"George W. In the Flight Suit"

I think the contrived Democratic brouhaha over the president's address from the USS Abraham Lincoln will be very short-lived because their own polling and focus groups are going to tell them to knock it off. But here's a very informative article by Gleaves Whitney at NRO today:

It's driving liberals nuts — the image of President George W. Bush in a flight suit on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. There he was, slapping officers on the back, posing for pictures, joking with sailors and aviators. You can bet your bottom dollar these images will be used during the 2004 campaign — they'll make Bush harder to beat. But those who are complaining loudest, who are fixated on the political use of the images, are apparently deaf to their historical resonance.

Historically, Americans tend to elect presidents with military experience, the more heroic the better. Consider:

• Of the 42 men who have been president, 27 served in the armed forces (64 percent).
• Of the 27 presidents who were in the armed forces, at least 12 served with distinction (Washington, Monroe, Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Taylor, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Theodore Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and George H. W. Bush).
• Of the 12 who served with distinction, at least 8 became heroes in their day. (Most lists would include Washington, Jackson, William Henry Harrison, Taylor, Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Kennedy.)
• The officer corps of the Union Army proved to be a veritable farm club for presidents: five generals (Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, and Benjamin Harrison) and one major (McKinley) ascended to the White House.

This trend of Americans electing commanders-in-chief who have been veterans has strengthened over time. Since World War II, there have been 11 presidents. Ten of them are veterans. The exception: William Jefferson Clinton....

(Thanks, Charles.)

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Thu. 05/08/03 09:21:53 PM
Categorized as Political.