"Joining Forces"... done from the heart or for political gain

[debk]

Late last week, throughout the weekend and on this morning's talk shows, Michelle Obama and Joy Biden, have been all over the news and talk shows promoting their "Joining Forces Campaign". They have been travelling to different military bases and military hospitals around the country visiting with military personnel and in particular with their families - spouses, children and parents.

The "Joining Forces Campaign"  (http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces) is to make America aware - up close and personal -  of the less than 10% of our population who have voluntarily stepped up to protect and defend our country. The sacrifice and struggles that the families go through while the service member is deployed. What the children of deployed members have to give up by having a parent gone for months at a time and may never come home.

The campaign is designed to get the average American to realize just what these service members and their families are contributing to the country by their willingness to serve. To help communities, schools, etc...be aware of these families and acknowledge them through "kind acts"... whether it be helping the family out in some way - large or small, schools sending letters and care packages to deployed personnel, etc.

Don't get me wrong....I think the idea of getting the general public more aware of our military personnel and their personal and family sacrifices, is absolutely wonderful! Whatever it takes, to get people to realize those doing the "job" should be revered not vilified...they are doing their jobs, not starting wars. I don't need to explain to anyone here how military people and their families should be recognized. I don't think there are any members here at CC, that would not agree that the military does not receive the well-earned respect or support from many Americans. And they certainly are not compensated enough!!
 
My question though is the result of reading several articles and seeing the First and Second Ladies interviewed on tv.

I just watched them on The View.

While I agree with what both of them said about our military and their families ... they ARE right in this case... I question where this sudden glorifying of the military and their families ... particularly by Michelle Obama...is coming from.

I'm not feeling as cynical towards Jill Biden, simply because the Biden son is military and been deployed. We all know that he was probably as "protected" as possible while over there, but he still went, and his family still had to worry, and horrible tragedies can happen even in the most "protected" situations.

I watched Michelle sit there and speak about "our wonderful soldiers who not only protect us IN A TIME OF WAR but also in peace time", about their bravery, their sacrifices, the pride their families have, and the strength of their families who don't ask for help but rely on each other to get through deployments. She really did say wonderful things about the military and their families. And yes, she did refer to this as "wartime".

I could not help but wonder, how much of this very public praise and concern, the entire "Joining Forces Campaign", and so much empathy and sympathy....is real.

Or is it just a part of getting their husbands reelected?

I know that sounds awful ...especially when I think the "campaign" is an excellent idea and definitely needs to be done...but I just can not believe that it isn't being done for political purposes rather than a heartfelt need to help our military and their families.

These wars were going on 2 years ago when Obama/Biden took office. Nothing for two years, but Obama announces he's going to run for re-election, and a week later..."Joining Forces" is initiated. The last two years,  Michelle's been picking apart Happy Meals and learning how to garden. Those weren't getting enough positive attention, so she's decided to support the military to see if it not only gets more favorable attention (how can it not?) and perhaps bring the military vote over to the Obama/Biden ticket?

The timing of the two announcements makes me question the true purpose of the "Joining Forces".

[CG6468]

Think "Politics". Think "Politically Correct". Thing "We need your vote for the king."

[Eupher]

Of course it's political, deb.

Nothing EVER comes out of ANY White House without a political purpose. Some presidents and first ladies might give you the spin and whatever it is they're doing might be the right thing to do, but it ALWAYS has a political bent to it.

And of course, you cannot trust Michelle Obama at all -- because she's the one who is finally "proud" of her country.

F'ing bitch.

[dutch508]

Reelection.


endofline

[DumbAss Tanker]

Reelection.


endofline

+1.

Any close family members of either one ever show an inclination to actually serve in an active component military?  And I don't count a long-serving Senator's son getting his ticket punched in the National Guard on that one.  It's not active component, and field grade National Guard positions have a whole lot more to do with connections and favors within a State's political hierarchy than they do with any concept of actual military merit.

[debk]

+1.

Any close family members of either one ever show an inclination to actually serve in an active component military?  And I don't count a long-serving Senator's son getting his ticket punched in the National Guard on that one.  It's not active component, and field grade National Guard positions have a whole lot more to do with connections and favors within a State's political hierarchy than they do with any concept of actual military merit.

I wasn't sure how Biden, Jr was in...but am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He still went to the MidEast, and he still could have been killed by some terrorist act over there even if he never was in a combat situation. We have too frequently seen American service members killed over there, who were supposed to be in "safe" situations. His wife and kids, and parents would still have been very worried about him.

Couldn't the same thing be said for George Bush? Wasn't the fact that GB, Sr was in whatever political position he was at the time, why all the liberals said GW "didn't really serve"?

Of course it's political, deb.

Nothing EVER comes out of ANY White House without a political purpose. Some presidents and first ladies might give you the spin and whatever it is they're doing might be the right thing to do, but it ALWAYS has a political bent to it.

And of course, you cannot trust Michelle Obama at all -- because she's the one who is finally "proud" of her country.

F'ing bitch.

I know that all First Ladies take on some "cause" ....and that that all of the "causes" have been somewhat political, but most the past ones(I'm thinking from about the time of Lady Bird Johnson with greening up the highways)  have adopted some cause either before they became First Ladies or right after and pretty much stuck with them, instead of switching when they are getting the right response.

I know Mrs Ford, added drug and alcohol rehab later on due to to her own issues. Laura Bush was big on reading/libraries in the schools, and added the rights of women in anti-women countries - both of which she has continued to be a strong advocate.

I think what is bothering me so much about this "cause" .... is that neither Obama nor Michelle have ever seem to give much more than a cursory glance, if that, at the sacrifices made by the military and their families. And even more so, for Michelle to sit there on tv this morning and say we all have to care about and do something for them....because it is "wartime".(either she or Jill Biden did say that they needed to be cared about in peacetime too).

Is it now "wartime" because they(Obama White House) are finally admitting that we are actively engaged in a war with real enemies....or is it to be a political rallying catch-phrase?

The media hasn't been allowed to say the United States is actively involved in war for how long? 2 years?

But now it's ok? Why? To get re-elected.

It's just buggin' the shit out of me!

To me, it just seems like they (O/B) are using the military to make themselves look good and caring....and it sucks. They are pulling out the same mind-manipulating bullshit that they used to get themselves elected last time, and too many people in this country are too f'n stupid to realize it.

Quite frankly, it scares the crap out of me, that it will work again.

[whiffleball]

Michelle Obama will say and do just about anything to see her husband stay in the WH.  Barack Obama will do exactly the same.  MO talks a good game because it's campaign time.  There's nothing sincere about her; nothing.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I wasn't sure how Biden, Jr was in...but am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He still went to the MidEast, and he still could have been killed by some terrorist act over there even if he never was in a combat situation. We have too frequently seen American service members killed over there, who were supposed to be in "safe" situations. His wife and kids, and parents would still have been very worried about him.

Couldn't the same thing be said for George Bush? Wasn't the fact that GB, Sr was in whatever political position he was at the time, why all the liberals said GW "didn't really serve"?

Sure, of course that isn't what I was talking about.  I don't regard W as having really served either, they both joined the Guard to get their political tickets punched.  Neither family has anyone in it who actually chose to serve in the full-time military.  Beau just was lucky, or unlucky, enough to find Delaware's marker being called in after the Iraq surge had just pretty much quelled the insurgents in Iraq.  W's chances of getting killed flying F102s were really a lot higher than Beau Biden's chances of anything bad happen to him at the time he went to Iraq, and given what he was doing there, but it is to his credit that he didn't try to avoid going when his unit was tapped.