Thursday, August 06, 2009
|
|
Despite Obama's Troubles, National Security Conservatives Remain Mostly Silent
|
|
Posted by:
Matt Lewis at
11:10 AM
|
I've got a piece up on why national security conservatives have been largely sidelined by Obama.
Here's an excerpt of why they might want to be concerned:
Other worried national security conservatives note that while social spending is increasing at alarming rates, Obama is looking for savings in the area of national defense. For example, conservatives noted the administration's recent zeal in ending the F-22 Raptor program, effectively cutting production on the world's most advanced tactical fighter. And according to a recent op-ed by Adm. Paul Rohrer, "the Congressional Research Service (CRS) announced . . . a much greater shortfall in Navy and Marine Corps strike fighters than was previously estimated. Last year, CRS predicted a shortfall of 125 Navy fighter jets by 2017. They now predict that the shortfall will more be more than 300 jets."
But defense cutbacks -- no matter how egregious or dangerous -- are not likely to provoke much outrage from the general public.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll shows Obama's approval numbers slipping to just 50 percent. Social conservatives and economic conservatives have contributed to these numbers, but national security conservatives have thus far remained relatively quiet. One wonders what would happen if the Reagan Coalition were to unite in opposition to the president's agenda.
Read the whole thing here.
|
|
|