCain/help Obama" instead of, "how can we fix the economy/create jobs." To make matters worse you have people like O'Reilly and Olberman who do little more than preach to choir. However, their sermons say, "your opposition is stupid, wrong, and immoral, they want to destroy what makes our country great, take no prisoners."

So in this successful democratic strategy, Obama would vigorously defend Gen. Clarks statements even though it would probably harm his chances of becoming president, because, it is like "totally true!"? Yeah, Democrats seem to have a track record of blowing presidential elections but "political suicide" is not the answer.

The one thing anyone should've said about this manufactured controversy is, should we really even be talking about such minor nonsense when people are dying thanks to policies on the war, climate change, healthcare? The corporate advisers who are well-embedded in both campaigns love this stuff because it takes the debate away from issues of substance -- which inevitably revolve around wealth and power in the country, every issue goes back to that -- to superficial issues of fluff.

But since we're talking about it, no, being a POW does not inherently qualify you as Presidential material. It's not relevant to the job.

This does not degrade anyone's service or make them any less honorable (or dishonorable, as bombing peasants to death who never hurt your country isn't exactly the bravest of exploits), it just says that it's in a different sphere of career.