Democrats tap into military tradition

By Nick Malkoutzis

For a party not usually associated with a military tradition, Democrats seem spoilt for choice going into the New Hampshire primary.

John Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, won the Iowa caucuses and Wesley Clark, a former four-star US Army general, is one of the front-runners for Tuesday's vote.

Mr Clark and Mr Kerry are certainly not typical Democratic candidates.

The best lessons I learned about being an American came in a place far away from America - on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta with a small crew of volunteers John Kerry

According to Dennis Johnson, associate dean of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University, Democrats historically have been weak in fielding "warriors".

"They have not been the party to put forward former generals as candidates and the party is often perceived as less effective in providing for a strong national defence than the Republican Party."

Several US presidents have boasted proud military backgrounds, which suggests Mr Clark and Mr Kerry's chances certainly will not be harmed by their previous careers.

The tradition begins

Perhaps the most famous example of the military president is George Washington.

His military exploits in the American War of Independence made him a unanimous choice as the first US president in 1789.

The last Democrat general to become President was General Andrew Jackson, who became the seventh president of the Republic in 1828 after defeating the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1814.

Twenty years later, another military hero, Zachary Taylor, found himself propelled to the White House thanks to his victories during the Mexican war in the 1840s.

Twenty years after that, Ulysses S Grant, the general who broke the South in the American civil war, relied on his reputation as a military hero to win the 1868 election and secure another term in 1872.

Eisenhower's appeal

The electoral appeal of military heroes continued in the 20th Century, with Dwight D Eisenhower, the man who directed the D-Day landings, defeating Democratic contender Adlai Stevenson in 1952.

I have led men into combat, faced enemy fire, and have been wounded in battle Wesley Clark

"Eisenhower's military experience was preferred to Stevenson's intellect by an America craving reassurance and an end to the interminable conflict in Korea, even though Eisenhower promised little except to go to Korea," says Raj Roy, an expert in US foreign policy.

Eisenhower was ridiculed by some journalists for being a puppet of his secretary of state and spending all his time playing golf, but won the 1956 election with a landslide.

"Perhaps the American people had sensed, as historians would later discover, that behind the facade of passivity lay a shrewd and careful mind needed to guide the US in the murky waters of foreign policy in the Cold War world. This gave Eisenhower the ability to reach areas traditionally the preserve of the Democratic Party, most notably in the South," Mr Roy says.

Every US president since World War II had seen active duty in the armed forces, some more extensive than others, until Bill Clinton came along.

Perhaps, it was no coincidence that Mr Clinton's first victory in 1992 occurred at a time when, with memories of the Cold War receding, international concerns ranked well behind domestic issues for the first time in decades.

The electorate proved more interested in Bill Clinton's slogan, "It's the economy, stupid", than with his lack of military service in Vietnam.

Clark or Kerry next?

The war on terror and in Iraq means that foreign affairs are back on top of the US political agenda. So, any Democrat wishing to challenge President George W Bush will need to show they can handle such weighty issues.

Clark is the one Democratic candidate who can legitimately say that he knows the military... and can criticise President Bush directly and authentically Dennis Johnson George Washington University

During their campaigns, both Mr Kerry and Mr Clark have been keen to portray their military backgrounds as an advantage.

In his first speech as a candidate, John Kerry said: "The best lessons I learned about being an American came in a place far away from America - on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta with a small crew of volunteers."

Mr Kerry, who also protested against the Vietnam War, will hope that his Silver Star and various other military awards can be the catalysts which propel him to the White House.

Similarly, Mr Clark has said: "Much of what I know about the United States, I learned in the United States Army. I have led men into combat, faced enemy fire, and have been wounded in battle. I can stand up to the people who believe that if you don't like their views, you can't love your country."

The former supreme allied commander of Nato is trying to attract voters with his idea for "new American patriotism".

Of course, as Mr Johnson points out, military experience alone will not win either man the election.

"Clark is the one Democratic candidate who can legitimately say that he knows the military, knows strategy and, because of that, can criticise President Bush directly and authentically. But Clark needs to learn quickly about the bread and butter Democratic issues - education, the environment and the economy."

Nevertheless, Mr Bush, whose military background only stretches as far as service in the Texas Air National Guard, will be well aware that there have been many defeated US presidential candidates who can testify to the hold that a military hero can have over American popular imagination.