The Skull & Bones Question (okay, so ridicule me)

[JackRiddler]

Poll question: The Skull & Bones Question (okay, so ridicule me)

Mr. Russert: You both were members of Skull and Bones, a secret society at Yale. What does that tell us?

Senator Kerry: Not much, because it’s a secret.

— Meet the Press, August 31, 2003

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Mr. Russert: You were both in Skull and Bones, the secret society.

President Bush: It’s so secret we can’t talk about it.

— Meet the Press, Taped on February 7, 2004

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Let's pretend S & B is not a mutual-blackmail society dedicated to the corruption and subsequent ruthless advancement of its members to positions of power.

Let's pretend instead that it's a juvenile diversion for rich kids, that "the secret" is some triviality, and that keeping it is just part of the joke.

Now let's fast-forward to the 2004 election.

Why are Bush and Kerry both giving the same answer?

Is it okay to remain loyal to a juvenile oath, even as a presidential candidate in your 50s? Even when this behavior raises suspicions and makes many people mistrust the whole system?

Why not just dismiss S & B as a drinking club or something otherwise trivial?

Given how easily misunderstandings arise in our volatile political culture, wouldn't a responsible candidate just come clean?