The first serious candidate personally unaffected by the military or the draft?

[JohnnyLib2]

We seem to be at that point, IMO. Only Obama is within the age group where that is possible. (HRC was affected by life in the 60s as well as by her husband's draft issues.)

I've pondered my vague sense of generational difference with Sen. Obama, who is certainly a highly appealing candidate. And, a large part of the
my hesitation comes from the very hard lessons learned by being faced with the draft, with a military commitment, with the godawful divisions over Viet Nam, with my respect for the military and for veterans, etc.

In November, I will again vote for the Democratic nominee. If it is Sen. Obama, I will take what I see as the risk that his intellect (and hopefully
senior advisers) will make up for this difference.

[NewHampshireDem]

1. You know

I've seen a lot of posts dismissing young voters as too inexperienced, but this one really takes the cake. To insult anyone under 45 years old ... well, all I can say to that is 'Excelsior!' You really have outdone yourself.

I mean, it really is too bad that those of us who grew up in the late 70's and 80's really didn't have any hardships to endure. I recall those as easy, carefree days, when the world was at peace. There was never any division, never any crisis, never any fear. Yup.

I guess you've convinced me. I, too, long for the peace and prosperity of the Regan era. :eyes:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

2. And that 10 years I spent in the military must be something I dreamt.

Yup, I'm just another Gen Xer who was totally unaffected by the military. :eyes:

Those kids serving in Iraq now, mostly due to an 'economic draft' created by a lack of education and job opportunities, aren't really there either.

[JohnnyLib2]

7. LOL,, I thought my active duty might be an illusion, too.

But neither of us will be President.....

[JohnnyLib2]

6. Guess I asked for trivialization.

Like several downthread pointed out, almost all the votes I cast now are for younger people than I. No problem. On the other hand, there will be only one president and commander in chief, having to deal with the Iraq situation as it is.

In terms of the GE, assuming Obama is our nominee, who would make a good VP?

[EFerrari]

8. I don't think you invited trivialization at all.

(Maybe we're just punchy around here. You think?)

I'm trying to figure out what the general public thought of military service before the WWs. There was a period between the Civil War and WWI (I'm not going to count the Mexican "War") where a lot of kids didn't expect to serve. Is that right?

After the WWs, did that expectation change? Did serving become a right of passage for American men?

[JohnnyLib2]

9. Guess we need the historians. I think that's generally right,

though. The population was much smaller, more rural, and the struggle for livelihood was critical. Or so my memory of history and ROTC classes goes.

I do recall many articles about Clinton being the first post-WWII president and the implications of that. That issue faded, more or less, so maybe I'm off the mark about Obama. Much depends on the youth vote, though.

[EFerrari]

10. I don't think you're off the mark insofar as BushCo has tried to

re-militarize this country with all their bullshit about the War on Terra. Bill Clnton gave us a break from that and a way to imagine ourselves in a different way for a minute.

Imho, there is a struggle going on between the interests who want to keep pushing arms on the rest of the world and breaking our piggy bank for the Pentagon (and in a way which makes their cronies' money and doesn't really think about our national defense) and the younger voters who have seen what a disaster Iraq is and who don't want to be sucked back in.

Our real challenge as Democrats is that the youth vote is targeted by the GOP, just like the black vote is and like the military vote is, every damn election. We have to get off of our fannies and protect those votes because they are key. That's why they are always attacked.

[EFerrari]

3. His lack of interaction with the military is a plus for people like me

who object to the militarization of our culture -- including the part where our sons are shipped home like cargo.

I'm a little under ten years older than he is. This is the first time I'll be voting for a candidate who is younger than I am for president. The generational question has been interesting to me, too.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

4. I'm freaked that he's only 6 years older than I am.

There are rising members of Congress who are younger than me! The nerve of them! ;)

[EFerrari]

5. Lol! I still haven't forgiven my sons for becoming teenagers

and that was fifteen ago.

:crazy:

[BlooInBloo]

11. I don't think I'd call "knowing someone affected by it" the same as "affected by it".

[anonymous171]

12. That's part of his appeal actually.

Boomers and the like have had their shot at government with mixed results. Nothing against Boomers though.

[JohnnyLib2]

13. Definitely part of his appeal and his commonality with the experience of many.

I suspect I'm not the only "elder" (and father & grandfather) who has hopes for a different, less militaristic future. And, not the only one who feels the lessons of the past are important.