If you closely examine the photo that accompanies this column,
you'll see that I'm looking even more haggard than usual. It's because
I've spent too many sleepless nights trying to figure out how the
President can nail down his re-election.
Then I had this epiphany.
For an epiphany, it was pretty slow coming. The light began to dawn
a couple of weeks ago when I read about two geezers, one 67, the other
68, both psychiatrists, being recalled to military service.
One of them—the 67-year-old—is Charles Ham, and he had been in the
Army for 41 years when he was discharged. He knows about the Army.
Said he
was "amazed the Army tracked me down." Said "You'd think if they can
find me…they sure could find Osama bin Laden."
The other—the 68-year-old—is John Wicks, and after a week of
training he was to be shipped out to Iraq to serve "90 days to one
year."
To my surprise, I took the news calmly. Two years ago, calling up a
68-year-old would have seemed an outrage to me. But I hit 70 this year
and the idea no longer seems that outrageous.
The NY Times said such recalls were because we have "a shrinking
roll of full-time soldiers and no draft to replenish it" so more and
more
aging reservists and National Guardsmen are being recalled. And "about
5,570 of the 275,000 American troops in or about to leave for Iraq and
Afghanistan are 50 and older."
Does that surprise you? It surprised me. But it also goosed me into
thinking about the big problem the President has in this election.
You remember that he spent the Vietnam years stateside in the
Texas Air
National Guard, and that he may have been a little careless about
attending to his military duties. At least no one's been able to find
records of his presence in the Guard during the third quarter of 1972.
That takes on some electoral importance when voters remember that John
Kerry served in Vietnam for four months and came home with three Purple
Hearts, a Bronze Star, and a Silver Star.
Voters may notice that difference between the two candidates' pasts,
which is bad news for the President.
But wait—here's my epiphany, my plan for insuring that the
President gets re-elected:
He should recall himself for a three-month tour of duty in Iraq.
He could spend August, September, and October in Iraq and still get
back to the White House in time for the election in November.
Remember, he's only 58, a full decade younger than at least one
other recallee. If he can recall a 68-year-old, surely he can recall a
58-year-old.
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The Truth, Mainly
And here's what else:
By serving three more months, the President can make up for the
time of
service he seems to have missed out on in 1972. That would re-establish
his credibility just before election day.
And he could get medals in Iraq. He could get wounded often enough
that he could get four Purple Hearts in
three months, which would make Kerry's three Purple
Hearts in
four months look pretty paltry.
And surely he could win a Bronze Star and a Silver Star—or maybe
something even better like a Medal of Honor or a Presidential Citation
for
Pious Patriotism.
Well, you're probably saying by now, wouldn't it look pretty
self-serving to award yourself all those medals?
Of course it would, but my plan has that covered.
Here's how: the President would be gone from Washington for three
months. Now what happens when the President is indisposed for that
long?
That's right. The Vice-President takes over.
And we all remember what the Vice-President said when he was asked
about getting five deferments during the Vietnam draft. He said
this: "I had other priorities in the 60's than military service."
And his other priority now would be that as Vice-President, it is his
duty to fill in for the absent President by awarding medals to a
lieutenant
who's heroically—if belatedly—finishing his 32-year-old commitment to
the Texas Air National Guard.
Who would win the election then? A funny-looking guy from
Massachusetts whose medals are more than 30 years old? Or a
good-old-boy,
born-again Texan with brand new medals?
Is that a good plan or what?
Look out, Karl Rove. I'm after your job.
Retired English Professor Leon Satterfield writes to salvage clarity
from his confusion. His column appears on alternate Mondays. His e-mail
address is:
leonsatterfield@earthlink.net.
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