He read my mind.

"I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president," [retired General Wesley] Clark said on CBS.

I wonder.

Why is it that Kerry's two tours (four years) of active service in Vietnam is discounted and so easily dismissed as inconsequential by many, yet McCain's not even one year of service in the Vietnam theater before getting shot down (and then five years in a POW camp) is somehow seen as credible service, qualifying him for the Oval office?

I'm not dissing McCain's substantial suffering and patriotism and courage.

No, I'm not.

I'm just wondering why McCain's heroism counts more than Kerry's? Because he suffered more?

Yeah, and also because he didn't protest the war afterwards. After all, patriotism wasn't defined as including the right to dissent in the 70s... or the 00s...

Hmm.