Dubya in that ridiculous flight suit

Cain

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Cain
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http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/opinion/06KRUG.html

Are we still "respecting" copyrights?

Paul Krugman in today's Times:

...

Some background: the Constitution declares the president commander in chief of the armed forces to make it clear that civilians, not the military, hold ultimate authority. That's why American presidents traditionally make a point of avoiding military affectations. Dwight Eisenhower was a victorious general and John Kennedy a genuine war hero, but while in office neither wore anything that resembled military garb.

Given that history, George Bush's "Top Gun" act aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln — c'mon, guys, it wasn't about honoring the troops, it was about showing the president in a flight suit — was as scary as it was funny.

Mind you, it was funny. At first the White House claimed the dramatic tail-hook landing was necessary because the carrier was too far out to use a helicopter. In fact, the ship was so close to shore that, according to The Associated Press, administration officials "acknowledged positioning the massive ship to provide the best TV angle for Bush's speech, with the sea as his background instead of the San Diego coastline."

A U.S.-based British journalist told me that he and his colleagues had laughed through the whole scene. If Tony Blair had tried such a stunt, he said, the press would have demanded to know how many hospital beds could have been provided for the cost of the jet fuel.


But U.S. television coverage ranged from respectful to gushing.
...

Next year — in early September — the Republican Party will hold its nominating convention in New York. The party will exploit the time and location to the fullest. How many people will dare question the propriety of the proceedings?

...

There was a time when patriotic Americans from both parties would have denounced any president who tried to take political advantage of his role as commander in chief. But that, it seems, was another country.__
 
Nothing ridiculous about it. He used to work in one.

Forget political parties. Did you see the reception the men on board gave him? That never would have happened (beyond the normal military curtesy) with Bill Klinton.
 
Michael Dukakis redux. I wish I could find a picture of him in that tank. Talk about getting bad PR advice.
 
I was waiting for Bush to say somthing like "Thats right Ice..man..I am dangerous".

I thought it was a silly photo op. Im aware that Bush kept the Texas skies free of the Viet Cong during Nam, but these over the top displays are regoddamndiculous. Is it really a good idea to gave the pres zipping around on fighter jets?

Theleftist media is tryingo convice us that Bush is unbeatable in 04'. Theyre scared cause the economy is messed up and the post war after glow wont last until the election.
 
Don't bring up the National Guard thing!

Richard G said:
Nothing ridiculous about it. He used to work in one.

Forget political parties. Did you see the reception the men on board gave him? That never would have happened (beyond the normal military curtesy) with Bill Klinton.
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Jeest! You're not doing GW any favor by bringing up his national guard experience -- refer to this table for details: http://uggabugga.blogspot.com/2003_01_12_uggabugga_archive.html#87590816

The crew of the carrier GW visited were no doubt glad to be home after a long cruise and happy to have a moment's break in their routine. And of course GW said the sorts of things they like to hear. (However, with San Diego in sight, I'd have been a bit impatient at having to put off going ashore just so GW could have a photo op.)

I don't know how the crew would have responded to Bill Klinton, whoever he is, but President Bill Clinton would probably have received the same sort of reception in the same circumstances.
 
Cain, it's because George is stupid.

George is stupid

You need to keep making fun of him, and mock him personally. Then things will start to change. You'll have your marxist paradise if you keep doing exactly what liberals have done for 50 years.
 
Cain,
Good article. I'm tired of the PR affect that silly landing seemed to have on so many people I know. ("Wow! Our President is cool!")
...That's why American presidents traditionally make a point of avoiding military affectations. Dwight Eisenhower was a victorious general and John Kennedy a genuine war hero, but while in office neither wore anything that resembled military garb.
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Great observation from Krugman, but it won't help the Democrats at all.

As Reagan showed in the Mike Deaver years--and Karl Rove is repeating with GW--critical words won't mean much to the average voter as long as the picture of the President makes the statement you want.
 
What can he do to top this.

I know, he can jump out of an Apache helicpoter dressed as Rambo. With a buck knife in his mouth and carrying Saddams severed head!
 
Does it make a difference that we are currently involved in a war in which GWB is a legitimate target? Not sure. In any case, there are no rules about such things, merely traditions. I am also not sure how important those traditions are.

As far as him looking ridiculous in a flight suit, what would you rather see him wear? A suit and tie? The guy would pass out.

I think it is also a bit disrespectful to mock Bushie Boy for his military service in Vietnam. I know that in a thread about Vietnam, 95% of you guys would say that you would've dodged the draft or joined a military unit that didn't have much chance of seeing combat, so why is it that GWB is mocked for it?

As far as the jet fuel issue(I know it was tongue in cheek), would the jet not have flown in any case that day?

As far as the crew liking the showing or not, are you crazy? The crew probably ate that up! Most Navy and USMC grunts are very young men that are looking out for #1. Now they have a president that they think will treat them as #1, along with not being afraid to take some of the risks they take, IMO. This is based on personal observations from my own personal USMC grunt friends.

I've got a lot of problems with the Bush admin, and I do not want to be seen as an apologist, but when everybody is overlooking logic and just going for blood(on this forum, at least), it bothers me, and I like to point out other PoVs.

-Baggle
 
Hrm. I guess if Dubya had stepped oout of the cockpit of that plane dressed in a 3 piece suit, we would be hearing how ridiculous it looked for the president to step out of a warcraft wearing a suit and about how it was such a ridiculous photo op.

For the chronic Bush hater, anything he does is wrong. It reminds of of the Clinton years when the chronics Clinton haters were constantly yammering about "photo op politics".
 
Thanks for the link.

However, there are no sources in the column and many instances of things like, "by one report..." and "according to some," without ever naming a single person or source. We are told that the Boston Globe reported on this, but are provided no text of the article. The Strait Dope is a great site, but this article seems a bit slanted. Have any other sources, please?

Another thing....Going AWOL wasn't a serious offense at the time? Can any military people who served in Vietnam confirm this, please? I find this claim very difficult to believe, especially in war time and for 17 months, according to the article.

-Baggle
 
So many of you miss the real point, from GW's POV.

This was not a photo-op, it was a chance to make a carrier trap. I would give a testicle for the chance.

He wanted to ride an F-18 (as would I), but the Secret Service (rightly) nixed the idea because it is a two seater, and it's irresponsible of them to allow him in a situation at the hands of a single person (mil. pilot or not).

Thus the four seat ride (A/E 6? 3?) with SS agent(s) behind the pilot.

In case of a problem, GW could not have made the trap, but he could have easily put them down back at the airport.

Envious, I am.
 
Tmy said:
Im aware that Bush kept the Texas skies free of the Viet Cong during Nam
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I'm still laughing at this, hehe.

But all kidding aside, not a single Viet Cong soiled our lovely Texan skies on his watch.

Ok, this really all kidding aside, I am certainly no Bush fan but this particular photo-op just doesn't bother me much.

I guess, absurdity is in the eye of the beholder.
 
Baggle said:
Thanks for the link.

However, there are no sources in the column and many instances of things like, "by one report..." and "according to some," without ever naming a single person or source. We are told that the Boston Globe reported on this, but are provided no text of the article. The Strait Dope is a great site, but this article seems a bit slanted. Have any other sources, please?

Another thing....Going AWOL wasn't a serious offense at the time? Can any military people who served in Vietnam confirm this, please? I find this claim very difficult to believe, especially in war time and for 17 months, according to the article.

-Baggle
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http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/126/oped/Playing_Top_Gun_for_the_cameras+.shtml

This link is to a current Boston Globe Op/Ed that references the old reports on Bush's military record that were published during the 2000 campaign. The author of the piece, Joan Vennochi, is as liberal as they come, but she is citing the reports you are asking about.
 
Richard G said:
Nothing ridiculous about it. He used to work in one.

Forget political parties. Did you see the reception the men on board gave him? That never would have happened (beyond the normal military curtesy) with Bill Klinton.
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Probably did more flying that day than in his "stint" before he went AWOL.
 
Okay, after reading all of the articles(not all of yours, though, MM...too much to read and I am lazy), it looks like what happened is this: Bush was about to graduate from Yale and knew he'd be drafted, so he became a pilot in the Texas Nat'l Guard. Bush flew for four years before missing his annual physical, which grounded him. Bush was asked by his father to help with a campaign for an Alabama senator(I think it was a senator), and applied for a spot with as little work as possible in Alabama. His superior officer gave him permission for this move, but a letter was later received by higher-ups that declined his transfer. At this point, it gets fuzzy, and nobody seems to know what really happened. There are reports that Bush did get a transfer to an Alabama post, and it seems there are also reports that he was still in the TNG during this time....not sure what happened after that.

Can anybody finish the story for me, please?

-Baggle
 
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