JONATHAN CHAIT AUGUST 15, 2011
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[Guest post by Matthew Zeitlin]
While a big part of Rick Perry’s campaign pitch is comparing the job growth in Texas to that of the rest of the nation, it seems likely that another aspect will be implying that Rick Perry—a conservative, white Southerner from Texas—is more American than Barack Hussein Obama. A good insight to how this line of attack might develop is in Perry’s recent comments about the military “respecting” the commander-in-chief:
One of the reasons that I’m running for president is I want to make sure that every young man and woman who puts on the uniform of the United States respects highly the president of the United States.
This is interesting for two reasons. First, it’s another example of Republican politicians who, especially when a Democrat is president, think that the president has to earn the military’s respect, usually by doing what the generals say when it comes to policy disputes. A classic example of this tendency is Lindsay Graham’s reaction to Obama’s most recent Afghanistan speech, where he announced a mild lowering of troop levels, to which Graham responded, “Biden won, Petraeus lost.”
Second, it’s also interesting that John McCain, a genuine war hero who literally sacrificed his body for the country, largely shied away from attacks on Obama for his supposed lack of, in Kathleen Parker’s words, “blood equity, heritage and commitment to hard-won American values.” McCain continually hedged on whether or not to bring up Obama’s connection with Jeremiah Wright, and when he finally did, it was hardly a full-throated attack. Instead, the campaign that at least thought the most deeply about attacking Obama for not being “American” enough was the Hillary campaign, which brought up Jeremiah Wright repeatedly and whose senior strategist, Mark Penn, wanted to argue that Obama’s “roots to basic American values and culture are at best limited.”
Of course, conservatives, writ large, have been busy arguing that Obama is fundamentally disconnected from core American values—that, as Norman Podhoretz put it, Obama is an “anti-American leftist” with a “reprehensible cast of mind” or, as Ramesh Ponnuru and Rich Lowry wrote in a National Review cover story, “Obama’s first year in office should be seen in the context of contemporary liberalism’s discomfort with American exceptionalism.”
If Rick Perry is nominated, in other words, we will probably finally see the campaign that conservatives have been wanting since the day Obama got the Democratic nomination. And it’s sure to be ugly.
18 comments
Perry is a veteran, attaining the rank of Captain in the USAF, and was an Air Force pilot in both Europe and the middle east. That will go a long way with many voters. The fact that he was a poor student (more Cs and Ds than As and Bs) at a (mostly) military college (Texas A&M) won't mean squat to those voters. Chait seems to think voters aren't ready for another Texas governor for president. I agree with Zeitlin: Perry will be a formidable candidate. And I agree that it will be ugly. And potentially catastrophic for America's social cohesion. These are dangerous times, and Perry has made it clear that he is willing to sacrifice the union to get his way.
- rayward
August 15, 2011 at 4:30pm
Exactly - also, I think the element of aggressive Christianizing in the military ought to be examined. This is apparently a problem at military academies so it's infecting the officer corps. I cannot believe that comment of Parker's - these words sound kinda like a certain leader of Germany: “blood equity, heritage and commitment to hard-won (insert 'German' or 'Nordic') values.” AAACCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK.
- Sophia
August 15, 2011 at 4:52pm
PS what about all the blood & honor, whiteness and Christian-ness of the people who seceded from and tried to destroy the Union? Please with this stuff. It is appalling and represents the height of anti-American values in more ways than one.
- Sophia
August 15, 2011 at 4:53pm
"Perry is a veteran, attaining the rank of Captain in the USAF, and was an Air Force pilot in both Europe and the middle east. That will go a long way with many voters." As I've said to K2K on another thread, it didn't seem to matter that Tom Daschle had exactly that line on his vita (USAF 1969-72) in that senate election. It didn't seem to matter that John Kerry had actually served in combat in Vietnam as opposed to GWB who remained stateside (not to mention Deferment Hero Cheney who got those deferment thingies). From a slightly different perspective it is worth mentioning that in the case of John McCain, while people generally respected and even admired his war record and POW experience, it didn't mean that they were going to vote for him just on that basis alone.
- ironyroad
August 15, 2011 at 5:07pm
It may not go a long way with everyone, but you'd better believe that the Republican message machine will harp on Perry's military service and contrast it with Obama's lack thereof (which will of course be portrayed as anti-American). Regardless, as I said on another thread, this is the campaign we should wish for. No more ugly implications, coded language, or subtleties. Texan theocracy vs. America. Bring it on.
- janus
August 15, 2011 at 5:21pm
Great post Janus.
- WandreyCer
August 15, 2011 at 5:34pm
I am with Janus, I would actually prefer the chance of a Perry Presidency because with Perry Americans will know what it is they are likely to get; an even stupider and zealous Texan than Bush. Romney scares me more because he is likely to be all over the place unless I could be sure he has every intention of being a one term President and is prepared to stab the teabaggers in the back he might be more likely to push through their agenda than Perry. So please, bring on Perry. 19th century vs. 21st.
- blackton
August 15, 2011 at 6:36pm
I'm hoping the military message is overrated because we are sick of the wars, unless Perry's claim is that he is the one who knows how to shrink military costs, which will probably be a Democrat plank. I expect that a lot of parallels will be drawn between Bush W and Perry: Pilot, Texas governor, religious, mediocre student, and identical politics, and that we can't afford the same policies as we had under Bush and the Rebublican dominating minority.
- Nusholtz
August 15, 2011 at 6:37pm
First of all, what Sophia said. Secondly. . . Oh boy. **One of the reasons that I’m running for president is I want to make sure that every young man and woman who puts on the uniform of the United States respects highly the president of the United States.** >> Gibberish. Utter gibberish. Clueless civilians might heed this, but no soldier will. There's a chain of command. We act accordingly, and whether we respect the C-in-C has no effect on performance on the ground or in the kill box. I never respected W -- in fact, he & Cheney & Rice & Rumsfeld & Wolfowitz & etc. make me sick -- but I swallowed my sense of worldly honor and made him my boss anyway because at the time it was a job that seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity. Believe me, dudes are enlisting now because it's a job. They don't give a damn who's in the White House, and their drill cadre will make sure that doesn't affect their ability to do push-ups and shoot straight anyway. Both my C-in-C's have infuriated & disgusted me with how lightly they treat OIF/OND/OEF/Odyssey Dawn/Guantanamo. Curious why I respect Obama more than W in terms of war policy, then? The R & D next to their names has nothing to do with it. It's: 1) Biden's his guy. 2) The increase in drone attacks has been magnificently effective as a way to kill bad guys & spare good guys compared to conventional & ground ops. The Predator is a force multiplier that is finally being used properly. And it might be the most inspirational tool in the history of American troop morale-raisers, right up there with Playboy Playmates' visits to FOBs. 3) We are told the wars will end. 4) SEALs vs. Somalian pirates 2009, 3 shots 3 kills. 5) MayDay 2011. Forget the Nobel Peace Prize, whatever that was about. Obama's record as a 21st century warrior leader should make every Republican jealous. You wanna know why he's "gangsta"? It's not because, as FoxNews points out, he had a few celebs of color over at his "crib." It's because he is good at being in charge of some killers.
- Konstantin
August 15, 2011 at 6:40pm
Oh yeah, by the way, on Kathleen Parker: Her regular, syndicated column was perhaps the first clue to a young Konstantin some years ago that it was okay to realize that not everything that gets printed in the editorial section of an otherwise good newspaper makes sense or has value. Her words are a black hole of non-thought and non-experience. The Pulitzer should be ashamed for their award a couple years ago, and CNN soon realized their mistake as well. Parker even admitted that she does all her writing and thinking while sitting in her home in front of her computer; she has carbon dioxide and ink to offer the world, nothing more. She does not represent my South Carolina.
- Konstantin
August 15, 2011 at 6:50pm
Kathleen Parker is very good on Sarah Palin. And she has received a lot of abusive language and threats for it, too.
- liberalref
August 15, 2011 at 7:26pm
Konstantin - man, that is some of the best writing I"ve read in a long ass time. Get thee to a magazine editor.
- WandreyCer
August 15, 2011 at 7:29pm
Thanks, WandreyCer. I wouldn't mind a journalism gig, but I'd settle for a discount on this Lippmann Society jive. You get that e-mail, too? I always have a good time at the Kennedy Center, but it's always free.
- Konstantin
August 15, 2011 at 8:06pm
irony: the military did not respect the Bush43 chicken-hawks. Watch HBO's "Generation Kill". Obama is visibly uncomfortable when he is with military, even when conferring the Congressional Medal of Honor. Photos do not lie. The primary job of the American President is Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. excuse me while I return to watching "JAG" on dvd. The tv series that combined "Top Gun" with "A Few Good Men". Perry will get even more votes for being an Eagle Scout and, as revealed in Iowa last night, super-4H something.
- K2K
August 15, 2011 at 8:14pm
What is Perry's basis for this comment? Beyond he heard it from chickenhawks at the Family Research Council at his prayer event?
- MikeB.
August 15, 2011 at 8:26pm
K2K: 1. I disagree. He's at ease with regular servicepeople, maybe not with the brass. The whole story is a GOP folktale. 2. Look at the photo from Dover AFB that time he met the flights returning the bodies from combat zones. That is a guy who knows what his responsibility entails. 3. It's one of the jobs, but there's a reason we have civilian command of the armed forces. 4. Hey, I even discovered a few Germans who are fans of Navy CIS when I was there last month. 5. Gimme a break!
- ironyroad
August 15, 2011 at 8:27pm
"As I've said to K2K on another thread, it didn't seem to matter that Tom Daschle had exactly that line on his vita (USAF 1969-72) in that senate election. It didn't seem to matter that John Kerry had actually served in combat in Vietnam as opposed to GWB who remained stateside (not to mention Deferment Hero Cheney who got those deferment thingies)." But you are posting facts, the Republicans don't deal in facts, they manufacture them. Kerry to them wasn't an authentic hero, and neither was Daschle, (you might have added McGovern who was also a pilot during WW2). To them only Republicans are heroes.
- arnon
August 15, 2011 at 8:29pm
Good point arnon. I often think that incoming servicemen and -women should get a briefing card that says "Please remember that if you enter politics after your military career you will be maligned as a traitor if you run as a Democrat and hailed as an all-American hero/heroine if you run as a Republican. Have a nice day."
- ironyroad
August 15, 2011 at 10:15pm