Burke: Judging the candidates by the measures of a Marine

By Tom Burke / Herald Columnist

The old-time U.S. Marine Corps was a tough, rough-and-ready bunch. From it’s inception fighting from the foretops of frigates in the Revolution; to its re-birth in the Quasi-War with France, the War of 1812, and the First Barbary War; through it’s assault on Chapultepec in the Mexican-American War, it’s actions in the Spanish-American War, the pre-and-post WW I Banana Wars in Central and South America, and it’s taking of Belleau Woods in 1918, Marines of old were not particularly noted for being intellectuals, academics or scholars.

But they were, even back then. And not just about how to take a beachhead or clear a trench. And while a battle cry of, “Retreat, hell! We just got here,” might epitomize its fighting spirit, Gunnery Sgt. Dan Daly’s exhortation of “Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?” could be the subject of a dissertation on the existential conundrum between an individual’s commitment to country and comrades versus the primal drive to stay alive.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am a regular reader of the U.S. Naval Institute’s publication “Proceedings,” the independent forum of the sea services.

And it was there I found a quote, from waaay back in August of 1924, by a retired U.S. Marine colonel, that struck me as something so astoundingly germane to today’s presidential race I thought I’d share it.

It was written by one of the Corp’s legendary figures, the original Col. George Van Orden, who says:

“To be of value to the world, knowledge must be accompanied by the power to use it properly. That power springs from the character of the individual. …

“Character is the essential inner nature of a person.

“It manifests itself by outward signs called characteristics.

“Among these may be mentioned self-reliance, self-control, initiative, patience, courage, activity, sense of justice and fair play, loyalty and willingness to accept responsibility.”

And these four components in Van Orden’s few sentences — value, knowledge, power, and character — all relate to the election coming in 10 weeks.

And not to mince words, Donald Trump’s lack of knowledge (about most everything) is infamous and on display daily; his character is defined by 30,000 White House lies, 34 felony convictions for fraud, a conviction for sexual assault, a fraudulent “university,” a fake charity, three wives he cheated on, and his historic failures of self-reliance, self-control, initiative, patience, courage, activity, sense of justice and fair play, loyalty and willingness to accept responsibility.

So let’s, first, ask ourselves as we vote, who will be of most value to ourselves, our family, 320 million Americans, and the world’s 8.2 billion inhabitants.

Is it Trump, who accomplished virtually nothing of value (no wall, covid failure, massive deficits, no infrastructure, etc.) in his four years; or Kamala Harris who successfully prosecuted molesters, thieves, banks and fraudsters; and, in the Senate and as vice president, led on voting rights, abortion, gun violence, reduced prescription costs and foreign policy issues.

Now, about knowledge:

Looking at the candidates, Harris has clearly demonstrated knowledge across a range of topics (she’s a demonstrably smart cookie) while Trump, although sly and cunning in a feral manner, has demonstrated a profound and frightening ignorance of fundamental facts, like trying to atom-bomb a hurricane; his total inability to understand or explain how tariffs actually work and that it is the American consumer who pays the tariff’s added cost, not some other country; or that he didn’t know India shares a border with China.

Now let’s consider power, and who we want to give the actual power to govern our lives. Trump, who pounds his chest bragging that he overturned Roe v. Wade; is using Project 2025 as the blueprint for his next administration; threatens our children’s lives by threatening no federal funding for any school mandating vaccines against polio, measles, mumps, etc.; and tells loved ones and survivors of those killed in mass school shootings to, “just get over it.”

Or Harris who has used her considerable power to work for only one “client,” you and me, as a district attorney, attorney general, U.S. senator, and vice president.

And finally, character.

I have yet to hear any serious attack on Harris’ character.

Trump is spreading absurd lies about her — only “suddenly” became a Black woman; that AI “created” the crowds at her rallies; that she wants to lift the retirement age, advocates for abortions after birth, or wants to outlaw red meat.

All false. All typical Trump.

I predicted, before the Democratic convention, a big Harris win.

I still do.

Harris’s crowds, fundraising, campaign infrastructure, ground game, policy positions, personality, enthusiasm, experience and the electricity she and vice presidential nominee Tim Walz generate needs to be contrasted with Trump’s MAGA same-old-same-old litany of lies; compendium of complaints, doom, gloom, self-absorption; his VP pick; and his newest acolyte, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Seriously? Kennedy? The anti-vaxer, bear-dumping, brainworm-eaten Kennedy who seems to be replacing J.D. Vance as VP; that Kennedy?

Now there’s still a long time ‘till the election.

But a lot of folks should be worried. Because there’s a bunch of down-ballot Republicans who could be hurting big time as the top of the ticket topples.

Gentle reader, we’re all gonna be busy twixt now and November with the presidential race, but don’t forget there’s a governor’s race and all the local contests as well. So stay tuned.

Slava Ukraini.

Tom Burke’s email address is t.burke.column@gmail.com.