The Credibility of Chuck Hagel
A front-page article in the The Washington Post on Friday on the prospects of a presidential run by Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska got right to the point:
- “His Republican colleagues regard him warily.”
- “The White House barely speaks to him.”
- “He is reviled by his party’s conservative base.”
Those are, in my view, three unassailable reasons to like him. If they don’t like him, he must be doing something right. And that something, of course, is opposing the Iraq War with as much conviction and passion, if not more, than anyone else in Washington, with the possible exception of Jack Murtha. Even John Edwards, the Democratic contender to whom I am most partial and now an admirably eloquent opponent of the war in his own right, doesn’t quite match Hagel’s intensity, and nor do the two other Democratic frontrunners, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, nor even the more dovish opponents of the war throughout the party.
This has a lot to do with Hagel’s credibility on military matters generally. As a decorated Vietnam vet, he knows whereof he speaks, and this puts him well ahead of the Democratic frontrunners. One needn’t be a vet to have credibility on military matters, nor to oppose the Iraq War, but it helps. Isn’t that why many of us turned to John Kerry in ’04? Isn’t that why many of us supported Murtha when he came out in favor of redeployment long before others did? In a time of war, there’s something to be said for being led by someone who’s actually been to war, who understands how the military works, who knows intimately, painfully what it means for men and women to be sent into combat. Bush, Cheney, and most of the rest of the civilian architects of the war lack that experience and understanding and hence lack the credibility to guide the country through the inevitably challenging vicissitudes of war, and particularly of this war.
And, too, Hagel strikes a balance between excessive hawkishness and excessive dovishness. Which is to say, he is neither for all war nor against all war, neither always for military action nor always against military action. This is a key component of his credibility. Those who are always against war are against the Iraq War because it is a war, not because it is a bad war. For them, there are no good wars and bad wars, there are just wars. And wars, by definition, are bad. But this is a reductionism that cannot admit of variation, of degrees of goodness and badness. It is, in short, relativism. And so when those who are always against war come out against the Iraq War, they cannot be taken seriously, or at least not with the seriousness that a Hagel can be taken — or a Gore, or an Edwards, or a Kerry, or a Murtha. (This is one of the reasons why John McCain had so much credibility until he began to look and sound more and more like a partisan ideologue.) To put it another way, if Hagel is opposed to the Iraq War and wants it ended, there’s must be something seriously wrong with it.
So what if Hagel runs? Given that Iraq is likely to be the major issue in ’08, would Democrats support him over one of their own? Would independents? Would Republicans? Those are moot questions, given that Hagel stands little chance of winning the Republican nomination, but this is one case where my partisanship — and those of you know me know well which of the two main U.S. political parties I support — wavers. I understand, as Steve Benen reminded us the other day, that “Hagel is conservative on just about everything except the war,” but, given the primacy of the war, what this means is that, like Churchill, he is right about what matters most.
No, no, Hagel is no Churchill beyond this comparison and he is far too conservative for my liking, but, in the present context, there is no denying his credibility. He is as sane a voice as there is on the insanity of the Iraq War.
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24 Responses to “The Credibility of Chuck Hagel”
Although my reasoning differs somewhat from yours, i.e.:
I do agree with you on Hagel in general: a fine candidate.
Hagel is one Republican who repels me.
Other than Iraq, I disagee with Hagel on practically everything. But I do like the idea that there are more than two ideological profiles out there.
I know his views are more conservative than mine, but I respect the fact that he is willing to buck his party and at times public opinion, when he thinks he’s right. Like Jim Webb, his opinion bears a lot more weight because he has seen lives lost due to reckless and poor decision-making, and doesn’t want to let it happen again. Good for him for speaking out so forcefully. At least he is willing to take risks.
Holly, you’ve now made that comment at least twice now and never bothered to back it up.
I have my own differences of opinion with Hagel regarding social issues, in which he is too conservative for my tastes. But with the exception of Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) and Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC), Hagel has done more to criticize this horribly managed and completely unnecessary war with Iraq than most Republicans and even many Democrats.
Inquiring minds want to know, Holly. What is it exactly about Senator Hagel that repels you?
I agree GWB was never in war therefore should not be president.
I further agree that due to this reasoning HILLARY, OBAMA and EDWARDS should withdraw from the Presidential race.
Michael has spoken.
Nic,
One major difference, Ron Paul voted against authorization for this war, then again he’s really a Libertarian, not a Republican.
Hagel did.
Davebo – Jones and Hagel supported the war in the begining, but have become more critical than a host of Demonocrats – Hillary comes to mind. I do believe that Paul is think about a POTUS run, will probably be the Libertarian Parties candidate.
Suffice it to say, Ron Paul, Walter Jones, and Chuck Hagel have done far more for the anti-war movement than Hillary Clinton, whose sudden “regret” for having authorized the war has come too little too late from my point of view.
Rudi, from what I’ve heard, Ron Paul intends to run for president as a Republican, as opposed to a Libertarian, as he did in 1988. If he were to gain enough media attention and make it far enough into the primaries to be seen sparing with pro-war Republicans, (who Ron Paul would absolutely crush in a debate), this would be great boost to the anti-war movement.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Ron Paul is going to make it very far during the presidential campaign running as a Republican, given the enormous name recognition and financial advantages that McCain, Giuliani, and Romney will have over him.
One has to wonder why Ron Paul continues to run as a Republican given that the Republican Party has abandoned virtually all pretense of supporting smaller government or the Constitution.
Holly, I applaud your perception. I met Hagel before he went into politics, and my response was exactly the same. I wanted a disinfectant shower, in case it was catching.
Chuck Hagel–Sam Brownback with less charisma. His record.
But hey, he rants the proper way on the war issue, and he voted for it before he voted against it, so he’s wonderful, right?
Tully The only irony is that Hagel is called a Moderate/Maverick in the mold of McCain. Your link and a check at ProjectVoteSmart shows him to be as far Right as Brownback. As NicRiv and myself have mentioned, he is a TRUE conservative who came out agianst Iraq awhile back. What is your problem with Hagel, Iraq or his hard Right voting record. I thought your leanings are to the Right?
Rudi,
I think the Iraq War has demonstrated once and for the futility of dividing ourselves into “liberals” versus “conservatives” and “Democrats” versus “Republicans.” Some of the most strident opponents of the war are Republicans (Ron Paul, Walter Jones, Chuck Hagel), and one of the most ardent supporters of the war is a former Democrat (Joe Lieberman).
Republican partisans such as Limbaugh and Hannity go to great lengths trying to convince their audience that anyone who opposes the war must be a “leftist”, while I’ve heard anti-war socialists blame the war on “capitalists”, bizarrely equating war with capitalism.
It’s dizzying the way Democrats and Republicans keep inverting new definitions for the words “liberal” and “conservative.” Charlie over at hagel2008.blogspot.com is a conservative who’s supporting Hagel for president. And as he points out, Hagel has always been regarded as a conservative until he started speaking out against the war. From abortion to gay marriage to flag burning–he’s been a solid conservative, and in many ways, he’s been even more of a principle conservative than others in the Republican Party–voting against Bush’s prescription drug plan and a swath of bills which Hagel didn’t consider to be consistent with fiscally conservative principles.
But Hagel has decided to speak out against the war, and for this, the warbloggers have excommunicated him from the realm of conservatism–an ideology which they themselves never seem capable of living up to. By their definition, the arch-conservativeSenator Robert Taft, would be a “liberal” because of his anti-war views. Paleoconservatives such as Pat Buchanan and Paul Craig Roberts and Libertarians such as Harry Browne and Lew Rockwell would be “liberals” for their anti-war views.
Then there’s arch-conservative Bob Barr, who only led the impeachment hearings against Bill Clinton. But hey! Barr now opposes the Bush administration for its disregard for civil liberties, so I guess Bob Barr must be a commie-liberal as well!
I see nothing to “applaud” about Holly’s perception. She has, yet again, criticized a politician she doesn’t like, without giving a SINGLE explanation for her criticism. I personally don’t agree with much of Hagel’s social policies. And I admit that he’s been rather critical…and at times…even belligerent…in his criticism of the Bush administration and the war.
But I guess after enduring years of the Fox News Channel, the American Enterprise Institute, and the board of the Weekly Standard criticizing the patriotism of those who don’t support the war, and after enduring comments like “they don’t have the stomach” from the likes of Dick Cheney, who himself has never fought in a war…well I guess there comes a time guess even a loyal Republican like Chuck Hagel decides that enough is enough.
I’ve heard comments from the pro-war pundits that Hagel is speaking out against the war because of presidential ambitions (despite the fact that he’s been speaking out against the war for over three years now). This from a bunch of pundits who have had the audacity to exploit 9/11 in the worst possible way…continuing TO THIS DAY to invoke 9/11 in order to justify the Iraq War.
Bush did it during his television audience when he explained his plan for a troop surge. And Senator Lieberman has invoked 9/11 just about every time he’s gone on Face the Nation or other such show to justify his continued support for this 4-year-long war.
I’m not saying that I would vote for Hagel. But after having to put up with “stay the course” Bush versus “I was before the war before I was against it “Kerry in 2004, it would be nice to have a presidential race featuring an anti-war Democrat versus an anti-war Republican. Then the neoconservatives could field their own third party candidate with a campaign slogan bragging about how they got us into a war with Iraq and, if elected, will get us into a war with Iran as well.
Elect McCain-Lieberman in 2008! Faster, please!
NicRiv I am a Liberal/Libertarian who would support Hagel over McCain and Hillary. I just make the comment that Hagel isn’t a Moderate, he seems to be a principled Conservative. Hillary(no comment) and McCain(sucks up to Dobson/Falwell) have no principles. Neither will have the guts to change after attending a constituants funeral(Jones). Both put more value over $ and power. For a good laugh, go to Frums take on the Arar case.
Rudi,
Don’t mind me. I was going off on a rant. I included your name at the top of the comment to acknowledge that I’ve read your comments.
It seems like we’re pretty much on the same page on the current crop of Democratic and Republican presidential candidates.
Holly – Is it because he was the first in the Senate to condemn Israel’s bombing of Lebanon over the summer, and our lack of response to it? He got a lot of flack from Jewish groups for that speech- and probably from his own party too.
Cheney said that he doesn’t want to violate Reagan’s 11th Commandment (thou shalt not criticize a fellow Repub) but that Hagel had sorely tempted him. In my book, Hagel must be doing something right. He’s got some real guts, and I’m convinced that no one gets him to alter his vote, once he’s taken a position. In that respect, I wish there were 99 more just like him in the Senate.
I don’t agree with his conservative social views either, but at least he’s not just there warming a seat. Too many are scared to make waves- or they talk big (McCain) only when the cameras are rolling.
What is your problem with Hagel, Iraq or his hard Right voting record. I thought your leanings are to the Right?
Rudi, I’m just me. If you’re looking for a reflexive wingbot who doesn’t do their own thinking and parrots some party line, there’s no shortage to choose from, but I’m not it. Slot me as a doctrinaire righty and it’ll come back to bite you. I’m not.
Hagel’s had a hard-on for Bush since he got interviewed and then passed over for the VP slot in 2004. From my own observations, pre-dating Hagel’s election to the Senate, he definitely holds a grudge, and Hagel is all about Hagel. I trust him as far as I could comfortably spit out a rat. If that far.
Of course, that means he fits right in on The Hill. It’s the exceptions that stand out, and he’s not one.
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