Democrats Should Fight For The Military Vote
For decades, the US armed forces have leaned Republican. But the Trump Administration has been feckless if not traitorous, and the military seems to be shifting. This is a positive development, because the country may need the military to ensure a peaceful transition of power from one president to another.
Democrats have been handed a number of opportunities in recent weeks and years to capture the military vote. So far they’ve failed to make any of them into major campaign issue. It’s not too late.
President Trump has just accused Seal Team Six of being part of a conspiracy to fake the death of Osama Bin Laden. It’s his latest insult to the military, and another sleazy attempt to incite fear, distrust, and cynicism in the country..
Senator Tammy Duckworth has tweeted daily about Trump’s failure to address Russian bounties on our troops in Afghanistan. Meantime, Trump has gone against military leadership to announce the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan (while, perhaps incidentally, getting the endorsement of the Taliban).
A month ago, Jon Stewart and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand began a campaign to help veterans who’ve suffered from exposure to toxic chemicals while in war zones. Stewart helped lead the successful effort to get funding for 9/11 first responders suffering from medical problems.
Democrats and the Biden campaign should use these issues to cut into the heart of Trump’s alleged base of support. It’s the right thing to do.
But talk is not enough. Biden and other Democrats have to be seen with Stewart and with veterans, ideally against a military backdrop. They have to make it clear: the Democratic Party is the party of national security.
Democrats should relentlessly attack Donald Trump for his treatment of the military and our veterans and for jeopardizing American national security interests, while making their support for our military and our national defense intrinsic to the Democratic brand. They have plenty of veterans serving in Congress who can carry the flag for them. They should take advantage of their patriotism and willingness to serve.
Make sure the country understands that it’s Democrats, not Donald Trump, who support a strong military and American security.
Here are some specific steps Democrats should take before now and Election Day:
Investigate the bounties the Russians allegedly put on the heads of our soldiers in Afghanistan.
Invite Jon Stewart and veterans to testify before the House and the Senate. If Republicans in the Senate refuse to allow them to appear, Democrats should hold their own hearings.
Trump repeatedly claims credit for passing legislation that greatly improved veterans’ benefits. That bill was passed by Obama. Get the word out and crush Trump’s lies once and for all.
General H.R. McMaster, President Trump’s first , has been extremely critical of the administration’s efforts in Afghanistan and most recently Covid. But he rarely criticizes the President by name. Congress should call on him to testify under oath.
Jeffrey Goldberg’s article in The Atlantic described Trump’s contempt for the military. The words of Generals John Kelly and Jim Mattis were damning. But after a few days, the impact of the article has dissipated. Invite — or subpoena — Generals John Kelly and Jim Mattis to testify.
Trump has often disparaged military leadership. Now many retired flag officers have gone on the record as supporting Joe Biden. Get Biden out in public with them.
Hold as many photo ops as possible with military themes and settings. The USS Intrepid in New York City is available. So are ships and planes throughout the country. Include military veterans in Congress and running for office as often as possible.
Hold hearings on the failure to protect American troops in Nigeria. It’s late and gimmicky, but America never got the whole truth about what happened there. Even Trey Gowdy has said that Democrats Democrats could have turned Nigeria into Trump’s Benghazi.
Trump diminished the severity of the traumatic brain injuries American troops suffered in Syria when Iran retaliated for the American assassination of an Iranian general. Get the truth out there.
The threat to end publication of the venerable Stars and Stripes (presumably per the Administration’s wishes) is not only insulting to troops but yet another blow Trump has delivered to journalism and governmental transparency. Make sure supporters of Stars and Stripes get the word to our military and to our veterans. Use every military publication available to generate support for it. Investigate why so many military aircraft and naval vessels have been involved life-threatening incidents:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_military_aircraft_(2020–present)
Trump insisted that West Point cadets gather for a graduation ceremony, possible exposing themselves to Covid-19, for his own self-aggrandizement. Investigate whether they did indeed get sick.
There have been a number of criminal incidents on military bases through the country. What is the Trump administration doing to protect our troops?
A recent report suggested that the U.S. Navy has lost its strategic focus and is, literally, adrift. https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2020/09/navy-has-drifted-badly-course/168632/.
This calls for investigation. The administration fired Captain Crozier or trying to protect the sailors on the USS Fitzgerald. This man should be a hero. Promise that the valor he and officers like Colonel Alexander Vindman have demonstrated will be vindicated.
US forces have been involved in a number of humiliating incidents with Russian and Chinese planes and naval forces. Get administration officials up to Capitol Hill to explain the indigent and our failures to adequately respond.
And lest we forget:
Trump has insulted troops killed or captured in action. It wouldn’t hurt to get the father of Army Captain Humayan Khan and Cindy McCain, widow of John McCain, together to speak in a public forum on behalf of service people who are lost, captured, or killed in action. The Vietnam veterans who were fighting to find MIAs have been awfully quiet under Trump. Reach out to them.
The faux tough guy in the White House dodged the draft during the Vietnam War, and later referred to his effort to avoid venereal disease as his own personal Vietnam. One of his son has compared his family’s sacrifices to those made by our military.
Trump took the extraordinary stop of politicizing the US military duding civil protests in Washington, DC.
At Trump’s apparent direction, the USPS has cut service, which threatens the delivery of check and prescriptions to veterans.
Trump redirected $10 billion of military funding to build his wall at the Mexican border.
Trump is pulling troops out of Germany and despises NATO, which threatens our alliances with European nations and is a gift to Russia. He has made remarks that weaken our allies, including Korea.