Being a longtime military member and also being a Democrat has given me a rather unique perspective.
The military has always been viewed to be very... Republican. This has been kind of a soar subject for me because I take great pride in serving my country and I take great pride in my beliefs.
I've tried to figure out why, and I can only come up with three anecdotal reasons.
- Republicans tend to have a lot more bravado in their rhetoric. Bravado resinates well with our troops, admittedly, myself included.
- Bill Clinton got the short end of the stick with the cold war ending. George H.W. Bush made public plans to reduce military spending by 30 percent (over five years). Clinton continued with those plans because at the time they were sensible. The public has a very short memory, and suddenly "Clinton cutted the military". Even though our military might increased dramatically due to new technology.
- I have to admit it, homophobia still runs rampant in society and this is especially true in the military. DADT was viewed very unfavorably. I myself am conditioned by society. I have NO problem with homosexual people, I do NOT believe it's a choice and I've had plenty of gay friends. But, the idea of seeing two male Soldiers hold hands in uniform bothers me. Females? Not so much. Well, OK. Not at all. I can't think of any logical reason for why I feel this way, I just do. I don't know why I'm sharing that last part because I'm sure it will tick people off. I guess the subject itself makes me ponder the implications, and as it turns out I'm flawed. Let's digress.
More than once I've heard some fvcking idiot say, "Obama would cut our pay and benefits!" Even when Kerry was running one Soldier told me "he wants to get rid of BAH (cost of living pay). These suggestions are not only unfounded, they're absurd. Thankfully most aren't that ignorant.
In fact, I'm seeing a growing trend of openness. I no longer automatically expect a harsh debate or a snide remark when I mention being a Democrat. I'm not sure what statistics show but I'm definitely noticing a culture change.
Obama has a great opportunity here. He HAS been supportive of our troops in his words and his actions. Many are unaware. I had a debate with a (very reasonable) Republican Soldier who was in the Warrior Leader Course with me. He was totally thrown aback when I told him about the new GI Bill. He was even more shocked to learn John McCain and Bush opposed it. He admitted he mostly pays attention to conservative news outlets, and he hadn't heard a peep.
And then there's Walter Reed. There is example after example of how Barack Obama has a strong record of being there for those who serve. Our troops are being hammered by multiple deployments. Guess who had the judgment to know it was a dumb war. BUT, our troops do tend to dislike pacifism. Guess who's the ONLY candidate willing to go after and focus on the real bad guys, even if they hide out in Pakistan? Barack Obama. And there is a pretty high amount of blacks in the Army (not sure about other branches), and many of them are in high places.
When it comes to public perception, 'The Military' has always been a weakness for the Democratic party. Some of this was brought on by ourselves. The embracement of groups like Code Pink by some on the left, for example. The Berkeley City Counsel, holy shit. But I think largely the left has gotten a bum deal. The left has been painted as the hippies, while Republicans are the "honorable" support the troops types.
This hurts the party because overwhelmingly the public holds its warriors (Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen) in very high regard. I certainly don't feel such sentiments are "owed" to me, but they are there nonetheless.
Barack Obama has a unique opportunity to achieve what I've always thought was unthinkable. To WIN OVER the military vote, and in turn, make the Democratic platform a lot more inviting to a whole new demographic. That's something to think about as we move forward. Aside from the practical reasons this is why I've been advocating for someone like Wesley Clark for the VP slot.
Food for thought. Cheers.