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30 Jun 2008 03:39 pm

Dissent Of The Day

One of many:

Clark's comments were not swiftboating. I found his comments offensive until I watched the video you posted and saw them in context. Once viewed in context, they are not only not offensive, they're absolutely correct. Clark and the host were arguing about who had better foreign policy credentials, and the host said in response to Clark that McCain was a fighter pilot who got shot down, and Clark merely replied that getting shot down doesn't qualify you to be president. He was simply responding to what the host said, and Clark's statement is 100% true. 

Strictly speaking, it is irrelevant for the presidency if someone was shot down and tortured. It doesn't make anyone a better potential president. But there are plenty of ways to put this and to frame this without descending to a default position that seems to devalue McCain's service. Clark is a dreadful politician and his off-the-cuff response, while technically true, is terrible politics and about the last debate Democrats need or should want to have. It has dominated a news cycle in ways that help McCain not Obama and drowned out Obama's patriotism speech. The only silver lining is that the small chance that Clark might be an Obama veep is now zero.

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