Military Worried About Obama
by Big Dog on Feb 26, 2008 at 19:31 Political
Many members of the military and defense circles are worried about Barack Obama as an unknown quantity. They are worried about his lack of experience and inability to see the dangers of a blanket pull out from Iraq. There is also concern that Obama will, as he has stated many times, cut the military budget. We went thorough this with Clinton and it is why our military was not as strong as it needed to be when we went to war. Obama would like to cut the military budget in order to fund social programs, unlike Clinton who cut the military to the bone so he could claim a balanced budget (which was not really balanced).
There are a few retired military officers who think Obama will do fine and Obama himself indicates that George Bush and John Kennedy had little foreign policy experience (but both of them served in the military. Is Obama saying now that Bush has been successful in his leadership and conduct of the war. It seems to me that as much as Obama has been calling all of Bush’s decisions a mistake he would not want to use the president as a benchmark for how a president Obama might do.
Hillary Clinton has about a dozen flag officers supporting her indicating that more military people feel she would be a better leader. However, John McCain has more military experience than both of them and would be a far better Commander in Chief despite that weasel General Wesley Clark’s assertion that Hillary was best qualified. This guy could not carry McCain’s uniform and has the audacity to say that Hillary Clinton, with no military experience and little experience in military matters would be better at leading the troops than John McCain. I have problems with McCain but he has vastly more experience in this area than either of the Democrats.
Face it, if there were a crisis Hillary would shed tears so people would feel sorry for the poor girl and Obama would look like a deer caught in the headlights. Besides, how many members of the military do they think will stick around if either bring them home too soon and allow the terrorists to claim victory. The Democrats screwed the troops in Vietnam and now they want to screw them again. A few years ago the liberals were crying that Bush was going to re-institute the draft (when the actual call for the draft was made by Democrats). If these people are worried about being drafted (and most liberals are) then they had better worry if either Democrat gets elected and pulls our troops out of Iraq. People would leave in droves and there would be a severe shortage of troops to defend this country. Since they cannot force people to serve without a draft, guess what??
Think that the troops will not leave? I know a man who refused to be promoted from Lieutenant to Captain during Bill Clinton’s presidency because he did not want Clinton’s signature on his promotion certificate. There are many people like him who will not serve for people who cut their budgets, bring them home in disgrace and hand them defeat.
The military is worried about Obama but they have reservations about Hillary as well. I am willing to bet most of her flag officer support consists of people looking for a job in her administration. I guess those stints as so called military experts on the news channels dried up when the war started going better and Iraq was not the Bush bash of the day.
I am glad to be retired from the military so I will never have to serve under either of these boobs. It was bad enough having the first Clinton in charge (and we know what he did).
I know either of them will screw our troops and our country. I only hope if they win and end up pulling the troops out of Iraq that when the enemy follows us here, their attacks kill and maim family members of those who allowed it to happen. I would rather see Obama’s family killed in a terrorist attack brought on by his stupidity than to see my family killed because of it.
He can martyr his own kids, not someone else’s…
Source:
The Washington Times
UPDATE:
Here is a video of Obama talking about cutting the military and our defenses. He will also not spend money on unsuccessful missile defense systems. I guess he did not see we shot down that satellite…
Tags: Clinton, draft, Military, Obama, surrender, worries
Great post, if people think that the military supports either Democratic candidate then they need to ask our servicemen or women themselves. Hilary’s “solution” to Iraq (sending troops to Darfur) is completely hypocritical and ridiculous.
The idea that the military got “cut to the bone” or “gutted” by Clinton as is often said by opponents…is a myth basically. There was a steady decline in the budget from the 80’s on and only after 9/11 did the budget start to rise again. Even then that rise was only 1% from 3% to 4%. So if the budget declined during both Reagan and Bush 41 then why did a similar decline earn Clinton the label of “gutting” ?
I find it hard to watch you dress down Hillary and Obama because they were not in the military when there seems to be no military man on the Democratic side that you respect regardless of how they served this country. Why is it that you seem to only respect members of the military that support your particular political view and if not then they are a weasel like Wes Clark?
Adam’s last blog post..One Week Until March 4
We Clark being a weasel has nothing to do with his political affiliation. I never liked the guy.
Clinton reduced the number of Army divisions by half. I served during that time and remember how we were affected after Reagan rebuilt the military left in disarray by Carter. The first bush built a good coalition and we had more troops during his time in office.
Read about it Here
There was a peace dividend and the budget rose more slowly after Reagan ended the Cold War. Clinton reduced the number of troops by half and the number of divisions by nearly the same.
BTW, there are many military members who are Democrats that I respect.
I have no issue with Hillary and Obama not serving in the military. My point is that neither can make a valid claim that they have more experience than John McCain to be Commander in Chief. He has far more knowledge about the military and has actually led troops, something they have not done. Therefore, claims that they are more qualified are laughable.
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the – Web Reconnaissance for 02/27/2008 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.
David M’s last blog post..From the Front: 02/26/2008
As is often the case when a Clinton is being attacked by a Republican, there is a partial truth wrapped in a mythical story. It is a myth that Clinton gutted the military. As several fact checks have pointed out:
Or here:
But don’t let the truth get in the way of your myth or anything…
Adam’s last blog post..One Week Until March 4
My blockquotes were stripped from the above comments. Paragraphs 2 and 4 are quotes from articles…for general information.
Adam’s last blog post..One Week Until March 4
As is usually the case when Democrats defend Clinton, they ignore the facts. The amount of money spent is not the issue. If the spending stayed the same or went up a little it was no improvement but he was given a peace dividend. The FACT remains that he cut the Army strength in HALF and he cut the number of divisions in HALF. I don’t care how much money he spent, he cut the things that actually make a difference, the people and the units. Giuliani said Bill Clinton cut the military 25-30 percent. That is an understatement but it is accurate. He did not say he cut the funding by that much.
By your logic though, you should love George Bush. He has moderately increased spending on social programs. If more people are left out of them it is not his fault, he spent the money.
Clinton hated the military and there was a moratorium on equipment for quite some time.
All true. But I expect you to see it differently, you don’t think she had sex with that woman or that he committed crimes in Whitewater and other items.
I was in the military then. I remember what it was like and how our budgets were.
You also criticize me for using a former defense official and then you use a couple of newspapers….
Oh, come on now. Tell the truth. What facts am I ignoring?
Look back at any of my comments and find a point where I dispute that Clinton reduced the military in every way you list. That’s the half truth that you latch onto just like your credible Republican defense official being quoted in a right wing tabloid.
The whole truth is that the cutbacks started in administrations before Clinton and were carried out by both parties in Congress and the White House, but you hate Bill Clinton so you place the blame squarely on him, as usual. Big fat suprise.
Adam’s last blog post..One Week Until March 4
Wrong again.
While previous presidents did not raise spending very high they still spent more however, sine the Republicans ended the cold war there was a peace dividend. The cutting of strength was all Clinton. No one cut strength or divisions like he did. Plain fact.
No spending on new weapons, no spending on new technology and cutting strength.
There is no half truth in Clinton cut the military strength.
If Obama becomes president, I will seriously consider not accepting a commission.
This is amusing.
Let me just say that my husband, who has been serving for over 18 years so far, continued to do his job under President Bush in spite of the fact that he felt the man to be a dangerous incompetent.
While he has never been to Iraq, and does not believe that the war is justified, he has said many times that he would go and do his duty there, the duty to which he humbly committed himself 18 years ago.
You write as though you speak for all military members. I am quite relieved to say that on the base where we are currently stationed, many cars sported Obama stickers during this campaign, and many people spoke in favor of the Democratic nominee.
In the past, it’s true, neither Clinton, Gore, nor Kerry received much support from the military members with whom I came into contact.
This time is different. Many commissioned and enlisted (such as my husband) supported and voted for Obama.
To those who say they will not accept a commission with Obama’s signature, I say “good riddance.” Kindly make room for those individuals who are proud to serve not their egos, but the United States of America.
Yeah Renee, blah, blah.
The Military Times Poll showed that the overwhelming number military support McCain.
Democrats are not strong supporters of the military and they are incompetent.
You husband is entitled to his opinion but that does not make it a correct opinion.
We now have Obama. I am retired from the military. Hope your hubby makes it to retirement before Obama pulls the Dem tricks and forces people out before 20 so they don’t have to pay retirement. Hope he makes it before the military is cut to the bone and destroyed like happened under Carter.
Good luck.
Thanks you husband for his service and thank you for supporting this country.
You are free to choose. Hope your choice does not cost you.