Thanks for the reply, I wanted to wrap this one up in a good manner.
"But, it is a FACT that the majority of Americans THINK that liberals are weaker on defense issues than conservatives. To counter that, the Kerry campaign strategically put forth his Viet Nam service as THE reason that the common perception should NOT apply to HIM. "
That's true. I think it was a serious mis-calculation. I'm starting a new thread on this issue.