Why didn't Hillary, Obama, Edwards, or Richardson serve their country in the military?

Question

Each one of them wants to be the next Commander In Chief. Just a scant two years ago, all John Kerry ever talked about during his own presidential campaign was how he was a Viet Nam war hero. And all Democrats talked about was how Bush was just in the Texas Air Guard and was AWOL over in Alabama, and blah blah blah blah. Why are Democrats suddenly silent on this vital qualification for a wartime President? None of the announced Democrats ever even served a hitch as playground safety patrol, let alone as a soldier.

Dio please re-read the original question. This was brought up by John F. Kerry during the 2004 campaign. I just wanted to remind you of it.

Answer 1

HA I never noticed that.....its funny how Democrats flip flop from minute to minute on those "vital issues". But the straight answer is: the same reason most Republicans and Independents who will run didn't.

Drum roll.

Because the US taxpayer does NOT want to pay sufficient taxes to man and equip a military so big that all US citizens are able to serve some arbitrary and obligatory hitch. A lot of people who want to bring the draft back call it "compulsory service for all citizens" without even giving a though to the cost.

So I'm not taking their lack of service into consideration this election. There are plenty of other reasons to reject those morons altogether.

Answer 2

I can't believe that someone is taken in by electoral rhetoric. The next President of the US must be the best person for the job. It should not matter what their backgrounds are....It only matters that they are competent and they can lead the country in a manner that is going to be beneficial to the country and the world. Military experience has proven that it is not the be all and end all of great leaders. Bush for example. I am sure that the anit-democrats may make this argument but I doubt it with the Bush legacy hanging over their heads. What everyone must do is , ignore colour, gender, religion, party and everything that is said that does not have anything to do with running the country. And somehow you must let the politicians know you are watching what they say and what they do........and will throw them out of office if they have lied been deceitful or engage in criminal activities like violating the constitution as Bush and his government have done. If again the Americans elect a representative of big business to the Whitehouse, the country is doomed to become a dictatorship with the bomb.......everything you have been warned against in the past as being no good. Bush has shown signs of working the state of federal politics to that end and it MUST STOP! Regain your rights and regain the power to the people attitude that built the once proud and admired country. Which is now one of the most hated on the planet...........by everyone from friends to foes.

Answer 3

I don't suppose you would like to give us a similar rundown of Replican hopefuls, just for balance of course. I will grant you McCain, no question about his service. What about the rest of them?

Here, let me help.

Powell - That man runs, I am voting for him. Period.
Cheney - None
Brownback - None
Rove - None
Delay - None
Lott - None
Hastert - None
Giuliani - None
Chambliss - None
Santorum - None
Ashcroft - None

I might point out you were making military service the litmus test, not me. Fair is fair though.

Additional: No problem. I didn't think much of either Kerry or Bush. Just didn't want to leave it at "look at all those Dem draft dodgers". I like to present both sides.

Bush flying out to that Aircraft carrier in a jet still irritates the heck out of me though.

If you look at some of the political questions I have been asking, you will get an idea of what I am about.

-Dio

Answer 4

Well Hillary probably didn't because it wasn't all that common for women to enlist when she was young enough to do so. She could have, but her duties likely would have equated to little more than glorified secretary or nurse even with her legal background at the time. Women's roles in the military were just not taken all that seriously then.

As for the others, that will likely come out in debates and it's best not to speculate until they address the question themselves.

I don't think being in the military will singularly qualify anyone for the office of president. Yes it will give them a unique perspective as Commander in Chief and that would be beneficial, but a lot of people in the military may not have good perspective as a civilian, either.

Answer 5

Hilary is a woman, there has never been a draft for a women.
Obama is rather young, the only major wars he could have served in were the Gulf War and the Middle East conflict, but those enlistment numbers are rather low.
Edwards served his country as a lawyer, defending several cerebral palsy victims (for the most part)
Richardson was in the United Nations, trying to create PEACE.
Perhaps peace is a little more important than slaughtering others?

Anyways, all these candiates served their country through their authority in the government. What would the army be without good leadership at home?

Exactly.

Answer 6

Well, I wouldn't rip on a candidate for now having military experience. They have military advisors for that. I agree about bashing Bush for his "lack" of military experience since most of them have none. That's a good point. What bothers me more is the Democratic side bash's Bush about his Iraq plan. Yes it was a poor occupation or decision to occupy. But I haven't heard of a good Democate plan to fix the problem. Therefor having a Democratic president isn't gonna automatically fix the problem. I'm not trying to bash Democrates, it's just an observation. Basically I'm sick to death of the constant back and forth bashing the parties do.

Answer 7

There is no requirement whatsoever that one serve in the military to be President or hold any other political office. Neither President Bush nor President Clinton had any active service at all. None of the four candidates you mention is hiding anything; they're just campaigning on what other merits they do have.

Answer 8

What diogenes said, absolutely. Actually, if Colin Powell ran he would be the only candidate that could take my support away from Hillary. I can admire a man that has such dignity and self-respect that he walks away from an Administration he cannot support. I was very disappointed he chose not to run back in 2000, but I also understood why he didn't and why his family didn't want him to do so.

Answer 9

Because that's definitely not the criteria a politician cares for.
You can serve your country in other ways.
Heck they elected a hollywood actor to be president in the 80's !!! Come on, I think the dems have a bit much cred than that.

Answer 10

Why didn't some of the Republicans serve in the military? If you're going to throw this around then be honest. Most politicians haven't served in the military as most people in this site haven't served in the military.