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Ben Gruder's avatar

Yes, I always wondered how he has gotten away with disrespecting the military. Even much of the military gives him a pass.

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Mike Lew's avatar

How does he get away with it? Easy. Republicans are inherently the most pro-military people alive. Voting records and statements can't change this basic fact. It all goes back to at least the Vietnam vet spitting incidents.

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JF's avatar

Spitting incidents that have come under question. They always win the PR battles, even with lies. Especially with lies.

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Mike Lew's avatar

I saw an academic who looked into spitting on Vietnam Vets. He found ZERO contemporary news accounts of this happening. His conclusion is that the spitting was an urban legend that took on its own life and became conventional wisdom. I attended a tour at a cool historical site and one of the tour guides was a Vietnam Vet who still has a grudge about those spitters. I've decided that in my heart of hearts to be skeptical about the whole business, but outwardly I certainly won't challenge the conventional wisdom. The only thing that would have come from me confronting my tour guide was more anger and hatred. In public venues (except this one, I guess), I bite my tongue and pretend this great outrage occured.

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Jan 19, 2024
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Mike Lew's avatar

I don't disagree with a single thing you said, but conventional wisdom has a stranglehold on people's opinions.

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ScottG's avatar

I doubt those comments were reported on Fox News and Alex Jones. And if they were, I'm sure it was dismissed as "fake news".

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Lewis Grotelueschen's avatar

Yes, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the serial liar, was sent out to knock the story down, during which she concocted another lie, claiming Trump personally called military families to let them know their family member had been killed. Here we have another feature of the Trumpist faithful. They don't just make up lies. They make up exceptionally dumb lies.

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Ben Gruder's avatar

Democrats are suckers for letting her and her ilk have the last word. When will Dems realize that you can't say is just once? It needs to be a talking point that is repeated ad nauseum. Otherwise, people will forget about it, and just listen to the loudest most obnoxious voice (aka Trump and his surrogates)

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JF's avatar

Yes! This! Republicans have mastered the short, memorable, easily repeated (ad nauseum) political message. ThatтАЩs what MAGA started as, and now itтАЩs a movement that will be in the history books. Same with тАЬStop The StealтАЭ. I will give Dems credit for тАЬThe Big LieтАЭ in response. We need more of this.

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