Obama Claims That He Thought About Joining Military
Mr Obama was asked by George Stephanopoulos of ABC’s “This Week” programme whether he’d ever thought about military service and replied: “You know, I actually did. I had to sign up for Selective Service [a means of conscription in case of war] when I graduated from high school.
“And I was growing up in Hawaii. And I have friends whose parents were in the military. There are a lot of Army, military bases there.
“And I actually always thought of the military as an ennobling and, you know, honourable option. But keep in mind that I graduated in 1979. The Vietnam War had come to an end. We weren’t engaged in an active military conflict at that point. And so, it’s not an option that I ever decided to pursue.”
All male American citizens are legally required to register for Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday.
I don’t believe it for a second. This is a man who has written two autobiographies and didn’t bother to mention thinking about joining the service. How seriously could he have thought about it?
UPDATE: FYI.
On March 25, 1975, Pres. Gerald Ford signed Proclamation 4360, Terminating Registration Procedures Under Military Selective Service Act, eliminating the registration requirement for all 18-25 year old male citizens. Then on July 2, 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed Proclamation 4771, Registration Under the Military Selective Service Act, retroactively re-establishing the Selective Service registration requirement for all 18-26 year old male citizens born on or after January 1, 1960.
So Obama could not have signed up for Selective Service when he graduated from High School in 1979, but he had to the year after that. Just so we’re clear on the facts.
I don’t know, I took the ASVAB to practice for the ACT and SAT. I got so many calls from military recruiters, I nearly signed up just to make the calls stop. Maybe he had the same thoughts.
Ha. My verification word is “served.”
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 07, 2008 at 2130 hrs
I expect the majority of kids give military service consideration at some point, so I have no reason to doubt Obama. Heck, back in the 80s I was one of the kids in College Station who listened to the Smiths and played soccer instead of football, and even I visited the recruiting station at Post Oak Mall. My father and grandfather had served, so why not?
The calls came for months afterward.
But it’s something I haven’t thought of once in the past 20 years, so I’m not surprised that Obama didn’t mention it in his books.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 07, 2008 at 2142 hrs
HA! Ha ha HA! Osama…er Obama isn’t man enough to even endure boot camp, much less full service to the country he loves to hate and damns in professed “worship” services.
Posted by Jeni on September 07, 2008 at 2159 hrs
How long were you in Jeni-O? I don’t imagine that you spent much time thinking about it either.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 07, 2008 at 2341 hrs
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
No wonder this guy likes Kennedy so much - he lies just as much as they do! What a steaming load this is, and the stupid MSM is just so happy to shovel it for him…
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 07, 2008 at 2342 hrs
For liberals thinking about doing something and actually doing it are one in the same. I mean, his intentions were good and that is all that matters for them. I don’t believe this for a nano second though. He hates America far too much to actually fight for it. He just wants to “change” it.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 0422 hrs
In a word….“No”.
Posted by Steve on September 08, 2008 at 0455 hrs
I saw this yesterday and just laughed. heh
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 0759 hrs
What jumped out at me was that his first thought was about Army bases. I think most Americans would associate the Navy with Hawaii.
I’m not saying he’s wrong or right; there are indeed Army bases, but I just find it odd to think Amry bases and not Navy bases.
But this from a man who had a Soviet uncle who liberated Auschwitz…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 0813 hrs
I’m sure he did think about it. Doesn’t everyone?
Did he give it serious consideration? I doubt it. Did he talk to a recruiter? Did he take the ASVAB? What made him decide that military service was not for him?
Will anyone ask him these questions? I doubt it…Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 0845 hrs
To answer your leadoff question….no, not for a second.
Posted by The Asian Badger on September 08, 2008 at 1012 hrs
I’m glad you ran the update. I graduated HS in ‘80 and I was 99% certain my class was the first one that had to register under the new program. Funny thinking back on it, but it was actually fairly controversial at the time.
For Obama, it makes for a good story, I guess, but not accurate.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 1121 hrs
Publius, I want to reassure that there are definitely Army bases in Hawaii. I have known many fellow veterans that were stationed in Hawaii.
Big question for all:
How many of you complaining on this site about Obama are actual veterans?I joined the Army in 1983 and by the way your complaints are sounding, I doubt that any of you even thought about it. Real veterans don’t complain and whine, that is not what they are about.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 1138 hrs
I once thought about marrying Valerie Bertinelli.
I’d say the odds of Obama joining the military is about the same of mine marrying Valerie.
BTW: Owen, I give you permission to give all my contact information to Valerie when she asks for it after reading this.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 1206 hrs
Moveforward….
I enlisted in 1995 about a week out of high school.
Real veterans don’t complain and whine, that is not what they are about.
Are “real veterans” all about calling people complainers and whiners or just trying to shift the topic?
Just wondering.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 1246 hrs
Are “real veterans” all about calling people complainers and whiners or just trying to shift the topic?
Under what kind of reasoning are you saying that I said that veterans are whiners?
Are you somewhat dyslexic because my quote was exactly the opposite?
I am glad that at least one other than me responding to this thread is a veteran, I haven’t seen any other takers.I have no reason to doubt that Obama considered the military. As you stated most of us did at least consider it. What is it about Obama that makes you state that you doubt that he considered it?
Would you be of those willing to defend the deferments of Bush, Cheney and Rove that kept them from any meaningful service?
I am the son of a retired CSM and veteran myself, I know that some added respect came from my fathers service.
I could imagine the extra treatment and respect that I would have had if my father was an Admiral.Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 1314 hrs
I don’t see a big outrage here.
You either served or you didn’t.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 1342 hrs
I don’t see a big outrage here.
You either served or you didn’t.xxpilot, that is also a good point.
The debate here was begun by questioning whether Obama thought about it or he didn’t. I was responding to cracks against him on what he thought about nearly 30 years ago.It really doesn’t matter but it makes a nice distraction from the real issues we should be concerned with.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 1435 hrs
Talk about a nothing topic. It was a softball question for sure. We all thought about it, whether you did it or not. Even more so if you had veterans in the family or had friends who enlisted.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 1635 hrs
MoveForward,
I learned to deal with my dyslexia many years ago, but thank you for asking.
I don’t think that is relevant here. Let’s break it down.
Under what kind of reasoning are you saying that I said that veterans are whiners?
That is not at all what I said.
Here is your quote.
Real veterans don’t complain and whine, that is not what they are about.
In this statement you are drawing a disparaging contrast between “real” veterans and veterans who are not “real”. It is obvious from your statement veterans who are not “real” are so because they complain and whine or at least that is how you view these statements you disagree with.
This leads to my question about “real” veterans such as yourself.
Are “real veterans” all about calling people complainers and whiners or just trying to shift the topic?
By stating that “real veterans” don’t complain and whine you are saying that the people commenting here are complainers and whiners and not “real veterans”. I’m not sure how that is the exact opposite, but my questions to you is are “real veterans” such as yourself all about calling out the complainers and whiners or are you just trying to shift the topic away from Senator Obama’s comments?
I have no reason to doubt that Obama considered the military. As you stated most of us did at least consider it. What is it about Obama that makes you state that you doubt that he considered it?
Maybe you should take a closer look. I said that I doubt he gave it serious consideration. I can repeat my questions about his ASVAB score and his recruiter, but I’m not sure you would pay much attention. By the way my recruiter was MSgt Russel Johnson. I doubt I will ever forget that. Would you agree that there is a big difference between those who consider the military and those who give it serious consideration?
Would you be of those willing to defend the deferments of Bush, Cheney and Rove that kept them from any meaningful service?
I know that President Bush was in the Air Force National Guard, but outside of that I don’t know the details of which you speak. I don’t know what I am supposed to defend. If I could be allowed a follow up question, would former President Clinton be part of that group as well?
I could imagine the extra treatment and respect that I would have had if my father was an Admiral.
This one really has me confused. Is this somehow an attempt to cheapen the service of Senator McCain.
That must be my Dyslexia coming through again.Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 1801 hrs
The debate here was begun by questioning whether Obama thought about it or he didn’t.
Right, and thats what I’m saying…
“thinking” about something doesn’t garner (in my mind) any more kudos than not thinking about something.
Do I get a pat on the back if I donated 10,000 to charity last year and half a pat on the back if I just “thought” about donating it?
I’ll be honest… I think a significant portion of the people who went in the service in the 80’s and 90’s DON’T do it for noble “I want to serve my country” reasons. They go in for the free college or they go in cause they have nothing else to do. This is not to say they didn’t serve their country. Certainly they did, and certainly I think people who did serve (in peacetime) gained an experience that cannot be understated.
When I graduated from H.S. (1992) anyone going in the service probably thought they’d never see combat. I give mega props to people who enlisted after 9-11 when they knew combat was where they’d be headed. THAT’s courage. THAT’s doing it for your country. So I don’t even know that making the choice to serve during that time is in and of itself indicative of any major shining selfless demonstration of character. Again, many people signed up so they could get school paid for.
As for Obama’s answer… eh… Its about the amount of spin I’d expect from any politician. What was the alternative answer?
George Steph: Senator, did you ever consider joining the military?
Obama: Are you kidding? I was headed to the Ivy League George? The military was for people who didn’t already have a Harvard scholarship waiting.
People who have served (I believe) have valuable life experiences because of their service that likely are not replicated in the civilian world.
As a matter of politics… The difference between “really” thinking about it or just saying you thought about it is nil.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 08, 2008 at 2209 hrs
xxp:
It may not have been your intention, but I am personally offended by your comments about what you think my intentions were for joining the military and serving from 1985 to 1992. I knew that when I was stationed in Germany ( a foregone conclusion since I was a linguist in an Easter European language) that I would be on the tip of the spear facing the Soviets. Those of us who were there, knew that if the Sovs decided to do anything, that we were really nothing more than a speed bump until reinforcements arrived from stateside. ANYONE who joins the service at anytime knows that there is a chance they will have to put their life on the line. Were there incentives to do so? Most assuredly, yes. Enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses, Montgomery GI Bill benefits, Army College Fund benefits to name a few, but to say that that was THE reason that someone enlisted, or eve worse, to say they did because ‘they had nothing else to do’ cheapens the service of all who served during the Cold War. Oh, btw, in case you forgot, we had just had incursions into Grenada, Panama, Beirut was fresh in our minds…..we knew there was a risk to our lives and served regardless….. I guess we felt that protecting your right to say such hurtful things freely was worth the chance that we would get called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 09, 2008 at 0127 hrs
It may not have been your intention, but I am personally offended by your comments about what you think my intentions
sigh… here we go.
First elovrich. Would you please indicate where in my post did I say what YOUR intentions were?
I would never pretend to know what any specific persons intentions were.
I’m going to bite my tongue and try REALLY hard to word my response carefully here because there are very few things on this planet that irritate me more than people who will twist and wiggle their way behind a statement not directed at them in order to be ‘offended’. It reminds me of people driving down the road when someone puts on their signal, to make a lane change, and the car in the lane they are going into SPEEDS UP to close what was a big enough gap and THEN lays on the horn and throws up their hand because someone cut them off.
Every time I see this I think WTF? Why do people go OUT OF THEIR WAY in order to have reason to lay on their horn and get bent out of shape? Man… I’ll be honest, I think thats what you did here.
If you re-read what I wrote without the propensity to be offended so heavily riding on your shoulders, I think you’ll see that there was plenty of room to not be offended by what I wrote. I only said “I think a portion” (that means not all) I didn’t say most, I didn’t even say half. I just said a significant portion. That gave you therefore, a chance to easily place yourself outside of the group that I think enlisted to pay for college as their primary reason. (not that I think there is anything wrong with that either)
In fact, if you know that YOUR primary reason for enlisting was not ‘the money for college’ then I’m even more perplexed why you’d read my statement and with both those alternatives portrayed did you choose to place yourself in the group that I think enlisted primarily to pay for college?
As for my thinking that a portion did enlist mainly to pay for college I can tell you that I know for a fact that in my high school, the 3 close friends of mine who went in the service all did it for the same main reason… Money for college. I know this because they told me. I know that there is a guy and his son that work out at my gym, and his son enlisted over the summer in the army and shipped off to boot camp about a month ago at Ft. Knox I believe, and his father told me that he was doing it to pay for his college loans.
I know what the recruiter whom my friends brought over to my house focused on when he talked with me (money for college)
So I know I’m factually correct that a portion of the people who enlist do it for ‘the money for college’ and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Do they serve for other reasons too? Sure?
Ask yourself if the military didn’t offer your college tuition paid for, would there be people who would have never enlisted? I think you and I both know thats true.
I’m sorry you were offended. I really am. But I’m not about to apologize to you when it was clearly your choice to place yourself in the group ‘to be offended’.
but to say that that was THE reason that someone enlisted, or eve worse, to say they did because ‘they had nothing else to do’ cheapens the service of all who served during the Cold War.
No it doesn’t.
I think paying for college is a very fine reason to enlist in the military. And I think military service teaches things to people that they wouldn’t learn otherwise (something I also wrote above)
I think there are many reasons people serve and for each person the ‘main’ reason might be different. I also think that while there is always a ‘chance’ of seeing combat, and lives are always at risk (hell, I think there are even a few casualties just in training every year) but the chance of seeing combat was way way way less in the 80’s and 90’s than it is right now. I think people enlisting are aware of this.
I guess we felt that protecting your right to say such hurtful things freely was worth the chance that we would get called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Such hurtful things??? really???
Is honesty hurtful?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 09, 2008 at 1200 hrs
xxp;
Perhaps I was over-sensitive, and as soon as I re read my comment, I knew that the ‘why do people get offended’ crowd would latch onto my rant. As I said, I did not think it was your intent, but I DO reserve the right to be offended.
You said “significant portion”, then in your response quote yourself as saying ‘a portion’. You then go on to give a sampling of 3 people you are familiar with, hearsay evidence from the father of a service member, and you own experience with a recruiter (it would be interesting to know which branch, as they DO attract different sorts of individuals). That is a total of 5 incidents, hardly a ‘significant portion’. Yet, you paint with a mighty wide brush and want to ascribe reasons to ‘a significant portion’ of those that served.
You go on to say tht at certain times, there is a perceived lower chance of going into armed conflict, I will agree with that, but would hazard to guess that in 1992 the chance of going to war was a bit greater than you want to admit. After all, we had just completed the first Gulf War and we were still heavily involved in ‘no-fly’ and security operation in the gulf area. In the years shortly following we were involved in Kosovo. As stated in my post, there were several LIC operations throughout the 80’s. In fact,I cannot think of a decade in the latter half of the last century, and extending into this, that we have NOT had a conflict where we have put service members in harms way. Is money for college, either in future funds (GI Bill, ACF) or loan forgiveness an incentive used to attract well qualified recruits? Yes, it is. But the perceived tone of your post was that it over-rode the desire to serve the country. If that is a false impression, then I apologize, but would like to hear what others, especially my fellow vets, take on how they perceived it was.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 09, 2008 at 1321 hrs
Yet, you paint with a mighty wide brush and want to ascribe reasons to ‘a significant portion’ of those that served.
I remember television commercials for the military that were soley about the GI Bill and money for college. Clearly even the military knew what the “hook” to get people to sign up was.
But the perceived tone of your post was that it over-rode the desire to serve the country.
You don’t think there are a LOT of people who did sign up who, without the money for college incentive (which I see no problem with) wouldn’t have signed up?
I’d wager to say that MOST people want to serve their country. Sounds like a great idea to most everyone! Not bad enough to enlist though.
You then go on to give a sampling of 3 people you are familiar with, hearsay evidence from the father of a service member, and you own experience with a recruiter (it would be interesting to know which branch, as they DO attract different sorts of individuals). That is a total of 5 incidents, hardly a ‘significant portion’
2 of my friends went in the marines, one in the Navy. My 2 friends in the Marines came home on leave and tried to get me to sign up and they brought a recruiter to my house.
And yes, thats a total of 5 anecdotes but the attitudes and motivations of those 5 people are surely representative of the motivations of others. Or was it just coincidence that I talked to the only 5 people in the country who’s main reason for signing up was the money for college.Again, thats besides the point. My original comment was “you either served or you didn’t”
Why people served… wether for the money or for the family tradition, desire to serve there country, didn’t get into college and needed something worthwhile to do… It doesn’t matter. “They served”
Is serving for any one reason more nobler than another… Who’s to say.
I don’t think as a matter of character, the decision to serve, to not serve “how hard” you thought about serving makes a bit of difference.
I think that serving in the military DOES mean that you have greater life experiences than a civilian. (note, that doesn’t make you any better of a person than your fellow man) (lord knows that between the cops and firefighters and first responders there is already too much competition for the “I’m special because of my career” label.)
Do I think military service makes someone more qualified to be president… YES!!!!!!!!!!
Back to my original comment in #17 for the obama situation “you either served or you didn’t”
How much he thought about it… Whether he “really” thought about it.. pffft… who gives a shit. He didn’t serve.
I didn’t serve.
My friends did. Does it matter why they served? I don’t think so. Maybe they went in for the money and left knowing that the best thing they came out of the military with had nothing to do with the money. We don’t give out medals for intentions. We give them out for actions. Again… YOU SERVED or you DIDN’T
Peoples intentions are known only to them. Peoples actions are known to everyone.
If you’ve been “personally offended” by what I wrote in this thread I can only say “really” “thats all it took” some dude on a keyboard to make a couple comments and you’re personally offended?
Man… disagree with me… Tell me you think I’m wrong… but “personally offended”??? Buck up man…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 09, 2008 at 1455 hrs
I remember television commercials for the military that were soley about the GI Bill and money for college
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDDZp0Yncm0
College Benefits: It pays to join the National Guardhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdwT7JSXth4
Air Force ReservesPosted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 09, 2008 at 1829 hrs
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