John Kerry and Vietnam

I've read the chapter from Unfit For Command that is available via Human Events Online.

Since I'm not a Kerry fan, I don't make any claim to bias-free objectivity. The John Kerry described in the book matches my view of John Kerry as a Senator, and politician. As Dean Esmay notes, there are some unsupported stories in there, but on the whole it rings true to me. Of course, the problem here is, that for years, John Kerry's stories have also 'rung true' if you were pre-disposed to believe them, just as they were guaranteed to 'ring false' if your experience and prejudices were jarred by them.

So, nothing in there changes my mind about John Kerry - as I stated in my earlier post on the subject here.

It is nice to hear others, who were there at the time, and warriors too - echoing my disapproval that Kerry used his Purple Hearts as a way to leave combat early. Something I have no problem with a draftee, or junior enlisted, or seriously wounded people doing - but have extreme distaste for a not-seriously-wounded senior enlisted or commissioned officer doing. Period. To me, it's a betrayal of the "reposing special trust and confidence in the "patriotism, valor, fidelity and abilities" wording in the commissioning certificate.

John Kerry's speech at the Democratic Convention wasn't that bad. If he sticks to it, he could be a President I wouldn't mind, if we can wean him from that copying Canada's health care shibboleth. Heck, that speech was crafted to mostly appeal to the mushy muddle like me. And, he has asked us to judge his fitness for leadership by his Vietnam experience - that his four months with the Swift Boats qualifies him, somehow mystically.

The only problem is, to me, his Vietnam experience says he won't follow through on commitments. That he will leave when things get tough. His voting record does not support much of what he said in the speech, either. If he'll do what he's saying he'll do - it represents a huge variation from what he has done to date.

And actions, Senator, speak louder than words. You still aren't getting my vote. I'm not all that fond of how President Bush has handled the domestic side of things (not that I think you'll do better in any significant way that I would like) but I'm more concerned about judgeships, as your side of the aisle has pretty much decided to use the judiciary to impose upon the people what you can't talk the people into. And that is simply intolerable at the level to which your side takes it.

This book is only going to cement things for people who already lean the way I do, as I discovered in my comment stream on the post cited above - fully committed Kerry supporters just won't see it. It will be interesting to see how it affects the middle. Obviously - I hope it does so a lot.

Update: In case you haven't seen the ad, go here.