Why does the POW story of McCain offend Democrats so much?

Question

I was listening to a democrat on the radio this morning who said he was tired of them telling us how he was tortured, saw evil first hand, etc. It was offensive too him; and I'm just curious why does this real life experience bother Democrats so much?

Answer 1

think its time a similar swift boat group got the real goods on mccain and his war record.  check the carrier bomb incident and why is his record sealed to this day.......  that what im sick of.   dont really care if he was a pow in hanoi...so were others not alive today.  from vietnam,,,korea..iraq..h**l even ww2....

democrates are tired because the republicans use it as part of their vote america/pow/anti terrorist...

Answer 2

It doesn't offend or bother us. What offends us is its use. We appreciate what McCain did for this country. We are just tired of hearing about it. It is not relative to the issues at hand. And just because McCain was a POW doesn't make him a better leader, just as he fooled around on his first wife doesn't make him a better leader. I am sure he has had many life experiences that have better prepared him for the Job. Lets hear about those. What shocks me is that there was a democrat on the radio. I thought the republicans had commandeered all the radio stations:-)

Answer 3

I'm not sure it offends most Democrats. I believe most people, regardless of party, respect what he endured.

Many people twist his relaying of the experience (which he does quite often) as an insinuation that being a POW in itself makes him qualified for President, which it doesn't and which McCain doesn't attempt to do.

Answer 4

It doesn't offend us. It does, however, offend my intelligence that they think this experience qualifies him to be president.

The Republicans are continuing Bush's campaign tactics. Fear mongering and telling people that if they were patriot's they've vote for them. That's why they keep harping on McCain's POW status.

It's like they're saying, he suffered for his country and you OWE him your vote.

Answer 5

Because he's milking it and using it to deflect valid criticisms of his policy ideas.

Answer 6

This Democrat does not believe in medals of honour.

If he has teeth let him 'bite' on it to be sure and change for the better.

Reel life is different from real life. Plenty of it was offered in the two conventions.

.

Answer 7

I don't know...I used to be a Democrat and have always had respect for REAL men who can take adverse conditions...I have the utmost respect for McCain for that reason...he can take it...guess I wasn't a 'good or real' Democrat at all...

Answer 8

Because watching a man who is obviously still so badly traumatised by what he has been through and knowing that this is the man who could have the power of life and death over the entire world is not just offensive....

it is terrifying.

I don't denigrate McCain's war record. I am bloody sure I would not have stood up to torture for 15 seconds. I know I would have run like h**l if I had been offered the chance to get out - alone or in company. I am not good about pain.

But being able to admire a man for his courage in war is not the same thing as believing that man is fit to run the most powerful nation on earth. And the fact that his war experiences are still so real and present to him is not surprising. They would be  the seminal experiences of his life.

Why do you not see that is dangerous in a Commander In Chief??

Answer 9

I can't speak for "The Democrats", but for me it's like listening to a broken record. Good gawd, listening to him, you'd think he was the only POW who ever suffered. It's very disrespectful to the others.

Answer 10

It doesn't offend me. It does offend me that they try to build him up so high and forget about the others who we're tortured and  actually died.

Answer 11

One Dumbocrat = ALL Dumbocrats? Typical Repugnican thinking.

I'm a Dumbocrat AND Vietnam vet. My father was a Dumbocrat AND a WW2 vet. My mom's father was a Dumbocrat AND a WW1 vet. All of us were small-business owners. All of us grew up in humble circumstances...believe it or not, NONE of us owned more than one house !!! Yes, it's true !!! We never forgot our roots, never forgot "the little guy."

Being a POW must have been horrible beyond all contemplation. But does that qualify ANYONE to be President? If so, there are are hundreds of qualified candidates in Guantanamo. Bush put 'em there.

I respect McCain. I don't trust Mccain. Get the difference? He has voted AGAINST every bill that would have meant financial, intellectual or physical health for veterans because he thought those bills were "too generous." Then he waffled on water-boarding. Those 2 considerations alone keep me from voting for John. And Palin's screechy voice and ineffective administration of her own children's behavior were just too much.

Obama is essentially untried. But. for me, what he "brings to the table" is the hope and the ability to bring a change of mindset and a ray of hope to a dark 8 years in American history. We've had 8 years of walking bulls*it, why do we want 4 or 8 MORE years of it? Count me out.  

Answer 12

So because of one alleged Democrat that you heard on the radio this morning, you assume all Democrats think the same way?

Typical.

I'm a Democrat and I've researched McCain's POW experiences, it's very interesting. I think his POW experience is the only interesting thing about him, other than his involvement with the Keating Five, and his cheating on his wife with his then girlfriend (later wife) Cindy.

The other real life experience about McCain that's interesting is the fact that he's flipped on every issue he supported just to gain the Republican candidate nod.

Answer 13

It not the fact that he was a pow, thousands of Americans were POWs. What is offensive is the notions that, that experience somehow makes him more american than anyone else, and that anyone who disagrees with him is a communist, terrorist, or unpatriotic. That should offend us all. There is nothing in that experience that qualifies him to be president of anything, not even the PTA. and the fact that he and the republicans continue to use this  "Joe McCarthy" tactic should scare the h**l out of everyone.

Answer 14

its bothersome becuase its the only thing he ever brings up to get sympathy from people. there have been so many other POWs and that does not make you qualified to be president. its just ridiculous that he brings it up so much. plus when he ran for senate 30+ years ago he was using that to his advantage...THIRTY PLUS YEARS AGO......its ridiculous...thats like me saying i got damaged when a car fell on me when i was working at the factor 20 years ago so yall should let me become the president of the car company....stupid

Answer 15

It doesn't bother me. I am glad he came through it

but let's also consider the fact that right after returning and seeing a daughter he had never seen while a POW, he summarily abandoned her and his adopted sons to chase his current wife all over the western US.

Most recently the word is that he dumped wife #1  because she had been injured on xmas eve in auto accident and she was no longer attractive.

So the war hero became a adulterer- let's keep that in mind as well.

Besides is his POW experience the only thing which qualifies him to be Pres?

What has he done in the 30 years since?

(besides obtaining a marriage license prior to a divorce decree?)

That  is ALL the repubs want to talk about;

POW

POW

POW ad nauseum

(wonder if his oldest  daughther is invited to join him on stage tonight?)

Answer 16

They can't comprehend what kind of sacrifice a POW makes for our country, and the level of love and commitment a POW has for his country...That's why they keep asking "why?" and "how?"

The more money our military gets, the less money the welfare people get

Check your history...Democrats cut military spending and increase spending for welfare and other social programs...That's a FACT, and they are actually PROUD of it

They don't care if our COUNTRY is secure...They only want to make sure that THEY will have personal security, without having to work for it

Answer 17

Because I am tired of hearing about it. Yes, I feel for him and he stood up against the enemy. But the thing is...Republicans act like it is a qualification for president. Plus he cheapened it...he used it during that whole not knowing how many houses he has gaffe. I liked him better in 2000...h**l I would've switched from Democrat to Republican to vote for in 2000 but he's different...he's made too much make out time with Bush...he's got Bush's people running his campaign...the very same people who attacked him viciously in 2000...ugh...

Answer 18

Most democrats have never served in the armed forces and believe there isn't a war worth fighting.

Answer 19

It does not offend me. It's a great story and there is no doubt that McCain is a strong person. But that in and of itself does not qualify him to be president. When over half of the RNC is devoted to telling McCain war stories, the other half is devoted to talking trash about Obama, and almost none is devoted to talking about policies and issues, it's a red flag.

Answer 20

I served and I am offended at what McCain brings to the table.

I am not the only vet that opposes McCain, do some research.

Answer 21

I'm not offended.  I think it's like listing to the same song over and over and over and over again, you kind of start to get sick of it... Right?

Answer 22

I am not offended by it at all. I have the utmost respect for his service .That being said, this election is about more than his POW past.

Answer 23

I am not offended - I am just sick and tired of hearing about it> I respect the fact that he served , and what he went thru, but I do not think it qualifies him to be president. In fact , it may hinder his judgement. I think that the fact that he talks about it in nearly every speech , mean not only is he not over it ( im not expecting him to be) , but is obviously troubled and angry over it.

Im not sure that the guy I want with his finger on the button

Answer 24

If John McCain were serious about stopping torture, he would not have backed down after first condemning waterboarding.

McCain lost me when he stopped opposing Bush on torture. Completely lost me.

Answer 25

its not the pow experience we are trying to hit home...its the character that was gained from the experience.  here is a guy who was broken and beaten, laying in his own waste...and he never gave up...and even though liberals may have spat on him when he came back, he said 'your welcome' for the freedom to do that.  the story drives liberals crazy!  and you know you are doing something right when a liberal is hyper-ventilating and foaming at the mouth.

Answer 26

Because Obamas extent of national service is voting Present.

McCain For President

Answer 27

Because very few dem's ever served in the military and are embarrassed that they have no back bone, no balls, no guts, to actually make a real statement.  

Answer 28

It doesn't "offend" me...not even a little bit.  However, I do think it's dumb to think that he SHOULD be president because of it.

Answer 29

Because BO has done nothing, absolutely nothing. Trying to "swift boat" McCain.

Answer 30

because they wouldn't have the guts to fight for their country in the first place and can't even imagine being taken prisoner.

Answer 31

It's not offensive, until he uses it as an excuse why he needs 6 houses.  Also it has nothing to do with him being qualified to be President.  Stop milking it!  He needs to let other people compliment him on it and not toot his own horn.