Huh? They're both retired, as was Eisenhower when he ran for president, which was a much more overt intervention in politics.
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Replying to @MichaelMcGough3
Sure, but that was a post-war anomaly. There are clearly examples of this happening in history, but it's picked up lately.
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Replying to @mtracey
I dunno. Walker, LeMay, Stockdale, Wes Clark, Haig. As long as they're retired it doesn't bother me if they engage in politics.
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Replying to @MichaelMcGough3
There's a tradition of former generals themselves running, but this is generals intervening specifically to endorse.
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Replying to @mtracey
Again, they're retired. They don't take a lifetime vow of political celibacy.
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Replying to @MichaelMcGough3
There are unwritten rules being flouted; see widespread military pushback to Gen. Allen and Gen. Flynn
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Replying to @mtracey @MichaelMcGough3
If there was an unwritten rule you wouldn't have Washington, Grant, Eisenhower as POTUS or Wesley Clark running.
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Replying to @HeerJeet @MichaelMcGough3
Here are military officials asserting violations of an unwritten rule. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nearly-the-entire-national-security-establishment-has-rejected-trumpexcept-for-this-man/2016/08/15/d5072d96-5e4b-11e6-8e45-477372e89d78_story.html?sds …
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Main emphasis in story is on Flynn's "harsh, partisan rhetoric"' but I concede McChrystal seems to go further.
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Replying to @MichaelMcGough3 @mtracey
Right, but that's hardly new. I mean in early 1960s you had ex-General in John Birch Society (Walker, etc)
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Past examples also generated consternation. Much more "military intervention" this cycle than other recent ones.
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But they're not "military"; they're retired. Really important difference.
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Replying to @MichaelMcGough3 @HeerJeet
They are still military. Eisenhower's preferred honorific was "General" even post-presidency.
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