Vietnam: is it still a taboo subject in the US?

I recall the Bush/Kerry election campaign. People were urging him, in the media and at public rallies, to 'take off the gloves, remind Bush that you served in Vietnam but he didnt' But Kerry refused to be drawn in. That was after the Republicans were calling him soft on certain foreign issues. So why didnt he? Bush was old enough to serve out there but avoided it. (So did Romney, as a Mormon he took advantage of their overseas work which young members are obliged to do.)
Is Vietnam still a taboo subject? Could be seen as playing politics with the veterans who served there?

Another point, is the reason why it is a taboo subject, apart from being very unpopular and divisive at home, is because the US were not victorious and they dont like losses? Is it why the 'American Right' keeps saying, 'if it was not for the USA, europe would be speaking German or Russian' after the WW2 and the Cold War? Well they could not say that about Vietnam and the 'domino theory'. All of south East Asia eventually went communist and the dominos all fell. So could that be why they keep looking back to WW2, the last clear cut military victory?

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Originally Posted by NRT

I recall the Bush/Kerry election campaign. People were urging him, in the media and at public rallies, to 'take off the gloves, remind Bush that you served in Vietnam but he didnt' But Kerry refused to be drawn in. That was after the Republicans were calling him soft on certain foreign issues. So why didnt he? Bush was old enough to serve out there but avoided it. (So did Romney, as a Mormon he took advantage of their overseas work which young members are obliged to do.)

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The Republicans mocked Kerry's war wound with Purple Heart band-aids at their convention in 2004. That's when I lost respect for them, even though I started as one of them. You don't make fun of people's injuries at all, much less wounds they got in service to our country.

Remember "swift boating?"