Bush Losing Support Among Supporters
Some Disaffected Republicans Plan To Vote Democratic To Protest War Conduct
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Play CBS Video Video Bush Backer Bashes Him On War Only On The Web: Retired Col. Jim Van Riper, who twice voted for President Bush, tells Byron Pitts he'll vote for Democrats because of the way the administration has conducted the Iraq war.
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Video Even Red States Down On Iraq Iraq is a key reason for President Bush's low approval rating. As Byron Pitts reports, support for the conduct of the war is slipping - even in places where nearly everyone backed it not long ago.
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Video Bush On Iraq Implications As President Bush appeals to the American people to support him in the global war on terror, he insisted to Katie Couric that it cannot be won without succeeding in Iraq.
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Retired Marine Col. Jim Van Riper says he plans to vote Democratic this fall because the Bush administration has failed in its conduct of the war in Iraq. (CBS)
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Interactive Iraq: 4 Years Later The conflict wears on as the nation struggles to rebuild.
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Interactive Presidential Approval Ratings A sampling of President Bush's overall job approval ratings at selected points during his term in office.
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Interactive Campaign 2006 Complete coverage and analysis of Senate and key House races, plus gubernatorial elections.
But, as CBS News national correspondent Byron Pitts found, even in Jacksonville, where support for the warriors remains strong, support for the president and his handling of the war may be waning.
"There's a lot of people who think we've been there too long," said Cpl. John Miller. "But personally I think we should stay there until they have an established government."
Asked is she still supports the war in Iraq, restaurant manager Lilly Cantrell answers with an emphatic "yes" — but she pauses first.
Would she have hesitated that long to answer the question three or four years ago?
"No," she says.
What's changed in those three or four years? Things just get worse and worse, she says.
A recent CBS News/New York Times poll found that 65 percent of Americans disapprove of the way the Bush administration is handling the war.
Even some lifelong conservatives aren't hearing the president's message anymore.
"I've turned him off," said retired Marine Col. Jim Van Riper. "I've tuned him out."
Van Riper is a Christian, card-carrying member of the National Rifle Association who voted for President Bush twice. But as more Marines have died, his confidence in the Bush administration has died as well.
"If they had done it their way and it succeeded, I couldn't be talking to you like this," he says. "They did it their way, they failed and they won't admit it. That's arrogance, and I don't mind arrogance, except when there's dead bodies as a result."Watch an extended interview with Col. Van Riper
So this November, for the first time, Van Riper will vote for Democrats — across the board.
"I've voted Republican nearly all my life. I'm very conservative," he says. "My hope is that Democrats win the House."
Van Riper's twin brother is a retired Marine general whose love for the Corps remains strong, but the war in Iraq is personal.
"I had a son there. I have a nephew there now," Col. Van Riper says. "It's personal."
Asked what he would say to President Bush if he got the chance, Van Riper replies, "Sir, I'm disappointed."
In Jacksonville, a place where war is so very personal and faith so very deep — the president is preaching to a choir with some members who no longer seem quite so willing to believe.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Michelle Obama tells how her role as the First Lady has changed her perspective.
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See all 28 CommentsI've read all of the comments that have posted since Col. VanRipper's interview last night. Although I didn't waste my time counting, it appears you're the winner -- hands down. Either you have insomnia, are retired, don't have a life, OR your employer is losing money because you aren't doing your job.
Since you seem to have so-o-o-o-o much to say, with some of it being just plain rude, why don't you contact the producers of the CBS Evening News and volunteer for one of the "Free Speech" segments? Maybe you could be a follow-up for Mr. Limbaugh. You'd certainly have a captive audience, and the world would certainly be aprised of your opinion, while the rest of us would simply click the MUTE button!
By the way, when I was a kid, I had VietNam as a side dish EVERY night with dinner (my father was a Marine and fought in Korea. The number of injured, dead, or almost dead were great topics of discussion for three little kids. Ditto for Iraq, Afgahanistan and any child these days.
You go right ahead and applaud Mr. President as he continues to have the mindset of Don Quijote and his sidekick Pancho Sanza -- they chased windmills or haven't you heard?
Sincerely,
Been there,done that--already bought the tee shirt
"If they were to be able to disguise the faces of the lefties in their ranting speeches, one would swear to God they were listening to the fanatic rants of jihadists."
<i>Whether it's the jihadists lying about America, or GW Bush lying about the WMD's in Iraq etc etc - it all amounts to one thing.
A war waged on lies that brings about the death of innocent lives.</i>
I'm sure you're one to be lecturing others about lying...huh? Further, when someone has proven something in a court of law or legal equivalent thereof? Get back to us. Since I'm sure you'd proclaim your keenness with respect to the U.S. Constitution, I'm sure you'll afford the President of the United States the luxury of being innocent until proven guilty in a court of law or legal equivalent thereof...right?
And, of course, lastly? Don't lecture me about the "death of innocent lives" if you would have found solace and content in having left Saddam in power, in Iraq.
"If they were to be able to disguise the faces of the lefties in their ranting speeches, one would swear to God they were listening to the fanatic rants of jihadists."
<i>"You must be talking about all that hate filled propaganda calling for the destruction of another group of people."</i>
Well, whether it be the literal destruction or the political destruction, it all has much the same flavor. Further, you aren't conversing with a 5-year-old who isn't quite aware of comments emanating from the more lunatic fringe of the left.
Further, can you enlighten us on what group of people it is this alleged propaganda is calling for the destruction of? Could this group of people be Islamo-fascists? And, am I supposed to be distraught because the destruction of Islamo-fascists is being called for?
While I sincerely appreciate that he served, separated from that %u2013 his opinion %u2013 I am not impressed. Woulda%u2019- Coulda%u2019- Shoulda%u2019%u2026Monday morning quarterbacking is nothing new.
"If they were to be able to disguise the faces of the lefties in their ranting speeches, one would swear to God they were listening to the fanatic rants of jihadists."
You must be talking about all that hate filled propaganda calling for the destruction of another group of people.
Kinda like a GW Bush speech - filled with hate fueled propaganda and lies.
Whether it's the jihadists lying about America, or GW Bush lying about the WMD's in Iraq etc etc - it all amounts to one thing.
A war waged on lies that brings about the death of innocent lives.
"Personal to Van Riper--You may be skinnyand I may be fat but I am still a patriot and would answer the call today if needed."
You are needed.
Enlistments are down, so why don't you show us that you are a true patriot, instead of making empty, meaningless statements.
Get off your butt, lose that weight and join up.
Talk is cheap - if you mean it, do it.
<b>Will you be there for the opposing side?</b>
They need to accept responsibility for the mistakes made by GW Bush and his morally bankrupt buddies, who are more interested in lining their pockets then keeping American men and women alive.
If you were a true American, a true patriot, you would put aside political allegiances and you would demand that your Government - Democrat or Republican - be held responsible for their mistakes.
If you don't, then you are not a true patriot.
<b>Well, gee, this might be all fine and good if I were to accept that <i>you've</i> been appointed the Grand Poobah of deciding what constitutes a "mistake". However, since you haven't been?
Further, you're not authorized to decide who is a "true patriot" and, who isn't, except for, of course, only in your fantastic imagination.
And, lastly, don't get <i>mad</i> because you can't cajole everyone in to conforming to the wishes if <i>you</i> and <i>your</i> collective and, accept <i>you</i> and <i>your</i> collective as our "savior".</b>
Finally CBS trots out its star witness, the compulsory clean-cut-buttoned-up-former-hawk-now-disaffected-peacenik-retired-military-officer-type-guy. Straight out of the media playbook embraced by Wesley Clark, the Democrat Party, ad nauseum. Give this guy maximum exposure, CBS %u2013 wouldn%u2019t want you to spend too much on-camera time with your other interview subjects who obviously couldn%u2019t be coached into saying something negative about the mission or the president, other than the universal sentiment that everyone prefers peace over war and likes our troops to be home.
Bottom line %u2013 you gave us yet another worthless %u201Cnews%u201D story where someone was provided time to complain without offering any solutions whatsoever. And THAT, my friends, definitely comes straight from the media and Democrat playbook. Complaint without solution.
"Personal to Van Riper--You may be skinnyand I may be fat but I am still a patriot and would answer the call today if needed."
You are needed.
Enlistments are down, so why don't you show us that you are a true patriot, instead of making empty, meaningless statements.
Get off your butt, lose that weight and join up.
Talk is cheap - if you mean it, do it.
They need to accept responsibility for the mistakes made by GW Bush and his morally bankrupt buddies, who are more interested in lining their pockets then keeping American men and women alive.
If you were a true American, a true patriot, you would put aside political allegiances and you would demand that your Government - Democrat or Republican - be held responsible for their mistakes.
If you don't, then you are not a true patriot.
Its easy for people in their nice safe environment to say we have to finish the job. But in the meantime, OUR BOYS ARE IN HARMS WAY. This is Viet Nam all over again. An endless war.
Or this is the way it seems right now.
BRING OUR BOYS HOME !!!!!!
Who asked ya' to "BRING OUR BOYS HOME"? Who appointed you theirs, and their friends' and families', spokesperson? Curious thing is, I've rarely seen a soldier yet who does not believe in what he/she is doing and, does not believe what he/she is doing is right and important. However, I've seen scores of folks who <i><b>act</b></i> like they've somehow been appointed these soldiers' spokespeople and, their champion saviors. Here's a thought. What if a majority of them don't <u><b>want</b></u> you "bringing them home" before they believe their mission has been fulfilled? What majority of American soldiers has chosen <i>you</i> to be their spokesperson and savior?
<i>Some Disaffected Republicans Plan To Vote Democratic To Protest War</i>
Go ahead...vote Democrat to "protest the war". Then, we'll all truly get that "another Vietnam" the left have so desperately and eagerly wanted since this endeavor began. Remember, the last time Democrats controlled a <u>significant</u> <i>combat-type</i> scenario, soldiers were coming home by the thousands <b>a DAY</b>. So, you just go right ahead and vote Democrat because you're <b><i>MAD</i></b> at Republicans and, in your impatient <i>everything-needs-to-be-done-NOW</i> attitude...and, see what ya' get. We (Republicans) don't want your wobbly, whiny lackadaisical attitude in our ranks anyway. I can only imagine, and shake my head in disgust at the thought, if people like you (Mr. Van Riper) would have been the staple of American resolve 65 years ago. You make me sick!
<i>Some Disaffected Republicans Plan To Vote Democratic To Protest War Conduct</i>
Hmmm...isn't this much like cutting one's nose off to spite their face? I think it would be a colossal mistake to allow one's emotions get in the way of logic. Simply because one may be "disaffected" with Republicans, this doesn't automatically preclude that, somehow, the left are more capable of success. In fact, the idea that the left are more capable of success is laughable...and, why would anyone in their right mind want to make things <b><i>worse</i></b> because they're <b><i><u>MAD</u></i></b> at Republicans? If one wants to allow the left to play on anyone's particular given anger and somehow compel them to vote for a weak-kneed lackadaisical lefty? I suspect all they're going to find they're ultimately doing is digging their own grave. You think things are bad now with respect to Iraq and the War on Terror? Vote for an infernal lefty and you'll have seen nothing yet. COUNT ON IT!
I've been in this world a long time and one thing I've learned is, "you can find someone, somewhere that has a gripe on any given subject at any given time."
The fact this man says he's always been Republican doesn't mean it's so. Fact is I suspect such a ploy from a Democrat.
So he thinks Pres. Bush didn't do it right! That's another thing I've learned from being a long time in this world. We all have a tendancy to judge others actions against how "we think" it should have been done. You can always find someone, somewhere to say on any given subject at any give time "it should have been done different."
I do agree that the President is mishandling the war. He should forget politics and do what he has to to get a victory.
Personal to Van Riper--You may be skinnyand I may be fat but I am still a patriot and would answer the call today if needed.
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