Do Vietnam veterans tend to lean Republican?

[Ladyhawk]

Forgive me if this is a stupid question. I just had a talk with my downstairs neighbor. He mentioned being in the service and that he was "messed up" because of it. He also mentioned he thinks the Republicans (Schwartenegger, specifically) are doing a good job.

It seems to me that if Uncle Sam had anything to do with this man being messed up because of the Vietnam War he wouldn't want there to be more wars. I guess it depends upon whether or not you believe the wars were necessary. :shrug:

[jaysunb]

1. Not me....

or any other Vets I know. :shrug:

[Broken_Hero]

2. not in my experience

my dad, my father in law, and my good friend Tom, all served in vietnam, all Dems, all pro union(to a degree!)

[Stinky The Clown]

3. I would expect the politics of vets of any war mirror society

As do active duty military.

Now, if you assume the military to be another 'special interest group' - and I think that case can be made - then on any given issue they may tilt more one way or another (as they did during the Reagan years). But on balance, I expect vets are no different that anyone else.

[Sailor for Warner]

18. The Navy LOVED Reagan

He gave us all the ships and toys we ever wanted. There is a reason for the "leaning" most times.

[Stinky The Clown]

26. Yup, that's an example of what I mean

[TomInTib]

4. Not this one - or any of my buddies nt

[lpbk2713]

5. Not this one.

Lifelong Democrat.

[sandnsea]

6. I know both

The vets who lean Republican tend to either be officers who didn't see much up close, or vets who thought we lost because we had one hand tied behind our backs and those anti-war traitors.

The rest of them tend to be Democratic to the point of anarchistic. I know one thing, if these vets ever all got on the same page, I wouldn't be standing in their way.

[PWRinNY]

10. Same here

I know one guy who sent soldiers over there - he was a major, himself, who never fought a single battle, never went to Vietnam. Just sent the others into battle. Myopic about paying taxes (gov't not getting my money!) he was a registered member of the conservative party and voted republican.

I know another guy who went to Vietnam and survived - will NEVER vote for a republican. Dem to the bone.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

16. I used to be primarily anti-government, until bush turned me democrat...

with the USA Patriot Act. As for officers, we called them zeros during Nam because of their O-1 type pay-grades and their opinions still don't count. I've always said, if you want to see a future war protester, peek under a helmut but I have met a few vets who were once enlisted that are pro-war here in Alabama.

For the most part, with enlisted people anti-government sentiment starts right after we realize in boot-camp that our friendly neighborhood recruiter is a professional government liar.

[njdemocrat106]

7. My dad, a Vietnam vet, was firmly against this war in Iraq

He was a registered Democrat with definite libertarian leanings (He pretty much distrusted all politicians, but would definitely vote Dem before voting Repug, and was certainly no fan of Bush.) And for a military man, he was definitely against any of us joining the military. He passed away back in '04, but I think his opinions of the situation here in America would definitely be more strongly Anti-Bushco.

[The River]

8. Not I

I think that moran in = moran out. The undereducated
who always believed, never questioned.
The service didn't change them much.
The VFW halls are filled with them. Thats why I've never joined.
Anyhow, Repubs back then weren't the rabid sheep they are today

[Rageneau]

9. Not me

[Nay]

11. Not Mr. Nay. He's a VN vet and has always been a Dem.

[raysr]

12. Not me

The people who "tend" to be pukes haven't served. Kind of like people who've never been in trouble with the cops or in jail tend to be "pro" law enforcement and pro death penalty. Once you've been there it looks all together different.

[adwon]

13. There is some myopia

I had an ironic moment with my father, a self-described conservative, when he went into a tirade over veterans' benefits. He felt the government was screwing him and his buddies, so I couldn't help but ask, "It really has been bad over the last 10 years, hasn't it?" "Yes!" was his response, but, unfortunately, the irony was lost on him.

Most of the Vietnam veterans I've known were when I was young and they were still in uniform, so talking politics just wasn't done. I did notice, though, that most of them were involved in the community, whether it was welcoming neighbors, coaching youth sports, or whatever. Anecdotally, at least, I've noticed that volunteerism and conservatism are usually mutally exclusive. But, as I said, that is only my own anectodal observations.

[tritsofme]

14. The largest group of Vietnam vets are white males.

And white males tend to be more Republican than any other segment of society.

So I would say that on average, Vietnam vets probably lean more Republican than society at large.

[rman]

15. ask your neighbor if he thinks the cutting of vet benefits is good

[Heidi]

17. I don't know one Republican Vietnam vet.

Surely there are some, but none of the Vietnam vets in my family or circle of personal are the least bit conservative.

[Maine-ah]

19. my FIL does.

He's a Vietnam Vet (Navy) and I know he voted for *. Normally I don't talk politics w/the in laws because I know they all voted for * (they aren't rabid about it BTW) But, we were there for dinner a couple of weeks ago, and on the news they were talking about Kennedy and driving under the influence and my FIL said to me "I would rather be on a hunting trip with Cheney than in a car with a Kennedy."

I just said to him, "personally, I wouldn't do either" and left it at that.

The thing with them, is that they are just not informed. Even my husband, at the beginning of the war supported it. It took me months to convince him that * is insane, and so isn't this war.

[cynatnite]

20. Ask him if he was one of the vets whose information was stolen...

If he got a letter from the VA in regards to this, then ask him if he still thinks the repukes are doing a good job.

[timtom]

21. Not THIS Vietnam Vet!

But it's not really fair. I've voted Democrat ever since Kennedy (actually I was too young to vote, but I certainly voted with my heart and mind). From that time on, I guess I'm what you would call a "yellow dog" Democrat, despite my dislike for Johnson.

I am always shocked and dismayed at Vietnam vets who supported that shit or support this shit (Iraq, etc.)

[unhappycamper]

22. Not me either.

[Toots]

23. It has been my experience that those most eager for war have never

been there. War is not something to be taken lightly with little "purple heart bandaids" and rah rah rah. It is indeed hell.

[UTUSN]

24. Yip, and the VFW & American Legion

The vets who never turned against the war, who cannot admit a wrong war because they interpret it as THEM being wrong.

Plus let's talk the OTHER "elephant" in the room: vets' benefits. Direct quote from VFW members: "We do better (benefits wise) under (Repukes)"-----FALSE. And from a non-voting, heavy combat VN vet in 2000, "I won't vote but (Shrub) gave me my check."--------WRONG, he started getting it in 2000 under CLINTON-GORE, not that his "argument" was valid to begin with.

Until 2004 I was in e-mail contact with a circle of my shipmates from VN. A few were non-political. A couple were rabidly wingnut. It got so hot we broke off contact.

[Dees]

25. Not me.

Blue collar Dem all my life.

[Kerrytravelers]

27. My Vietnam Vet dad is a DEM all the way.

My fil is a rethug, but he is also a fundy fruitcake who wants everyone to be southern baptist christian just like him (we Catholics are just soulless nothings.). He is also a bigot and a homophobe, so basically, he's the perfect prototype for a rethug. Bigoted and brainless.

P.S. Did I mention that my parents can't stand my in-laws and neither can I? Poor Mr. kt grew so tired of the hate, he barely speaks to them anymore. Yep. rethugs really know how to keep a family together. :eyes:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

28. Of Course Not.

They have a wide view of political beliefs just like anyone friggin else.

[SammyWinstonJack]

29. If they do,I feel sorry for them. And they are not doing their fellow

Iraq vets any favors, with the way this bush maladministration is treating them. :shrug: The VietNam vets were lied to, just as the Iraq vets are being lied too. Damn shame.

[tyedyeto]

30. Most Vietnam Vets I've known over the years have....

tuned out, turned on and dropped out of society ... and politics in particular. During those draft years, minorities, for the most part, served on the front lines, so many of them did not return home. But there were a larger portion of minorities serving in the military back then, than in the general population, so I find it hard to believe that 'most' Vietnam Vets are now Repugs.

My s/o is a vet who has stayed on top of world and US events and has always been a Democrat.

We have a friend who was career Navy (now retired), served in Vietnam and is a definite Repug. But his wife, who is of German descent and a naturalized US citizen is very much a Democrat.

You can probably find any cross section of society within Vietnam Vets as with any other group.

[RobbinsdaleDem]

31. Husband and brother both dems...

They were in the navy during the Vietnam war, and neither of them can stand the Republicans.

[TahitiNut]

32. The ones who lie about being veterans tend to be Republicans.

There are fewer than 1 million of us Viet Nam veterans left alive today. It doesn't take much to get the clear impression that about 2-3 times tha many claim to be Viet Nam vets. It's bizarre. I whole lot of us tried hard to "blend in" and not be recognized as VN vets in the 70s. In the 80s, there sure seemed to be about 4-5 times as many as actually served.