I think you're right, in that when Americans have an enemy they like veteran candidates, but the post-9/11 years are a bit different in my mind. Bush has succeeded in making this a civilian war, not a military one. He is the one voters chose to battle the enemy in 2004, not the veteran, which makes me question McCain's veteran experience as being helpful to him this year.
Not to average Joe America who is not like those of us who blog and are already prebiased for our certain candidates ;) We were still attacked and just because Bush in turn attacked a middle eastern country that had nothing to do with it doesn't mean we still don't have problems out there that our military is going to have to deal with. We were still attacked and Osama is still out there making tapes to remind us all.
Well, I happen to think Osama is dead... :)
