Dan McLaughlin at The Baseball Crank notes that in every presidential campaign since 1988 the Vietnam-era military service of one (or more) of the candidates has been a major factor in the race. He’s looking ahead to 2008 and what issues might arise in the service records of potential candidates.
Of course if we end up with a Condi/Hillary race the whole issue would be, thankfully, moot…
Baseball Crank brings up an interesting topic.
Kerry clearly shot himself in the foot last election season by overfocusing on his service. (Note: Political leanings left, right, center, martian, whatever… if you serve a stint in the military I will always shake your hand and thank you.)
Even though the I can’t forsee the day when we stop viewing political candidates through the prizm of Vietnam (it’s ubiquitous at this point,) I can see an end to candidates who view themselves through that same lens. It’s a simple matter of demographics.
I’ll turn thirty years of age this year. Vietnam ended (physically, though not culturally) more than thirty years ago. Ergo I stand a good chance of outliving every American alive today with direct knowledge of that era.
This, to my mind, is a good thing.
If it’s “Condi vs. Hillary” the Republicans will lose power forever. Condoleeza Rice is well-known to be “mildly pro-choice.” The Republican Party would be thrown into turmoil as irritated pro-lifers finally left and started a “conservative party” or something to that effect. Don’t think it wouldn’t happen.