A new Rasmussen poll of active and retired military shows that, were Hillary Clinton to win the White House, she would be the most disrespected commander-in-chief in U.S. history—even worse than President Obama.
According to Rasmussen, only 15 percent of active and retired military have a favorable view of Clinton, and just 3 percent view her very favorably.
And here’s the nail driver: 81 percent view her unfavorably, with 69 percent having a very unfavorable view.
Of course, the military has long leaned center-right. A Pew Research Center survey of veterans (not active military) 10 years after the 9/11 attack found that “nearly half of all veterans (48%) say they are politically conservative, compared with 37% of the public.”
The Military Times published a story in December of last year tracking Obama’s approve-disapprove ratings as commander-in-chief among active-duty military from 2009 to 2014.
In 2009, about 35 percent of active-duty military approved of Obama’s handling of the commander-in-chief job in 2009, versus 40 percent who disapproved. But since then the president’s ratings have “cratered,” according the Military Times, with only 15 percent approving in 2014 and 55 percent disapproving.
But what about that missing 30 percent? Do active-duty military really not have an opinion on an issue so important to them and the country?
I suspect the real disapproval rating is much higher. But many members of the military may be reluctant to imply that they disapprove of their commander-in-chief, even anonymously, since that might raise questions about loyalty and willingness to do a job he orders them to do.
Clinton isn’t commander-in-chief yet, so active-duty military may be more willing to express their disapproval. Plus, the Rasmussen poll includes retired military.
The Military Times report certainly reflects my impression based on anecdotal discussions I’ve had with active and former members of the military. While they would set feelings aside and obey their commander-in-chief if and when called upon, the large majority would never vote for Barack Obama.
That goes double for Clinton—and for good reason. First, the military has a principle of leaving no one behind. Yet that’s exactly what Hillary Clinton did in the Benghazi attack. Indeed, some claim she abandoned them. And since then she’s done everything she can to shuck responsibility for her actions.
Second, she was the implementer of Obama’s foreign policy, at least for the first four years, which is widely seen as a joke by both allies and foes.
And third, it is very clear that Clinton will say or support anything in order to win the White House. For a group that must take a stand in the face of real adversity, that has to be hard to swallow.
So while Obama’s approval rating among active-duty military has fallen from 35 percent to 15 percent, Clinton’s would start at 15, if not even lower by her inauguration. That would surely make her the most disrespected commander-in-chief in U.S. history.