Triumph, Thompson was born in 1942 - so he was draft age long before the Vietnam war had significant deployed US troops. A silly shot.

While I agree it was a "silly shot," Thompson would have been 22 at the time of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution and 24 by the time the escalation reached its peak. That's prime draft age for someone who went to college.

Indeed, my dad was born in 1943 and went to Vietnam. He was already in the Army, having volunteered for enlistment in 1962, but was 24 at the time he did his year in 'Nam.

Think about that. Days after Clinton won a second term, here is this earnest young man being sure that George would be the next president. I liked George, had voted for him for Governor, but I really didn't think of him in presidential terms at that time.

I wonder how many people are coming up to potential candidates and telling them they want to volunteer to work for them over the next four years because they think they are shaking hands with the next president of the US. That has to at least get your mind working towards the idea of running for president.

What does it mean to be a “drafted candidate”?

Basically, someone who was recruited by party leaders or a grassroots effort rather than putting himself forward and hoping to catch fire.