I understand that expecting consistency from a crowd so animated by irrational hatred is foolish. And I also know this point has been made many times. But walking around NYC, I’ve seen several protestors with signs or buttons etc. mocking Bush as a “deserter” etc and cheering Kerry as a “war hero.” One sign said “Bush: Coke-head draft-dodger. Kerry: Decorated War Hero. You decide.”

Now, I understand why conservative Democrats, independents et al. might value Kerry’s record and all that. But the disingenuousness of this crowd prizing service in Vietnam is astounding. Never mind the fact that they – i.e. the serious anti-war leftist crowd – admired, even adored, Bill Clinton because he evaded the draft (And, needless to say, this crowd doesn’t exactly condemn recreational drug use – the unsubstantiated basis of the allegation notwithstanding). And forget the fact that if they like war heros so much more than “draft dodgers” they should have supported the first President Bush over Bill Clinton in 1992. But the entire antiwar crowd’s playbook is based upon their view of Vietnam as an evil and corrupt war. How can Kerry’s decorated service in that war – and not his protests of it – be central to any honest leftwinger’s support for Kerry?

Ultimately, the “draft-dodger” stuff is just an insult. But it’s not even an insult these aging hippies would find insulting if directed at them, which just underscores how shabby it is.