What is a "hero?": Trump on McCain

[funkymonkey1111]

Surprised this hasn't gotten any play here. Trump is taking flack for comments about McCain not being a hero.

So, what is an American Hero? Anyone in the military? a P.O.W.? a P.O.W. without a distinguished military career? Someone who was tortured? a run-of-the-mill infantryman in Iraq? A recruiter gunned down by a jihadi?

Seems to me, "hero" is a tremendously overused word these days--sort of a salve applied by people just to say something.

I don't consider McCain any sort of hero, but that doesn't mean his military career is diminished in my mind (can't stand him politically). I thought Trump pushed it a little with the comment about preferring people that "weren't captured."

[TriggerHappy]

He definitely pushes the envelope with some of the shit that comes out of his mouth. But I don't necessarily disagree with him. He says what others won't, or so it seems. He could re-word a few things, but really its nice to here someone hurt a bunch of feelings in our country. Some of this country has become a bunch of whiney bitches.

I don't see McCain as a "hero". But I do respect him for serving. But ,really, has he done anything as a politician? Except shoot down his own hopes and dreams with running with Palin... She makes us Alaskans look like inbreds..

[asmo]

Surprised this hasn't gotten any play here. Trump is taking flack for comments about McCain not being a hero.
...
I thought Trump pushed it a little with the comment about preferring people that "weren't captured."

You need to stop believing everything the media tells you. The quote about McCain not being a hero is taken way out of context. IN FACT Trump said *4 times* that McCain is a hero. The media is lying to you.

https://sharylattkisson.com/fact-check-the-washington-post-on-donald-trump-and-john-mccain/

[jhirsh5280]

I find it ironic that everyone is up in arms over this comment from Trump towards McCain. On one hand everyone is angry because he disrespected a Veteran and on the other hand the government has turned its backs on Veterans at just about every corner. The one good thing that comes out of this conversation is that our Veterans are now at the forefront of the conversation instead of being brushed under the carpet.

[davsel]

Watch it for yourself
http://www.wsj.com/video/new-online-retailer-jet-takes-on-amazon/5AFCCA42-1209-4217-8622-F395CE4182A2.html
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/18/donald-trump-john-mccain-vietnam-iowa-republicans

There is plenty of info on McCain. Just Google it
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/mccain-and-the-pow-cover-up/

[Scanker19]

This was the first time seeing the clip, and it was very tongue-in-cheek, at least his tone was.

[cstone]

Look a squirrel!

[BPTactical]

I as well don't see McStain as a "Hero". A man who served his country, took a calculated gamble and lost. He was flying his mission and got targeted by a SAM. A man who in the face of adversity maintained his integrity and heart. A brave man yes, but not a hero.
A hero IMHO is a man who willingly puts aside his own safety to protect others.


Now he is just a progressive RINO.

[275RLTW]

There is a truth in Special Operations that you are only as good as your last mission. McCain WAS a hero yesterday. He is an ASS today. His last contribution was decades ago, not today.

[Zundfolge]

At what point does one do enough wrong that their earlier heroism is for naught?

Benedict Arnold did heroic things at Ticonderoga and Saratoga but was eventually a traitor. Not saying McCain is a traitor to the US (although I would call him a traitor to the Republican and conservative causes) but his actions that have gone against our Constitution are enough in my book to no longer consider him a patriot nor a hero.

[TEAMRICO]

The same Liberal scum that denounced him for bombing women and children during the Vietnam War and spit on vets returning home or threw thier medal away are now upset because someone may have disrespected McCain?
He is a smaller man using the fact he was shot down and captured as a shield.
He is a survivor. Now he is a Politition. What has he done for Vets as of late.
This is a sideshow to keep R's fighting.

[BPTactical]

^^^and this is why the GOP is crying and whining about Trump as well. He speaks his mind, tells it how he sees it and if you like it, fine if not too bad for you. He is not a status quo guy and neither side can fathom that.
That is also why he is kicking ass in the polls now.
He is a tangible threat to the GOP.

[BushMasterBoy]

Not sure a multi billionaire really represents my best interests as a citizen. All the candidates that have a chance of winning suck.

[DavieD55]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8_wmkc2_y4/U6b1OZDbohI/AAAAAAAATSU/5myej7qhhdY/s1600/McCain-ISIS.meme.stevepiper.net.jpg#mccain%20isis%20harbo ring%20600x450

[mackbamf]

He is going to ruffle some feathers but I appreciate the fact that he is addressing real issues and isn't pandering to the masses with political correctness. It's about time someone takes a stand, whether people like it or not, you know what he thinks. I'm not sure how all of this translates when it comes to running our country but I'm liking his approach. I think he speaks what most everybody knows, he just isn't afraid to say it.

[roberth]

At what point does one do enough wrong that their earlier heroism is for naught?

McCain is well past that point, he has shit all over his Vietnam heroism.

[TheGrey]

Professional politicians/lawyers/lobbyists have NEVER had citizen's interest in mind. No way.
Trump will piss people off with his non-PC way of speaking, but he's the only one that has consistently pointed out that the Emperor has no clothes.
Sure, he puts his foot in his mouth. Watching the way he's got both parties in a frenzy makes me think that he's got both Dems and Republicans panicked...and it's because he's not a puppet to either group. That's good.

[HoneyBadger]

I'm sorry... For how many years did Trump financially support the Clintons?

And Republicans are arguing about something taken out of context and leveraged by the media? [Dunno]

Congrats GOP. You're doing exactly what they want you to do:
http://now-here-this.timeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/funny-gif-cat-circus.gif

[Gman]

I'm not going to challenge McCain and others that had to pull together to survive in the Hanoi Hilton. The fact that they kept each other going to survive that hell hole is plenty heroic enough to me.

What McCain has done as a politician puts him in the RINO category and leaves him open to scrutiny by conservatives. How many times did he co-sponsor legislation with Teddy Kennedy?

Trump on the other hand is a publicity whore. He's also not electable on a national level.

The Republican establishment and their declaration of war on the Tea Party movement leaves me with the impression that both parties are out to screw us. One party is a reverse thread, the other is right threaded.

[buckshotbarlow]

There is a truth in Special Operations that you are only as good as your last mission. McCain WAS a hero yesterday. He is an ASS today. His last contribution was decades ago, not today.

ding ding ding marge...my kind of thunk'n

[Singlestack]

From the Atkinson article: "The Post did not provide context at the outset disclosing that McCain and Trump have been feuding, with McCain characterizing some Trump supporters as “crazies”".

McCain has a well-deserved reputation as a bomb thrower himself. A few years ago he characterized tea party members as "whacko birds".

[davsel]

http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=230401

Trump Is Still Right (McCain)
The latest media-generated "blowup" is from The Donald saying that McCain isn't a real war hero.

Well, he's not folks.

You don't become a war hero by being captured by the enemy. You might become one through what you did before or after that, but the act of being captured itself doesn't qualify because you don't choose that.

McCain is not a war hero because there was nothing particularly valorous about his service.

Moreover, and at least as important, what he did to his first wife was viperous, not valorous.

Carol McCain is a war hero. She stuck with her imprisoned husband without complaint through his entire time being held as a POW, raising their three children alone while he was in prison. She made a series of valorous choices. But then she was in a terrible car accident that left her permanently impaired and John McCain ditched her for a very wealthy and beautiful heiress who not only became his lover but financed his political campaigns.

War hero eh? I think not.

McCain is a snake who will screw anyone for his own personal and political aggrandizement.

The reason the political establishment on both sides is all over Trump for this latest comment is that mistreating those who you have taken a sacred oath to before God, one that certainly ought to be more important than your petty oath to defend and protect the Constitution (which is also routinely ignored), is treated as a sport in politics.

Trump is right -- again.

[cstone]

This issue is a Progressive distraction from the real issues facing our nation.

John McCain is not running for any office. What people think of him has no bearing on where this country is headed.

Iran agreements, energy production, taxation, illegal immigration, Islamic terrorists, etc... These are the issues that Progressives, with the willing assistance of those in the media, would like us NOT discussing.

I say again....Look squirrel!

[Aloha_Shooter]

Trump and McCain are both horses' patoots but for different reasons. I would rather discuss the fundamental lack of respect for the military in the White House given it took them until today and a lot of pressure from liberal Democrats for them to lower the flag to half-staff for 4 Marines and a sailor who were brutally murdered by a domestic jihadi LAST WEEK. This "feud" is a distraction from the ample evidence of Hillary Clinton's felonious behavior and Obama/Kerry undermining US national security across the board by giving aid and comfort to enemies of the U.S., foreign and domestic. Protest and rally all you want but how about we protest the right things?

[Skip]

This issue is a Progressive distraction from the real issues facing our nation.

John McCain is not running for any office. What people think of him has no bearing on where this country is headed.

Iran agreements, energy production, taxation, illegal immigration, Islamic terrorists, etc... These are the issues that Progressives, with the willing assistance of those in the media, would like us NOT discussing.

I say again....Look squirrel!

McCain is the Progressive. He's the one on MSNBC collaborating and crying.

Whatever respect I had left for him is now lost. He should have retired after 2008 and stopped betraying us to the enemy. Trump's approval rating after this only proves how much love is lost on RINOs.

[vossman]

The definition of "Hero" has changed a lot over the years. People that do their jobs are "Heros", I usually don't buy that.
As another poster said, McCain stuck to his guns while a POW for the 8+ years he was held. I have a ton of respect for him and his fellow POWs for their behavior but it was his job.
He's pretty much a politician douche now just like all the rest.

[roberth]

Trump is a clown, we're just watching the clown do his shtick.

[rock_castle]

Trump is a breath of fresh air in this campaign cycle. He says what he means and means what he says. I know of no other politician that does that. They all dance around issues and talk without saying anything.

I respect McCains military career, but he has been a terrible "Republican" Senator for a long time. The GOP needs to replace him with an actual conservative.