A View From Middle England - Conservative with a slight libertarian touch - For Christian charity and traditional belief - Free Enterprise NOT Covert Corporatism

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Rick Perry sneers at Obama's lack of military experience

12:57 pm  Arden Forester  1 comment

Praying for victory Rick Perry style
Rick Perry is a Texan to the core. Fifth generation. With that sort of heritage he is probably related to Stephen F Austin, the Father of Texas. But Austin was a Texan of a different sort. Secretary of State for the Republic of Texas, albeit for a short time, he died uttering these words, "The independence of Texas is recognized! Don't you see it in the papers?..." Had the republic succeeded, today Rick Perry's ambitions in Washington could be as Ambassador for Texas. But that's all history and conjecture.

Mr Perry is up and running for president - of the United States. And he is coming out hard with the rhetoric of a rattle snake. So Rick Perry served in the USAAF as a pilot and got to be a captain. All very good, but does that make him better than the current president. Hardly. It's a cheap shot to suggest that those with no experience of serving in the military are inadequately placed to serve as president. It's a bit below the belt to suggest such a thing. It also suggests a "touch of the white feather". He says, alluding to Obama, "Experience matters. Having walked in a person’s shoes, having done what these men and women in the military are doing matters to them,” Perry said. “I don’t want somebody sitting in the front-left seat of the airliner who just got their pilots license."

People say nasty things. Harry Truman was muttered about because he was "a haberdasher's son". Elliot Richardson was considered "far too patrician to be president". Ronald Reagan was described as being a "B-movie actor" in such a way as to make him out to be inferior. Rick Perry can join the sniders and snigglers if he wants to. With an evangelical zeal! But if he wants to be president let the people of America choose him on his merits and not on his ability to score cheap points.

An independent Texas is still remembered in London through photos and cuisine.

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1 comments:

I will make a minor historical note for my British friends. USAAF is an acronym that stood for the United States Army Air Force. It was the air arm of our army which helped your country defeat Hitler and the Nazis in World War 2. The USAAF was a part of the United States Army. In 1947 the USAAF became the quite independent from the Army United States Air Force (or USAF). I have a number of friends who have served in the USAF -- including one who retired at the rank of Major General.

I'd still rather prefer Ron Paul be the Republican nominee.

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