Why does any criticism of McCain always have to be prefaced with "John McCain is a great American"?

[LBJDemocrat]

Or something to that effect. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall the GOP being so touchy about Kerry's military service in 2004.

Prefacing every remark with "John McCain's a hero" sends the message that the Democrats are tremulous and weak. Every once in a while, of course, something like that has to be said out of politeness; but not to this extent. Bill Clinton in 1992 didn't go out of his way to praise Bush Sr. for being the youngest Navy pilot during World War II.

Let John McCain build his legend with his own campaign dollars, not with ours.

[rinsd]

1. Its like "no disrespect but"

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/04/18/jon-stewart-eviscerates-abcs-hacktacular-debate/

[dbonds]

2. I would word it differently...

John McCain served America. But he didn't do it all that 'greatly'. In fact, if he had been a bit smarter and better pilot, he might not have been a prisoner of war.

[El Supremo]

3. Yeah, I even heard Howard Dean say this on the Ed Schultz show today.

I'm sick of it. They are afraid to insult him and other vets or something.

[DCKit]

6. They (Dean, et al) don't want to be attacked for minimizing his patriotism.

Bwahahahahahahahha.

Why attack any aspect of his military service when there's so much other material?

[Warren Stupidity]

4. John McCain is a whacked out doofus

[Buck Laser]

5. No one wants to be unkind to an old man.

[devilgrrl]

7. John McCain was born in Panama and he's a shitty pilot too boot.

:popcorn:

[JDPriestly]

8. He is no different than any other politician.

Every man or woman who serves in the military, and, especially, all those who are killed or injured during their service, is just as much if not more than a hero as John McCain.

I just do not see the accident that John McCain happened to spend time in a North Vietnamese prison camp as being more heroic than the service of the others. I wish he had not spent time there. I wish we had left that war earlier, but all the men and women who served there are equally heroes. In fact, any man or woman who volunteers or is drafted into military service is a hero. They do not know when they join where they will be sent or what will happen to them.

[texastoast]

9. Anyone who attacks him is an idiot

His POW status is LEGEND, people. And if the Dems want to minimize their chances, then by all means pour it on a guy who withstood 6 years in a hellhole for a country who at the time pretty much didn't want to deal with the Vietnam vet issue.

And before you call someone a shitty pilot, maybe you should see the movie Afterburn. Not all planes fall out of the sky because of pilot skill.

[Orrex]

10. I don't think that he was a shitty pilot, nor do I presume to diminish his military service

But the 30+ subsequent years have demonstrated pretty clearly that he is no Great American.

Didn't he vote to the right of Jesse Helms for most of his career? Jesse Helms?!?!?

[texastoast]

11. I hear you

But the trouble is that all that most Americans see is that 6 years in the hellhole for a country who "abandoned" him. His voting record is surely something that can be debated, but carefully and way away from his military service.

[LBJDemocrat]

12. Who's attacking his military record?

By not mentioning his military record at the same time as we're attacking his politics, we're attacking his military record?

That's bullshit, and it's exactly what I'm talking about.

[texastoast]

13. Okay,

So how do you frame a response when you are accused of attacking a "great American" even though you didn't mention his military record? Be prepared for that.

And don't forget, McCain did introduce good environmental legislation and campaign finance reform legislation--two very progressive areas.

[Winterblues]

14. How many planes did McCain lose anyway?

Just because he was a POW does not make him anything special and it certainly does not make him untouchable on the subject. Most people undergoing such an ordeal would be somewhat diminished in their ability to think straight. It would have to take a toll and that toll most definitely needs to be an issue. I believe he is unstable because of it and that belief is enough to ask questions about..

[texastoast]

17. "Just because he was a POW does not make him anything special"

May I ask if you have been a POW?

[bobbolink]

15. Being a prisoner of war means you are forever a good guy.

Free pass.

[Iggo]

16. Fuck John McCain.

There. Is that better?

[uppityperson]

18. Because we are in an age of Extreme Patriotism bullshit.

Same reason for flaggie pin madness.

[Perry Logan]

19. The Republicans smeared him in 2000. Thanks for pre-sliming your own candidate, Republicans!

If that doesn't prove what brilliant tacticians Republicans are, what does?

[texastoast]

20. Ding! Ding! Ding!

And your post surely shows your own brilliance. THAT is the correct angle of attack. Let the badmouthing be quoting the Republicans' OWN spew. They gave us enough fodder with their own stain on it. That is what we should be using.

:toast: