J.D. Vance (R-OH) is running for the US Senate. It has not been going well. So he attempted to advance his cratering political career by slamming an exemplary ex-army officer. And much like his campaign, his attack was an embarrassing misfire - factually incorrect and widely mocked.
It started tamely enough with Vance taking the typical potshots of a lagging candidate trying to gin up some excitement for a flaccid campaign. During a recent appearance on Steve Bannon‘s War Room Pandemic podcast, the Hillbilly Elegy author slammed President Joe Biden for focusing on defending Ukraine from Russia more than securing America’s southern border.
I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another. I’m sick of Joe Biden focusing on the border of a country I don’t care about while he lets the border of his own country become a total war zone.”
It was nothing more than boilerplate politicking harking back to a long tradition of ‘Fortress America’ isolationism, combined with a new Republican bromance with the Russian autocrat. “Let Vlad be Vlad as long as he is cracking down on those LGBTQ+ perverts.”
But Vance’s slur was noticed by retired four-star General Barry McCaffrey, who took exception to Vance’s position. In a Tweet, he called him ‘shameful’ and a ‘Russian stooge.’
Vance replied by calling McCaffrey an out of touch, wine-swilling elitist who danced on the graves of American ‘working class kids’ who died fighting, while McCaffrey attended ‘security conferences’. And worst of all, he accused the General of never winning a war.
It was a gratuitous swipe that would have been more effective if no biographies of McCaffery were available a click away. Let’s have a closer look.
I'll work backward and start with the final question of McCaffery’s potential profit from a ‘war with Russia.’ The people who make money from war are arms manufacturers and other defense contractors. Does McCaffrey have investments in war profiteers? I don’t know. But if he does, he is in a lot of Republican company. He was on the Board of DynCorp, a now-defunct military contractor. Perhaps that is what confused Vance.
Next, “while thousands of working class kids died on the battlefield.” I’ll get to McCaffrey’s personal experiences later. But for now, let’s note McCaffrey had two children who served and currently has two grandchildren in service.
“You drank fine wines at bullshit security conferences.” As a senior officer, I’m sure McCaffrey attended conferences, as people in every military do. ‘Bullshit’ is an opinion. One I suspect many attendees agree with. But that’s the nature of corporate structures - military, private and governmental.
Finally, let’s have a look at Vance’s first and most absurd statement, “Your entire time in military leadership we won zero wars.” Fact check. In February 1991, during Operation Desert Storm, McCaffrey commanded the 24th Infantry Division. The unit gained everlasting fame for executing the “left hook” 230 miles into Iraq, cutting the enemy’s retreat route, leading to their complete defeat. Historians will debate if the elder President Bush’s decision not to invade Iraq was the right one or not. But from a military perspective, McCaffrey did everything asked of him.
And what of the man himself? While so many dodged military service in the 1960s, McCaffrey was on the front lines in Vietnam, literally. During his service, he was severely wounded twice. He also won two Distinguished Service Crosses and two Silver Stars for conspicuous bravery under fire. Later in his career, he won two Distinguished Service Medals for meritorious service as a general officer. He retired from the military in 1996 as the youngest four-star general in the army.
After his military service, McCaffrey was director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President Clinton from 1996 to 2001. And as such, contributed more to drug interdiction than the gum-flapper Vance.
Being a combat veteran, McCaffrey didn’t shy away from a fight. His response was modest and didn’t toot his own horn. Instead, he celebrated his family’s service.
Vance is not as deep in the barrel as the coward Trump who ran away when duty called. He did serve in the Marines for four years. But he spent his time behind a desk in Public Affairs.
The old saying, “those who can, do - those who can’t, teach,” needs to be updated to “those who can, do — those who can’t, go into politics. And when there, they try to cut better men and women down to their stunted stature. Fortunately, Vance won’t get the chance. Unfortunately, an even worse human being, Josh Mandel, might.