Republicans and Veterans

I posted an item earlier today about how Mitt Romney has a wide lead on Obama among veterans.  Charles Krauthammer discussed the issue on Fox News:

“I think it helps explain the huge gap between the Republicans, whether it’s a Romney or a McCain, in getting support from the veterans,” Krauthammer said. “It isn’t only demographic — it’s history. And the fact is in the Vietnam era, the Democrats were the anti-war party. And we heard Obama today doing essentially doing penance for a country that spat on soldiers who returned from the Vietnam War. And what he didn’t say is that in the large part that was the work of the American left; it wasn’t the work of American right who supported the war. And Democrats were the anti-war element in the country, the anti-war party — particularly in 1972. And they inherited the stain of this association with the left that really denigrated soldiers, which is the word that Obama used and he said it shouldn’t ever happen again, so in some ways he is trying to undo this legacy of 50 years. But that’s why for 50 years Democrats were always seen as the weak and anti-war party, weak on national defense.”

Krauthammer also cited the current budget situation, where looming sequestration cuts are set to hit defense budget the hardest hit.

“But it isn’t only that,” he continued. “It isn’t only the history. It continues. Democrats have for decades used the defense budget as a piggy bank for social spending. And we see it today — the sequester of half a trillion dollars which is going to happen, which the secretary of defense under Obama said would hollow out military and be a catastrophe. Republicans are opposing it and trying to get out of it. And what are Democrats doing? Leaving it in place and using it as a stick a and blackmail weapon against Republicans in return for trying to get increase in social spending or increase in taxes. So who stands up for the weaponry and the training and the protection that the soldiers will have to have? It’s the Republicans. So it isn’t only history and demographics, it is actually the standing of the parties on policy.”

Let me add something to that. Since Bill Clinton took office where have Democrat presidents sent our troops into harm's way? Somalia, Kosovo and Libya, three places where there was no U.S. national interest at stake, but where there was a potential humanitarian crisis. Democrats like to treat our military as some kind of international meals-on-wheels organization that they can send to places we shouldn't be so they can feel good about it while at the same time condemning Republican presidents for sending troops to places where we're defending our national interests.  The veterans see that.