Editor,
The years from '67 to '73 were arguably the most critical years in the American late 20th century, with respect to the revolutions of social and political consciousness that were going on here while the government kept us distracted with the fear and glory of war in a small people's republic of nowhere. During those years, young Barack Obama was right in the middle of it all on the campuses and in the streets (like John McCain, playing the role his family situation had cast him in), and he was raised with an unusual awareness of both sides of several issues, including race and religion.ˇThat broad range and depth of experience gives him a certain social perspective the "singleness of vision" folks do not have.ˇˇ
Where was McCain during all that? He was locked in a closet in Hanoi, without even a newspaper to tell him about it.ˇThat's not his fault, but it's the truth. Even George W. Bush was closer toˇthat great popular upheaval than McCain.ˇAllˇMcCain knows about what was happening in America then is what he has been told at Congressional briefings and VFW meetings. His actual experience in those revolutionary timesˇis zero, however "heroic" his isolation might be proclaimed.
I'm ready to plotz watching the same people already pointing fingers at Obama's lack of combat service, who have just spent eight years insisting Dubya's lack ofˇcombat didn't matter and his expensive jet-jock duck was honorable service.ˇCuriously, those folks cheering for McCain rolling in hot and facing the guns (yes, having been there, I'll declare it counts, even if it wasˇnot above and beyondˇthe daily grist of the job), are the same ones who hooted and brayedˇthatˇJohn Kerry facing the guns in a high-powered bass-boat was not heroic but somehow a shameful posture, considering he came home a liberal and all.ˇˇˇ
Always trying to spin it somehowˇto play both sides of the same coin.
James Nathan Post
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