# Bob Dole (was non-obit post, now RIP) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 27, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624 "2020-11-27T23:36:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/21 "2020-11-28T03:38:14Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I only remember one individual who cheated his way out. Bill Clinton apparently toyed with joining the ROTC for a time, in order to avoid the draft, but it is believed by some that he strung the ROTC along to delay his drafting, and get a new draft classification. He also unsuccessfully attempted to join the National Guard and the Air Force. ([Wikipedia link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton#Vietnam_War_opposition_and_draft_controversy)) George W. Bush was able to get a position as a pilot with the Texas Air National Guard, and it was alleged that he was able to do so due to his father’s political influence, in spite of low aptitude scores and poor attendance. ([Wikipedia link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush#Military_career)) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/22 "2020-11-28T05:48:44Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > The guy supported Donald Trump. I don’t consider him to be “a man of warmth and integrity compared to today’s Republicans”, because he IS one of today’s Republicans. He’s an elder statesman of the Republican party. He has substantial credentials as a political icon, and he chose to put those credentials behind a total piece of shit. I don’t view him as a man of integrity. A man of integrity would have stepped up in this situation. My thoughts exactly. I could not care less what happens to Bob Fucking Dole. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/24 "2020-11-28T07:28:19Z")
I hold longtime establishment politicians who supported Trump to a MUCH higher standard than average everyday Americans who voted for Trump. The latter group often has limited perspective on political and social issues; are too preoccupied with the daily grind of work to read well-reasoned thinkpieces in the Atlantic and the Economist; they get their news in little bite-sized memes. Trump hit the right notes with their dissatisfaction with the perceived pussification of American culture; yeah some of them are motivated by racial bias or irrational fear of immigrants; whatever. I don’t think they’re irredeemable demons and in many cases they fill really critical roles in our society’s infrastructure. They drive the trucks that keep our food and our supplies moving. They climb the utility poles in vicious weather to keep the light and heat on when whole neighborhoods lose power. (I mean, they’re not ALL bastions of rugged American working class grit - plenty of them are lame ass suburban bureaucrats too. But I digress.) My point is - I can kinda, sorta, give many of these Trump voters a pass. I’m highly aggravated with what they COLLECTIVELY wrought on our country by voting the way they did, but on a one-to-one level, I can compartmentalize out their politics in many cases. Someone like Bob Dole is a very, very, VERY different story. This is a guy who has NO excuse. He doesn’t come home from work every day covered in grease and aching like hell, just wanting to put down some beers, go on Facebook where he will click the odd Breitbart link or share the same facile jingoistic memes before crashing for the next day of the grind. He’s, as I said, an elder statesman of the Republican party who was in the thick of Washington politics at the highest levels for decades. He is smart. Maybe he can’t fix a blown transformer in the middle of the night, but he understands how the American government _is supposed to work._ And along comes someone who is SO manifestly unsuited in _every conceivable way_ to have his little hands anywhere near the reins of power…someone who is a Tasmanian Devil of chaos and disorder, who has no moral compass, who has NO IDEA how to run ANYTHING competently - Dole does not have the excuse of “I feel like he speaks to me when the rest of the country has ignored my plight.” Come on! There’s no fucking excuse! That the genteel and parochial Dole who built his image on war heroism, would bend the knee to someone who is the very opposite of genteel and who is WAY too much of a pussy to go to war against anyone other than the crabs living in his crotch, is such an inversion of every conceivable concept of honor and dignity that a man like Dole would be expected to live up to, that it makes my head explode to think about it. GAHHH! I really went off on a rant there, but for fuck’s sake, I can’t put it any other way. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/25 "2020-11-28T08:49:00Z")
Bob Dole _seemed_ like a good man. But by supporting Trump, when he knew better, he demonstrated that in fact he was human garbage. Doubly so for re-election. Fuck his legacy. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/26 "2020-11-28T12:26:07Z")
Romney did not vote for Trump either time. Pretty sure Bush Sr. did not vote for him in 2016. Bush Jr. sounds like he did not vote for him both times as well. No way McCain voted for him in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/27 "2020-11-28T13:46:08Z")
I remember Bush, _fils_, giving very cryptic answers to a reporter regarding for whom he cast his vote in 2016, so much so that it was reasonable to assume he did not vote for Trump. Whether or not he voted for Clinton was a little harder to judge. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/28 "2020-11-28T14:12:08Z")
Or the country. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/29 "2020-11-28T16:23:54Z")
The way I see it, he probably thought he _was_ saving the party - from Ted Cruz. He made the Von Hindenburg mistake, believing that a feral dog could be ultimately tamed and used as an attack dog to defend the conservative party’s causes and interests. That dog ended up owning its masters, the same way it did in late Weimar Germany. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/30 "2020-11-28T17:18:11Z")
Good heart, weak mind. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/31 "2020-11-28T19:04:58Z")
Bob Dole is the absolute epitome of the party-over-country Republican. Wasn’t he the one who coined the phrase “My President - right or wrong” in reference to Nixon? As stated above, if he really cared about his party he would have done more to ensure it wasn’t taken over by the Trump wing, instead of just piling on the bandwagon. He endorsed Roger Marshall in the recent KS Senate race, after Marshall closely tied himself to Trump in the primary. So yeah, screw Bob Dole. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/32 "2020-11-28T19:16:51Z")
looks like no living ex president voted for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/33 "2020-11-28T19:27:55Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > He endorsed Roger Marshall in the recent KS Senate race, after Marshall closely tied himself to Trump in the primary. So yeah, screw Bob Dole. This. Kansans love Bob Dole. While Marshall defeated Barbara Bollier by 12 points and probably didn’t need Dole’s help, an endorsement by Dole for Bollier would have made a huge difference in the final outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/34 "2020-11-28T23:27:12Z")
Three of the four have political bones to pick with Trump. The only one who has no link to Trump is Carter. Who is the antithesis of Trump as a human being. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/35 "2020-12-18T14:39:17Z")
Remember back when Dole was running for president and both he and Clinton were kidnapped by Kang and Kodos? Why doesn’t stuff like that happen now? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/36 "2020-12-18T15:39:37Z")
> [@Princess\_Perfume](#): > > Quite a contrast to coward presidents from both sides who cheated their way out of going to war as boys. I’m going to be so happy when this isn’t an issue anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/37 "2020-12-18T15:48:59Z")
I lost a lot respect for Dole when he pushed the [inane amendment to ban burning the American flag](https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9606/14/dole.flag/index.shtml). This was large-scale virtue signalling before that was a thing. He knew it had no chance of success – it was purely a way to cast opponents as unpatriotic. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2020, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/38 "2020-12-18T16:39:48Z")
Yeah, the way that proposed amendment was played up you would’ve thought that flags were being burned on the scale of a California wildfire. Total stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/39 "2020-12-19T09:12:00Z")
Bob Dole turns 623. Video at nth o’clock. ---
**Author:** ![Princess\_Perfume](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/princess_perfume/32/16518_2.png) [@Princess\_Perfume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princess_Perfume)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/40 "2021-06-28T19:26:12Z")
Getting out of going to war is correct if you are a conchie. It is a completely DIFFERENT matter if you support the war but think someone ELSE should fight it for you ~ hello Robert Gordon Menzies (WWI) and George W. Bush (Vietnam). ---
**Author:** ![cytop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@cytop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cytop)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624/41 "2021-12-05T17:45:55Z")
The thread title needs updating … > **[Bob Dole: From WW2 casualty to top Republican](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45667690)** > > Long-serving senator, who recovered from terrible injuries to run for president, dies at 98 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-was-non-obit-post-now-rip/926624.md?page=3)