Looks like we're in for another round of news stories about Bush's days in and/or out of the National Guard. I'm all for developments that hurt the man's chances at another four years but I don't think this will. Those who are strongly for Bush will never believe he didn't serve honorably. or figure that even if he didn't, he's still more their kind of man than Kerry. Those who are strongly against Bush will either never believe he did, or figure that even if he did, they still don't want him in the White House. And the Undecideds have far more important things to think about.
I'm with the group that doesn't want the guy in the White House, no matter what he did back then. First of all, I think people do change. Political operatives spend way too much time trying to nail people for what they said or did three decades ago. And so what if Bush did receive special perks because his family was rich and connected? Do we think that doesn't happen in some way for almost everyone who comes from a rich, successful bloodline? We might not like that the world works that way but it does, and it's hardly Mr. Bush's fault that it does. The only reason that I didn't use family influence to get out of going to Vietnam was that I didn't have any. To date, the single perk I've received by being named Evanier is that it's real easy to search for myself on Google.
I avoided military service via that easiest of solutions…a high-enough lottery number. I looked on this not as an act of cowardice but as Fate's recognition that I would have been the worst soldier in the history of mankind. The only way I could have helped the U.S. military effort through combat would have been to enlist in the Viet Cong. Like just about everyone else who didn't serve, I respect the service of those who went into the service, if only because they did what I wouldn't and couldn't do.
All that said, I think past military experience is and always has been of very little importance for the office of President of the United States. I don't think a guy who dodged necessarily would make a bad president and I don't think a guy who served would necessarily make a good one. My uncle had more medals and honors than any recent presidential aspirant except Wesley Clark. I wouldn't have trusted Uncle Henry to drive on the freeway, let alone steer this nation.