Andy at Residual Forces trumpets Peter Hegseth as the next great thing. Read it. It is of interest to me for what it does not say.

This link. Questions that come to mind: Did the man while in the military ever carry a weapon into combat, or was he rear echelon, at a desk and polishing the brass? (See Andy's image, below, suggesting Hegseth has carried a weapon and gets along with children elsewhere than Stateside, ones who do not vote or have strong opinions on US public issues.) Having reached the rank of Captain, how much was his wartime experience implementing the strategic and tactical decisions of others, vs. how much of it was meaningful decision making instead? The man has an ivy league degree, and that's something I'd prefer to hear more about - what major, what extra honors beyond graduating, and did he do it in four straight years or have interesting interruptions in his academic career? What rationale can be argued that reaching Captain in the military in a war zone is a background for making top level civilian decisions? If there's a connect, Andy has declined to spell it out. Is Hegseth simply on an ego trip, chasing a bigger paycheck than he's ever seen, or calculating that none of the three GOP candidates can beat Klobuchar but that he can, upon returning from military service unknown or relatively so even within his own party insider ranks, gain quick name recognition and if that - the reasonable appearance of things - toward what ends, personal and policy-wise, is the man moving? Aside from rhetoric he probably likes, Andy is far from saying anything convincing, or of substance.

Could somebody explain what this has to do with being a Senator?

__________UPDATE___________
In fairness to Hegseth, Andy does post a promotional item Hegseth sent to supporters and those from whom he seeks support; probably a targeted item for those having a GOP endorsement vote:

With just two weeks until the state convention, this is the first of four letters–on themes from my background–about who I am and why I am prepared to be your next conservative U.S. Senator from Minnesota.

Service–to God and country–is something I was taught early in life, taught by the example of my family and then reinforced by the values of small town Minnesota. My parents taught me that to serve others is to serve God, and that America is a special place that we should cherish, revere, and ultimately defend. Two memories of my youth best illustrate the prism through which I view service.

My family spent the summer of 1989 as Christian missionaries to Lac La Croix, a remote Indian Reservation in Canada accessible only by boat or float plane. I was young, but I watched my parents closely. Rather than ‘Bible thump,’ they let their actions speak the Gospel. Whenever possible, my parents taught us to meet the needs of our hosts–providing meals, remodeling the school, or chopping wood. We were not always welcomed, and even met with hostility at times. Nonetheless, through the authentic relationships they forged through deeds, the gospel of Jesus Christ was shared.

[...] The second vivid memory that shaped my view of service occurred on the wide Main Street of Wanamingo–a small, farming town in southeast Minnesota. My parents were born and raised there, and we visited Wanamingo often; but one event each year changed my life forever. Memorial Day parades in Wanamingo were small in size, but they were powerful in stature. Both my grandfathers were drafted in World War II, but only one was alive when I was a kid, and I watched him–Army Corporal Alton Hegseth–proudly walk the parade route in his service uniform.

As veterans passed by, the town took to their feet and cheered. And then we proceeded to the Wanamingo veterans memorial to pay tribute to those lost in war. These men were revered, and just writing these words sends a shiver up my spine. Veterans walked, flags waved, families cheered, relatives cried, and I took it all in. These men–and what they had done for our country–were heroes to me. And they still are. I wanted to be like them, to do what they did for our country.

It was the heroes of Wanamingo, and small towns across Minnesota, who compelled me to serve. Their example, and the demonstration of patriotism on that Main Street (and later in Forest Lake), are what motivated me to join Army ROTC at Princeton University. I signed up four months before the 9/11 attacks–an event that validated and solidified my commitment to military service. I’m honored and blessed to have served three tours since 9/11, guarding detainees at Guantanamo Bay, patrolling streets in Iraq, and training soldiers in Afghanistan.

A Gitmo guard, Jesus loves him, he loves a parade, and his aim is to be a "conservative senator." With Kurt Bills seeming more secular (or at least not drafting Jesus onto his ticket), and noted as closer in mood to Ron Paul (as Andy more than once has noted), Bills would be as "conservative" if elected, but in what to me are more reasoned ways. More Barry Goldwater than Paul Weyrich - Jerry Falwell - Grover Norquist. Were I in that tent I would favor Goldwater thought over missionary zeal and Gitmo experiences, as I feel it is more leavened and more trustworthy - having fewer loose zealous cannon and "Chosen One" dimensions to it.

_____________FURTHER UPDATE___________
While I disagree strongly with some Klobuchar votes, she, thankfully, has never even come close to suggesting that her being in politics is a calling. And if she's read Ayn Rand, it has not influenced her too badly. Some things Ron Paul stands for such as reining in the Fed are good, something such as gutting social-responsibility programs are bad, but at least Bills does not make me think of that very famous Sinclair Lewis quote, "If fascism comes to America it will be carrying a Bible and waving a flag." Hey - its already come here, with those very accoutrements; and it must be opposed even when the props are set aside for more subtle approaches. Be aware or be square.