Accuracy

I've never claimed to be the most accurate person on Earth. Lord knows there are time I forget things I myself have done. Recently. I'll forget I had breakfast. But I do strive for accuracy where I can get it. Even if it's just a quick Google search to make sure I'm not blatantly wrong.

Recently, the Jon Carry ekspairement resulted in many more people coming to my blog, looking at it for five seconds, and moving on to look at better things. However one of them decided to comment and I'm always grateful for more people telling me how awesome/sucky I am. However, Wendigo's comments leaved a bit to be desired.

Shoot, a guy graduates from Yale with a B average

While Senator Kerry is undoubtly better educated than I am, and would bury me in a debate, I don't think his first degree from Yale can be considered the work of a B student.

(T)hen goes on to get shot at four years in a tin can boat

If I recall correctly wasn't Senator Kerry's tour on a swift boat actually about four months long? I'm a Reserve Personnel Sergeant currently serving as a recruiter; far be it for me to make a value judgement about someone's time in service. But to imply he spent his entire tour chasing VC up and down the Delta under fire is an outright lie.

And folks act like he's a stupid yokel.

Has anyone anywhere actually acted like Senator Kerry was a "yokel"? He's a bit tone-deaf when it comes to politics, he's often refused to admit he's made a mistake or was in error and instead tries to hold mutually exclusive opinions on issues, but a "yokel" seems like a strange adjective for a the Yale graduated junior senator from Massachusetts.

A guy drops out of the Coast Guard

This confused me when I first read it. I had no idea who Wendigo was talking about. Coast Guard? If you're going to make fun of someone for their military service, at least get the service right. As for the specific charge, there is nothing I can add to the debate about President Bush's time in the Air National Guard. He completed his training and if he committed any gross violations of regulations there was no record of it. Even today during the War on Terror and OIF unsat participants are not tarred and feathered, or rounded up and put into infantry training. I'm of the belief that things which happened 30 or more years ago shouldn't be an issue in today's world. But that's me.

(T)o get involved with politics like his rich daddy, then drops out of that to snort coke, then drops out of that for evangelical Christianity......Then drops back into politics

If I were a religious man I might mention something about the power of prayer to save someone from destruction. And I was under the impression it was alcohol that was a far greater demon for the president. Wendigo, if you want to live in a world where people can not move past their mistakes, that's your choice bro. Not mine. I work in a world where everything is waivable (that's hyperbole, and is not actually the case, recruiting waivers are a pain in the ass and disapproved far too often).

(A)nd folks worship at his feet, although he were the second coming of Ronald "Christ" Reagan.

It wouldn't take me too long to find a whole list of very conservative people who have huge complaints with Bush's time in office, but I can't because I have to genuflect to George on the Cross.

Kidding.

Between the spending, the gay marriage amendment insanity, Iraq, and other things I'm too flakey to remember at this second Bush is not viewed as some savior of the Republicans except by his politcal opponents. I imagine that a lot of his support comes from people who are glad to have someone in office willing to call a spade a spade and actually do something about the threat that terrorism represents.

It boggles the mind, yo.

I'm sure it does Wendigo, I'm sure it does.

I don't think it's a great exaggeration to equate the War on Terror to the Cold War. I've seen it said over and over that you can't defeat an idea. And I suppose that's true. But you can beat an idea so violently that no one but crackpots and college students looking for trim at college Che groups will follow it. I imagine a world where the government doesn't view communisim as a threat after WWII and I see a very different world. And I can see the same thing with someone other than Bush in office on 9-11. Law enforcement can handle terrorism when it's small scale and unsupported. When it's combined with support on a national level it can't be combated by men with badges. Bush was the man in office when that difference was presented to the world. I know if I were in President Bush's shoes I'd be looking forward to a retirement in 2009 and starting a hobby that involves nothing to do with important things.

Anyways, PT starts in a couple and I've got to hit the road. Have a good one y'all.

*UPDATE* Bad link on the comments before. Fixed it.