Barak Obama: Chicken Hawk?

One of the barbed arrows repeatedly shot at President Bush was that he was a “Chicken Hawk.”  He escaped service in Vietnam, and as President sent Americans into battle.  Well, President Obama is sending a lot more Americans to fight in Afghanistan, but he never served in the military.  Does that make him a Chicken Hawk?

Of course Obama, unlike Presidents Bush and Clinton, didn’t have to evade military service, let alone service in Vietnam.  But that was Barack’s good luck and nothing more.  Obama didn’t serve in the military in any capacity.  Bush did serve in the National Guard.  Clinton weaseled out. 

In fact, President Obama has nothing to apologize for.  Presidents have to make military decisions based on their appraisal of the national interest.  It doesn’t matter what they did when they were younger men.  I think Obama’s decision was obviously the correct one, and it is what President McCain would have done.  McCain’s military service and heroism were worth mentioning in the campaign just as John Kerry’s service was, but such things would have done nothing to justify any decisions either might have made as Commander in Chief.  Likewise with President Obama. 

The chicken hawk argument was a piece of dishonest political rhetoric.  Or to be more precise, anyone who made it against Bush and does not make it now against Obama is speaking out of both sides of his mouth.  That bears mentioning now. 

Comments

['tchard]

Is it the same though? Evasion shows that you are unwilling to put your life in danger for your country, and yet Bush was not afraid to put other's lives in danger. Obama might still have been perfectly willing to put his life on the line for his country had he been called, but since he wasn't, we'll never know. So there is no justification for calling him a chicken hawk.

[A.I.]

Can you imagine Barack Obama donning a flight suit, flying to an air craft carrier being kept at sea as a political prop and declaring a military victory as Bush did regarding Iraq. I can't because I believe Obama is sensitive to the line between honoring military service and glorifying war. That's an important line differentiating "hawks" like Bush from reluctant warriors like Obama.

I won't speculate on whether Bush was a dupe of the "Project for a New American Century" crowd or a willing participant. It is obvious that when it came to mid-east policy, he/they chose military action over other options in Iraq--again indicating Bush was a hawk.

As to being a chicken, that is a subjective call. I will note there is evidence Bush went to some lengths to avoid active duty during Vietnam and many of the most militaristic PNACers, Cheney and Bill Kristol, for example, avoided all forms of military service. That doesn't make them chickens, but it doesn't indicate bravery either.

But, to your point that one can't call Bush a chicken hawk without applying the same term to Obama, I disagree. Since one can not know either man's motivations regarding military service, one can arbitrarily call both chickens or not. Only Bush, however, can be termed a hawk.

[redwing]

The above comments no doubt come from Bush hating liberal douche bags

[Mac]

We are in agreement on this one Ken. After all, the President's first priority is this great nation's security and the Commander-in-Chief has certainly rised to the challenge as far as Afghanistan and Pakistan are concerned since what goes on there is a huge threat to our national security.

[Gene K]

I know a chicken hawk when I see one. President Obama doesn't pass my test (direct action to avoid the draft) nor does former President George W. Bush. Dick "I've got more important things to do" Cheney had multiple draft deferments and is definately a Chicken Hawk. Former President Clinton doesn't qualify as a chicken hawk since he was never a hawk just a ...
Now Rush Limbaugh also avoided serving when the draft called with a cyst where the Lord split him. I think that cyst is still giving him problems.

[KB]

Gene:

Limbaugh can't order troops into battle.

A.I.:

Can you imagine Bush bowing to the Saudi Monarch? I don't know what your definition of a Hawk is, but President Obama quickly abandoned his promised time table for removing troops from Iraq and is increasing them in Afghanistan. What do the Doves in his party think about that?

I don't claim that Obama is a chicken. I just think that his military service or lack thereof is a matter for the voters to decide about before the election. Afterward, he is President and has to make policy decisions based on national interests, not his own personal history. Those who went after Bush about his military service had no such scruples about Clinton.

Redwing:

The comments you mention come from a good friend and frequent commenter. Let's try to keep it civil.

[john walsh=LONG ISLAND]

HERE IS A WINDBAG, ALONG WITH JOE (THE COURT JESTER) BIDEN WHO HAVE JUST THREATENED ISRAEL NOT TO ENGAGE WITH IRAN AT ANY COST...WE HAVE SO FEW ALLIES IN THAT AREA, THIS IS SECURITY SUICIDE COMING FROM THE ODD COUPLE. THEY HAVE JUST CUT BACK FUNDS FOR OUR MILITARY AND MAYBE HARRY REID WAS A LITTLE PRE-MATURE WHEN HE SAID WE LOST THE WAR IN IRAQ. WHY ARE THOSE TWO IN THE WHITE HOUSE, TRYING TO TIE THE HANDS OF THE ISRAEL MILITARY. HERE IS ANOTHER NUTTY ONE....JOE BIDEN HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO MONITOR THE BAIL-OUT OF THE BANKS...WOULD YOU TRUST HIM WITH YOUR KIDS PIGGY BANK? BY NOW YOU SHOULD REALIZE THAT WE ARE ALL HEADED TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET................THANKS TO THIS CHICKEN-HAWK IN WASHINGTON.............