WNC veterans consider military positions of Bush, Kerry

WNC veterans consider military positions of Bush, Kerry

By Kerra L. Bolton 

Veterans and their votes are a hot commodity this election year. At 26 million nationwide, at least 4.8 million in North Carolina and thousands in Western North Carolina, they represent a substantial voting bloc.

Both President Bush and U.S. Sen. John Kerry have been trying to burnish their credentials for president by appealing to military service members.

     George Keller served in the military during the Vietnam War while working in a U.S. Army physics lab in New Mexico. William Smith enlisted in the Marines and served in Vietnam to escape the gang-infested Brooklyn streets where he grew up.

For these Asheville men, tonight’s presidential debate on foreign policy and national security is also a tale of two wars. Keller and Smith said they evaluate the candidates based on their conduct during and after Vietnam, as well as their stance on the current Iraq War.

Bush, a former member of the Texas National Guard, has made several trips to visit troops in Iraq. He’s said his military leadership in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks makes him the best choice for president.

Kerry, a Vietnam veteran who later protested the war, has made his military service a key part of his campaign. Although Kerry voted to go to war in Iraq, he’s been critical of the way Bush has carried out military operations there.

“In the past, Democrats conceded (veterans) to Republicans on the grounds that veterans associate the Republican Party with a strong national defense,” said Tim Vercellotti, director of the Elon University poll and a political science professor.

“People saw the difference the overseas military vote made in Florida in 2000. John Kerry in particular feels he can lay claim to veterans that other Democrats may not because of his own record of military service.”

Keller backs President Bush. He says Bush and Kerry served their country during wartime. But the difference for Keller is Kerry’s anti-war activities after Vietnam.

“He testified against his own people,” said Keller, 66. “To a military guy, that really chafes. What he did was close to treason.”

But for Smith, anyone who served on a swift boat, like Kerry, is a hero. Smith contends that Kerry understands the cost of war because he served in Vietnam. That means a lot to Smith, who lost both legs because of diabetes from Agent Orange.

“How is Bush going to risk his life in Texas in the National Guard?” Smith said. “At least Kerry was there. Someone who was there wouldn’t have been in a rush to send other people’s kids to fight.”

Bush and Kerry are likely to dance between past and present, as well as Vietnam and Iraq, during tonight’s debate. Bush needs to capitalize on his affability, while Kerry needs to articulate a clear position, political analysts say.

Part of the problem for Kerry lies within satisfying two Democratic constituencies. Conservative Democrats tend to support some form of military action in Iraq while progressive Democrats oppose the war entirely.

“They want America to prevail, but they’re not sure that Bush has a plan for America to prevail,” said John Hood, CEO and president of the John Locke Foundation. “They’d like to change the top job, but they aren’t sure about Kerry. Kerry has to really nail them down.”

Kerry’s strategy is to challenge Bush about his plans to handle the Iraq War. Kerry began mapping this strategy during a series of speeches last week in New York and Philadelphia, Kerry’s political advisers told reporters on Wednesday.

“There are an abundant number of unanswered questions that President Bush would have to be accountable for,” said Mike McCurry, Kerry’s political adviser.

But will Western North Carolina veterans be satisfied with the answers that they get? It depends on whom you ask.

“It’s not about Democrat or Republican,” Smith said. “It’s about the person himself. Right now, the way things are stacked, I don’t see myself voting for Bush.”

Keller said, “You don’t wait for the snake to bite you before you shoot them in the head. We went to Iraq so there could be Iraqi athletes competing in the Olympics. Who gave them the freedom? The same people who gave us freedoms – the veterans.”

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