LandM wrote: ↑Sat Sep 05, 2020 9:20 am
MD,
Certainly not justifying what was said, if what is being reported was what was said......still doubtful on the full context as to what was said because as we know, some times people embellish a story. What Fox News is reporting was said, which I did go out and find, I can unfortunately see that attitude today. Not sure about you but I have been in meetings with 20 different people who have 20 different versions of what happened. Mattis was not shy and cannot see Kelly being either. I also do not understand the moral compass the military and vets have received, not sure it is completely warranted. BUT I will say, as my older brother was drafted and he quickly joined the Navy and my dad went to Vietnam twice, there was not a whole lot of love going on for the troops back then. Ironically Joe Biden will have to run on a somewhat similar record as Trump in that I believe asthma allowed him to defer multiple times even though he was a pretty good football player and based on his age, he would have been right in the thick of the war. I wish my dad were alive to see the swing in the pendulum, he would have enjoyed it. To end, it would be nice to see the full transcripts - sheez, I need to run for Congress
Until then the back and forth is not really going to change a mind. Telling enough, and the only experience I think one should have real-time is female football sideline reporters - love to see them think about emotions when knocked on their arse by a 320 pound guy (btw my wife rolls her eyes when I complain) but I think there are a few folks out here who might have had the ability to take that deferment. Water under the bridge but a little late to make amends for guys who did not and yes, I do know you were not old enough to go there as my middle brother who is 3 years older, I do not think had to sign up for the draft.
I dunno how many years there were no draft #'s assigned, but I think my year was either the first or second such.
There are now a whole bunch of media outlets which have confirmed the fundamentals of the reporting in the Atlantic. I expect there will be more such. I'd expect the WSJ to do so in due course if that hasn't already happened.
Now, if these reported statements and views and decisions were quite contrary in tone and substance to Trump's public statements, then we'd have reason to question whether these 4 senior officials had just misheard or misunderstood him...but we really do know the way Trump speaks, the attitude he takes, the decisions he's made in his personal life, the decisions his family has made, etc.
This really is who Trump is.
How each of us process that realization is up to us.
Each of us brings our own perspective on how important this is to us.
Clearly, some think it's meaningless, or just another media hoax. In denial, IMO.
On the comparison, Biden has an enormously different public personae re military service and respect for such. I agree that his student deferments and ultimately the asthma disqualification (except in national emergency) is not a stark contrast (Biden looks a lot like Cheney in this respect), but I don't think we get the impression that a doctor was paid to falsely report a condition that did not exist at all. I don't think we'll see Biden directly go after the bone spurs thing, but he'll continue to speak to the military service of his son and to his own feelings for the sacrifices of families who send their loved ones into harm's way...he can empathize with those sacrifices, those emotions. Trump reportedly discouraged his kids from serving...