From: mulac@daystrom.lerc.nasa.gov (Richard Mulac)
Subject: Re: The big flaw in Clinton's Vietnam scenario
Followup-To: alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.clinton,alt.politics.elections
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center [Cleveland, Ohio]
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 06:33:54 GMT

In article <0JkoqB2w164w@mintir.new-orleans.la.us> elendil@mintir.new-orleans.la.us (Edward J. Branley) writes:
>mulac@daystrom.lerc.nasa.gov (Richard Mulac) writes:
>
>>     It's not the fact that Clinton was reluctant to serve that will turn
>> some voters against him, but instead will be what he did while not serving.
>> In Clinton you have a man who boasts proudly that he already had as a goal
>> becoming President while in his teens, a man who claims to have more
>> qualities of leadership than Bush, a man who says he firmly believes in his
>> principles, and a man who eloquently wrote of how he could not morally justif
>> fighting in the Vietnam war.  If all these things are true, wouldn't such a
>> man have thrown himself into the forefront of the anti-war movement and
>> demonstrated what a great leader he was?  All great leaders have been
>> willing to sacrifice personally when fighting for what they believe in.  I
>> have yet to hear of any event in Clinton's life so far in which he has
>> stood fast for what he believes, but at great personal expense.  If Clinton
>> was of presidential stock, he would have stayed in the US and worked his
>> way into the leadership of the anti-war movement, instead of worrying about
>> future 'political viability'.
>
>I'm a little younger than Clinton, therefore wasn't directly in the position of
>being drafted, but I still can remember many guys in the 18-20 range weren't
>rabid anti-war types, just scared shitless about the prospect of going over to
>Vietnam and getting killed.  The situation in Vietnam was a bad one for the
>average grunt that only got worse as the war dragged on.  Clinton was a bit
>older when he was eligible, having finished college, so I think it's safe to
>say that the bloodlust and desire to 'see the world' that many a 18-year old
>has was gone from him at that point.  I know my desire to join the Army and go
>to Germany disappeared when grad school and career were just around the corner.
>
>I'm not quite sure why you feel that Clinton needs a great defining moment in
>his life.  So what if GHWB has experienced such a moment?  What has he done at
>great personal expense that has explained his flip-flop on abortion, on taxes,
>now on selling jets to Taiwan?  I see nothing in George Bush where his war
>service has made him into anything than a political hack who twists in whatever
>direction the wind is blowing.

   I don't mind if a politician, even Clinton, changes his mind
occasionally as long as he can convince me that he is sincere.  As far as
sacrificing for his personal beliefs, the 'liberal' media has declared that
a majority of the public, even the Republican party, is pro-choice, so how
can remaining pro-life help Bush?  If he changed his mind again, I think
I'd question his sincerity {:^) .  I would like to hear three opinions
Clinton holds that are in the minority view in this country.  He seems like
the ultimate poll watcher to me.

-- 
Richard Mulac                                     mulac@daystrom.lerc.nasa.gov
NASA Lewis Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, MS 5-9, Cleveland, OH  44135
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"The question is - who do you trust to make change work | These pontifications
for you?" - President George Bush                       |      are my own!    
Newsgroups: alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.clinton