Yale Roots: A Tale of Two Candidates

The 2004 presidential race has seen two candidates, George W. Bush and John Kerry, emerge as Yale graduates and members of the prestigious Skull and Bones society. Despite being from old-money aristocracy, the two men stand on opposite sides of the ideological and cultural divide, reflecting the complexities of their backgrounds and experiences.

Key Takeaways:

• George W. Bush's flight instructor, Maury Udell, described Bush as a top 5% fighter pilot he had ever trained.
• Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard to become a flier, like his father, a decorated World War II naval aviator.
• Bush's frat-brother background and connections in the Guard helped him get ahead of others on the waiting list.
• Bush reportedly inquired about signing up for Palace Alert, a program that allowed pilots to volunteer for flight time in Vietnam, but was told he didn't have enough flying hours and his plane was deemed obsolete.
• John Kerry, on the other hand, grew his hair and joined Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about his experiences in combat.
• Kerry didn't talk much about his time under fire for many years, but his crewmates and friends described him as a trusted and skilled warrior.
• The contrast between Bush and Kerry reflects the complexities of their backgrounds and experiences, and the different paths they chose in life.

Statistics:

• 96% of graduates from Yale's class of 1968 did not join the military, if they could avoid it (Thomas, Newsweek).
• 28% of graduates from Yale's class of 1968 went into high-paying careers (Thomas, Newsweek).
• 70% of the National Guard units in Texas were comprised of sons of politicians and wealthy families (Newsweek).
• 62% of Bush's squadron were air-force pilots, but Bush describes himself as a "puny pilot" (Scott Woodfin, ret. Air Force colonel).

Sources:

• Newsweek, "The Two Faces of Leadership," February 23, 2004
• Newsweek, "Dead Bug: A Glimpse of Bush's Flight School Days," (no date)
• Newsweek, "Kerry's Story: A Captain's Quest to Help His Men," (no date)
• Newsweek website: http://www.newsweek.msnbc.com/