Veterans: What Are They Seeing And Thinking Now?
By Thomas D. Segel
March 27, 2007
During the first Bush run for the Presidency, active duty, retired military and veterans were strongly behind his campaign and the GOP. As the president entered his second term, there was dissatisfaction in the military community, but most still gave the Republicans and the administration the benefit of the doubt. But, two years later those who wear American Flag lapel pins and boast the Elephant logo had, though arrogance, ignorance, ineptitude and self adoration managed to squander all of the support that had been so generously given to them by those who had worn the uniform and placed themselves in harms way defending their homeland.
We all know that polls lie and liars poll...so, this commentary will not even attempt to address those constantly changing opinion numbers. What we have found in checking with brothers-in-arms around the country is antidotal evidence of complete dissatisfaction with the entire Washington establishment.
Central Florida has appeared and reappeared in the news since the election of 2000. Retired Marine Fred Carr makes that region his home. He says "The residual effect of Bush 'stealing the election' still resonates, and I find it hard to believe that personal hatred of our President clouds the true debate on the War on Terrorism.
"People and the media show up in droves to welcome home the troops to the Orlando Reserve Center and to send them off. They are not all conservatives, but they are behind their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. Try as the media will to skew the occasion, they have not yet been able to do so. It's almost as if every family member received formal media training for the ambush interview technique."
Carr feels that people suffer political burnout from campaigns that are too long, left wing-right wing and liberal-conservative messages. Even though his locale is becoming increasingly populated with minorities and leans left, "the general consensus is that Demo hopeful Barak [sic] is a joke and Hillary is viewed as a personal freedom threat."
He feels we spend too much time examining trivial issues related to politicians. "Who cares if a politician smoked weed when he or she was a teenager? Who cares if their spouse had a DUI? Who cares if their kids got caught drinking underage? What we are all looking for, after all...is a qualified, intuitive individual who can build consensus and carry us forward, despite the popularity on non-popularity of the decision."
Charlie Revie represents the Army view in his corner of Las Cruces, New Mexico. He writes that both parties disgust him. "If the Dumbocrats don't mind their manners now that they are in charge, they can pay the penalty in 2008 as the Repugnants did in 2006 when we, the people, got tired of their arrogant enlightenment that they could do no wrong and the people didn't matter. The only reason I did not vote against my Repugnant Representative this time is because his Dumbocrat challenger scared me more..."
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