That’s all I’m seeing. People are bringing up all the times T T Walz said he was in combat. It’s not about him retiring. The swift boating is media driven.
Cutting through all the political gamesmanship, back-stabbing, bone spurs, dark money, and all the rest. For me, this is your key sentence in this mishmash, which you then ignore: “Most soldiers are pissed off, though.”
Do you wonder why? Have we been fooled so easily?
I’ll tell you why. Most soldiers understand this fundamental ethos that is central to the performance of a combat unit: “You don’t abandon your mates.”
There it is: “You don’t abandon your mates.”
Others can debate the effect on the election and all the other points. But most veterans know that Walz broke this law.
If Walz had left the National Guard early to be an anti-war Congressman and had been honest about it, I would respect that.
If his career was based on saying, "I resigned my commission early and was never deployed overseas while my troop was because I was fighting a bigger war - the fight against stupid foreign forever wars," I'd respect that.
But he didn't. He wanted it both ways - to be antiwar (good on him) and to mislead people into thinking that he'd seen combat when he had not. He mislead people into thinking that he was a Command Master Sergeant until he got found out. He didn't volunteer any of this.
I can't respect that.
Also: if you don't care about Groyper wars, then don't drag them into this discussion. Your case against "Swift Boating" stands or falls on its own merits.
You're right about the National Guard - it should not be deployed overseas. It should be deployed when Americans are burning down their own cities, which Walz, as Governor of Minnesota, refused to do.
The “I witnessed a ceremony for the dead on the tarmac in Bagram Airbase in Iraq” is indefensible even compared to bone spurs.
Bagram is in Afghanistan and he was neither in Iraq nor Afghanistan. Ever.
GWOT Veterans won’t take kindly to that or the early retirement as none did when senior cadre bounced before deployment. It’s understandable but don’t act it like it’s ok and not looked down upon.
whilst the military stuff is beyond my ken, might i bring up his total shitty failure as governor of Minnesota, suck beyond suck might best describe it.
You don’t mention your own military experience which I believe would inform your commentary more effectively.
The reason this is resonating isn’t because of LaCivita or because it’s media driven. This is sincere grassroots disgust among those who served either directly or tangentially as family members.
We understand very deeply the commitment to being called, whether or not you happen to agree or you voted for the CIC under whom you served.
We all know or knew people like Walz, and not fondly.
It’s really no more complicated than that. I don’t expect anyone who supports the candidate associated with that deadly betrayal that was the withdrawal from Afghanistan to understand and that’s fine.
I just hope and pray that candidate doesn’t win, because believe me, even you will wish for a better CIC if, God forbid, those nukes ever start flying…
Can't agree with your take as it goes to pointing out Walz's lies regarding his military record. Walz is a dumpster fire on so many levels, the riots, his family, the MN flag, his ties to China, his love of radical Islam. There is so much to work with here. But, regarding his "service," my sense is part of being a man is giving your word, and keeping it. It seems to me his unit believes he gave his word, failed to keep it. I think the context, military with its shared male bond of duty makes this failure worse.
It’s unfortunate that Walz’s lying counts for nothing.
The big issue in your article is the incompetence of Trump’s campaign, which would be a problem whether or not Walz’s lies mattered to voters, and must be fixed as a matter of priority.
Great post and my first Substack poll! You're right that this attack on Walz is desparate. Vance had a better attack on his interviews this week, pivoting directly to Kamala's decision-making ability, which was better, but probably still a weak argument.
You're right it's Trump's to lose - talking about her race, her crowd sizes, talking bad about other popular Republican governors in swing states, and attacking Walz for lying doesn't seem to be a good strategy. Sticking with the border, inflation, and being a left-wing-woke-ticket SHOULD be a winning and easy strategy to follow.
Trump met his moment with manhood for all of 48 hours, or at most a week. Then his inner toddler put on the toddler skinsuit as well so Trump can do what Trump does best--trash his own advantages because his need to lose is greater than his desire to win.
Did you watch JD Vance? He made it clear, it’s the lying, not the failure to serve after spending 24 years promising to do so.
That’s all I’m seeing. People are bringing up all the times T T Walz said he was in combat. It’s not about him retiring. The swift boating is media driven.
Cutting through all the political gamesmanship, back-stabbing, bone spurs, dark money, and all the rest. For me, this is your key sentence in this mishmash, which you then ignore: “Most soldiers are pissed off, though.”
Do you wonder why? Have we been fooled so easily?
I’ll tell you why. Most soldiers understand this fundamental ethos that is central to the performance of a combat unit: “You don’t abandon your mates.”
There it is: “You don’t abandon your mates.”
Others can debate the effect on the election and all the other points. But most veterans know that Walz broke this law.
This is a bad, actually terrible, take.
If Walz had left the National Guard early to be an anti-war Congressman and had been honest about it, I would respect that.
If his career was based on saying, "I resigned my commission early and was never deployed overseas while my troop was because I was fighting a bigger war - the fight against stupid foreign forever wars," I'd respect that.
But he didn't. He wanted it both ways - to be antiwar (good on him) and to mislead people into thinking that he'd seen combat when he had not. He mislead people into thinking that he was a Command Master Sergeant until he got found out. He didn't volunteer any of this.
I can't respect that.
Also: if you don't care about Groyper wars, then don't drag them into this discussion. Your case against "Swift Boating" stands or falls on its own merits.
You're right about the National Guard - it should not be deployed overseas. It should be deployed when Americans are burning down their own cities, which Walz, as Governor of Minnesota, refused to do.
The “I witnessed a ceremony for the dead on the tarmac in Bagram Airbase in Iraq” is indefensible even compared to bone spurs.
Bagram is in Afghanistan and he was neither in Iraq nor Afghanistan. Ever.
GWOT Veterans won’t take kindly to that or the early retirement as none did when senior cadre bounced before deployment. It’s understandable but don’t act it like it’s ok and not looked down upon.
I thought you abhorred cheaters?
whilst the military stuff is beyond my ken, might i bring up his total shitty failure as governor of Minnesota, suck beyond suck might best describe it.
You don’t mention your own military experience which I believe would inform your commentary more effectively.
The reason this is resonating isn’t because of LaCivita or because it’s media driven. This is sincere grassroots disgust among those who served either directly or tangentially as family members.
We understand very deeply the commitment to being called, whether or not you happen to agree or you voted for the CIC under whom you served.
We all know or knew people like Walz, and not fondly.
It’s really no more complicated than that. I don’t expect anyone who supports the candidate associated with that deadly betrayal that was the withdrawal from Afghanistan to understand and that’s fine.
I just hope and pray that candidate doesn’t win, because believe me, even you will wish for a better CIC if, God forbid, those nukes ever start flying…
Can't agree with your take as it goes to pointing out Walz's lies regarding his military record. Walz is a dumpster fire on so many levels, the riots, his family, the MN flag, his ties to China, his love of radical Islam. There is so much to work with here. But, regarding his "service," my sense is part of being a man is giving your word, and keeping it. It seems to me his unit believes he gave his word, failed to keep it. I think the context, military with its shared male bond of duty makes this failure worse.
It’s unfortunate that Walz’s lying counts for nothing.
The big issue in your article is the incompetence of Trump’s campaign, which would be a problem whether or not Walz’s lies mattered to voters, and must be fixed as a matter of priority.
Waltz is John Wayne Gacy. The swiftboating will continue until the campaign is dead. This post is a long and winding case for its continuance.
Typo: As Jess Ventura correctly notes in this CNN hit from yesterday, what is the National Guard even doing deploying to a foreign country?
Should be Jesse Ventura, not Jess.
Great post and my first Substack poll! You're right that this attack on Walz is desparate. Vance had a better attack on his interviews this week, pivoting directly to Kamala's decision-making ability, which was better, but probably still a weak argument.
You're right it's Trump's to lose - talking about her race, her crowd sizes, talking bad about other popular Republican governors in swing states, and attacking Walz for lying doesn't seem to be a good strategy. Sticking with the border, inflation, and being a left-wing-woke-ticket SHOULD be a winning and easy strategy to follow.
Yes indeed to all of this.
Trump met his moment with manhood for all of 48 hours, or at most a week. Then his inner toddler put on the toddler skinsuit as well so Trump can do what Trump does best--trash his own advantages because his need to lose is greater than his desire to win.
Where by "inner toddler" you mean his willingness to actually fight.
Giney! There you are!