Two months prior to the 2012 Presidential election, I published this piece, Don't Lay America's Debts on Veteran's Shoulders. I ended the piece with the following,
To our elected leaders: failure to act prior to the election constitutes a failure in leadership on the part of the President, the Speaker of the House, and the Senate Majority Leader. Failure on their part to solve this issue prior to the election will be the same as a vote against our men and women in uniform and their families. Our men and women in uniform have done their duty. Please do yours.
Four years later and another Presidential election upon us, one consistency I see is the continued failure of Democrat and Republican leadership, in the White House and in the Congress. From the VA scandal to significant cuts in military pay, benefits, and readiness, to continuing to kick the can down the road on sequestration and its impact on our nation's defense; our leaders' inability to solve problems is an embarrassment.
Another consistency I've witnessed is the resiliency and leadership of our military and veteran community. The American public agrees, consistently ranking the U.S. military as one of the highest-rated institutions in the country. I've seen military and veteran non-profits, like the Semper Fi Fund, Team Rubicon, and the Fisher House Foundation, pick up the ball to fill the gap created by our nation's dysfunctional executive and legislative branches.
Last evening, we had another glimpse into that dysfunction when the 2016 Presidential debate cycle kicked off at the Commander in Chief Forum, hosted by NBC and IAVA. After watching Hillary Clinton and then Donald Trump answer questions for an hour, the only thing I wanted was a strong drink and a time machine to go back to the beginning of the primary process.
Consistent with the previously noted lack of leadership and serious questions about the temperament and integrity of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to operate as Commander in Chief, I think we need as many voices participating as possible this election season. Unfortunately, even with significant support from military and veteran families for a third party voice, only the Republican and Democrat nominees were allowed to participate in the CiNC Forum. Under immense pressure, criticism, and threats to IAVA's non-profit status from his own veteran community, Paul Reikoff, the CEO of IAVA, stated "Thanks for all your comments. You should send your calls to NBC/the campaigns. @IAVA is not your enemy." Sadly, the resultant "debate" was a shadow of what a large segment of the military and veteran population were hoping to hear from their potential POTUS.
Attempting to remedy this issue, the following military and veteran affiliated groups have come together to understand better what our community really thinks regarding who should be the next President: Doctrine Man, We Are the Mighty, Got Your 6, and Military Votes Matter (powered by Military One Click).
You can access this simple five-question survey here. While most other surveys only provide the two main party choices, this poll has the three major independent parties who have consistently attempted to compete across the United States and are fighting for national recognition; the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, and the Constitution Party. In a political system that consistently grants the two major parties a privileged space to campaign without interference from lesser known voices, I think it is critical, particularly this election season, to expand the options.
While less than 1% serve on active duty, closer to 15% of the voting age population are active duty, their families and veterans and their families. If you are a service member, veteran, or a family member of either, participate in the Military Votes Matter poll and let the country know who you think has what it takes to be the next Commander in Chief. Military votes do matter and we can make a difference in this election.
