Joe Eustice, who served with Walz for years, says Walz did not avoid combat duty and was a good soldier. JD Vance = "bullshit" to military

[stevenkesslar]

First, if we want to discuss what real service means, we need to ask some very urgent questions.

When Donald Trump was serving his nation on January 6th, 2021, by starting a riot, what was he doing minute by minute?  At what point, if ever, did he contact his rioters and instruct them, "Do not try to overturn this election"?  At what point, if ever, did he contact his rioters and say "Do not hang Mike Pence"?   At what point, if ever, did he contact his rioters and instruct them, "Do not kill Nancy Pelosi"?  At what point, if ever, did he contact his rioters and tell them, "Stop breaking the bones of cops"?  And if Trump did not call his rioters and tell them NOT to kill Pelosi, hang Pence, break the bones of cops, and try to overturn an election, why not?  What is his definition of "service" to his nation?

If the Raping Felon and Hillbilly Venture Capitalist want to talk about character and "service", let's go!

Man who served under Walz says governor retired before unit had deployment news

Quote

“When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did?” Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), former President Trump’s running mate, said at the Michigan campaign event. “He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him.” 

Quote

But Bonnifield {who served with Walz for 22 years] vehemently pushed back on the assertion that Walz abandoned his unit, calling it “wrong” and “bulls‑‑‑.”

Unfortunately, Donald Trump did not abandon his rioters or their crimes, even when every Congressional Republican they wanted to attack was begging him to do so.  Unfortunately, JD Vance has not abandoned his right wing billionaire venture capitalist friends, who want more tax cuts.

Regardless, even though JD Vance had the right to retire from his service to Silicon Valley billionaires to run for Congress to get them even more Trump fat cat tax cuts, they want to litigate the minute by minute of how Walz retired after decades of service in the military to run for US House.

So let's talk about character and national service.

As Tim Walz likes to say, "Come on!"

More lies.  Walz does not want to take Donald Trump's guns away.   When did Donald Trump ever hold a gun in service to his nation?  The only thing we know about Trump is his cult would be fine if he killed someone on 5th Ave.  And those are the slime ball felon's own words.

And extra credit goes to Chris LaCivita, who has gotten rich packaging lies and hate for a raping convicted felon like Trump.

These men have the character of slime.

[RockyRoadTravel]

17 hours ago, stevenkesslar said:

First, if we want to discuss what real service means, we need to ask some very urgent questions.

When Donald Trump was serving his nation on January 6th, 2021, by starting a riot, what was he doing minute by minute?  At what point, if ever, did he contact his rioters and instruct them, "Do not try to overturn this election"?  At what point, if ever, did he contact his rioters and say "Do not hang Mike Pence"?   At what point, if ever, did he contact his rioters and instruct them, "Do not kill Nancy Pelosi"?  At what point, if ever, did he contact his rioters and tell them, "Stop breaking the bones of cops"?  And if Trump did not call his rioters and tell them NOT to kill Pelosi, hang Pence, break the bones of cops, and try to overturn an election, why not?  What is his definition of "service" to his nation?

If the Raping Felon and Hillbilly Venture Capitalist want to talk about character and "service", let's go!

Man who served under Walz says governor retired before unit had deployment news

Unfortunately, Donald Trump did not abandon his rioters or their crimes, even when every Congressional Republican they wanted to attack was begging him to do so.  Unfortunately, JD Vance has not abandoned his right wing billionaire venture capitalist friends, who want more tax cuts.

Regardless, even though JD Vance had the right to retire from his service to Silicon Valley billionaires to run for Congress to get them even more Trump fat cat tax cuts, they want to litigate the minute by minute of how Walz retired after decades of service in the military to run for US House.

So let's talk about character and national service.

As Tim Walz likes to say, "Come on!"

More lies.  Walz does not want to take Donald Trump's guns away.   When did Donald Trump ever hold a gun in service to his nation?  The only thing we know about Trump is his cult would be fine if he killed someone on 5th Ave.  And those are the slime ball felon's own words.

And extra credit goes to Chris LaCivita, who has gotten rich packaging lies and hate for a raping convicted felon like Trump.

These men have the character of slime.

The answer to Walz' military record is two fold:  one, neither Vance not Walz were in combat roles, and two - bone spurs.

I wonder who he is going to vote for?  I doubt it's Trump. 

[stevenkesslar]

41 minutes ago, RockyRoadTravel said:

The answer to Walz' military record is two fold:  one, neither Vance not Walz were in combat roles, and two - bone spurs.

I wonder who he is going to vote for?  I doubt it's Trump. 

The other thing that is clear from early polling is that Walz is wildly popular, as voters get to know him:

August 4 - Marist - 17/13 +4 favorable

August 6 - YouGov - 32/19  +13 favorable

August 7 -  RMG Research - 31/25 - +6 favorable

August 8 - You Gov - 41/30 - +11 favorable

So during this period of time when this is being debated, more people are getting to know Tim Walz.  And they like what they see.

By comparison, the last polls on 538 on JD Vance from August 5th by Marist show him 35/43 for -8 unfavorable.   So now he is about as well known as Walz.   4 in 5 voters have an opinion.   They like Walz, and they don't like Vance.

Walz has done this incredible job of leaving a trail of loyalty and explanation behind him on three issues, any of which could be fatal to a politician:   1) his decision to leave the military and run for Congress, 2)  his handling of the 2020 riots in his state,  3)  his loyalty to Joe Biden.

I can't find a bigger JPG of that press release Walz put out in 2005.  But it was very smart, both at the time and in retrospect.  There is a clearer to read version in the Town Hall right wing hit piece I lifted it from.  Which is a nice summary of all the reasons the right wing nuts are having an orgasm thinking they "got"Tim Walz.  Even though they are just proving how stupid and utterly insensitive they are.  Just like when they laughed at how Paul Pelosi was almost murdered.  Fucking clueless idiots!

It makes perfect sense that in early 2005, when Walz was probably still on the fence, he put it out in public that he wanted to run for Congress, but his unit might be called to service in Iraq.  That is what the right wing now wants to relitigate.  The bottom line is that the actual order to deploy came much later in 2005, after Walz had clearly resigned.  And the actual deployment came in 2006, when Walz was in the heat of his successful run for Congress. In a district I lived in which I know is right of center and very into patriotism. 

So if you believe Walz abandoned his troops, what you have to believe is that Walz had 0 % right to run for Congress and in 2006 he 100 % had to be in Iraq.  No choice.  And you also have to believe, as you note, that meanwhile it's 100 % fine for Trump to cop "bone spurs" and JD to be a hillbilly venture capitalist.  Only Democrats have to make hard choices!

It does make sense to me that some veterans could believe that in a time of war, no military leader should be able to resign - ever.  The idea here is that Tim Walz had no moral choice, even though he had served for over two decades.  And even though he decided to re-enlist after 9/11 because, like many patriots, he was moved to defend his country from terrorists.  But all of this is very extreme and radical.  I think very few people believe that military leaders should never be able to resign, like to run for Congress.  And that if they do resign they are suddenly traitors.  Which is why fellow veterans who don't agree with Walz politically are making a point to defend his service.  

But what I credit Walz for is he obviously thought that through in early 2005, knowing the kind of district he wanted to win in.   So there is no question now about the history.  He did it all in public.   He talked about it, and he left a paper trail behind.  

It is probably just dumb luck that Donald Trump is on tape bending over backward to praise how Tim Walz handled the 2020 riots.  But Walz had to know that it would be in his interest to not to be the target of Donald Trump's ire at the time.  So whatever Walz did, I'd bet money he wanted Donald Trump on his side in that moment.

And the same is true for Biden and his staff in the weeks when Biden was being run out of his campaign.  I'll post this interview in another thread, but here is Anita Dunn talking about how loyal both Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were to Biden while Pelosi, Schumer, Obama, and Jeffries were forcing him to resign.

Walz is a loyal team player, and a very smart one.  He earned what he is getting now.

 

[Riobard]

Tim and Gwen were also trying to conceive again around that time, ostensibly with Mayo Clinic assistance second time around. It’s usually easier when difficult if both parties are on the same continent. 

[stevenkesslar]

4 minutes ago, Riobard said:

Tim and Gwen were also trying to conceive again around that time, ostensibly with Mayo Clinic assistance second time around. It’s usually easier when difficult if both parties are on the same continent. 

In other words, they decided to have Hope in America.   😉

[Riobard]

2 hours ago, stevenkesslar said:

In other words, they decided to have Hope in America.   😉

With parents and Hope in AuGust company by 2006.

He is apparently somewhat ‘special needs’ in the modern context way, adolescent anxiety and whatnot. The trolls can target him at their peril. There isn’t much that is more relatable to average families.

I think the Walzes are rolling this out sensitively, transparently, and supportively, mindful of the importance of gradual inoculation with respect to the challenges of being in the scrutinizing public eye. 

[stevenkesslar]

34 minutes ago, Riobard said:

The trolls can target him at their peril.

The trolls have been trying to nibble at the edges of "Coach Walz", too.   Like I guess the idea is stolen championship, rather than stolen valor.

It won't work.   There is just way too much there.  In fact, it seems pretty clear that it is fatal for Republicans to push any of this, for two reasons.  One, they are asking people to look into why Tim Walz had character and decency.  Two, by quiet comparison, they are making it clear they lack the same.

From Newsweek:

'Tim Walz's Coaching Style: How He Led Suburban High School to State Championship

Quote

During his junior year, Clement quit the team and was on the path to becoming a dropout. He remembers, "High school was tough for me for many reasons," pointing out that he started hanging out with "troubled kids" who preferred to skip class and drink. Even then, Walz found a way to connect with him.

Quote

"Every day, he would find me in the hallways, after school, and in between classes to tell me how important I was to the team, how much they needed me, and how much he wanted me there," Clement said. "I played football for Tim Walz, not for anyone else."

I have to assume that there are former students who are telling somewhat exaggerated or biased stories about Walz, because they like him that much.  But even that says something.  That decades later there are people who you moved so much as a teacher or coach or scared Gay teen that they will come out of the woodwork to defend you.  Where are the people who tell the uplifting stories about how Donald Trump believed in them?   (Well, there's Jared of course.)

There was a deceased client of mine who posted all the time on the other board.  He was as hard core a conservative Republican as I am a liberal Democrat.  But, at least before Trump, we could talk about anything.  In fact, I spent the week Trump won in 2016 in Puerto Vallarta with this guy.  And in some ways he was the best person to talk to.  Since he could lay out what would likely happen from a savvy (if harsh) Republican perspective.   He said this at the time, and got it right:  "I want two, and three if that bitch dies."  I knew immediately he was referring to SCOTUS vacancies, and not too lovingly referring to RBG.  Well, he got what he wanted!

My point in bringing him up is that he was a high school Spanish teacher who loved Mexican culture.   One of his favorite movies was McFarland, USA, the Disneyfied version of the true story of working class Latinos who some motivated high school coach in the middle of nowhere turned into cross country state champions, despite them having everything going against them.  We watched the movie together for the first time, in tears.  I know he bought the DVD and watched it many times thereafter.  There was nothing overtly political about it.  Other than that these kind of stories, when true, are deeply inspiring and unifying. 

So I think the Republicans will have a big problem going after this guy.