Military Hero

SINCE THE ELECTION of George Washington, candidates for the American presidency and U.S. Congress have highlighted their military experience. In order to garner support from the electorate, political campaign managers strategically emphasize personal qualities that portray an appealing image of their candidate. Chief among these are leadership, patriotism, and competency. Consequently, the image of a military veteran—particularly a military hero—is perceived as holding significant sway among voters.

This perception has assumed the status of conventional wisdom in American electoral politics, as evidenced by the active recruitment of veterans by political parties, the flaunting of military credentials by candidates, and the spotlighting of military experience by the mass media. It is also supported by evidence that voters often use informational cues to learn about candidates, and that images have increasingly become the primary factor in determining electoral support. Similarly, military service provides voters with informational shortcuts regarding a candidate's understanding of related policy issues, such as national security and defense.

Additionally, it has been argued that certain sorts of military experience can further augment the perceived advantage granted by veteran status. According to leremy M. Teigen's categorization of presidential candidates, “former generals” and “hero vets” have an advantage over “common vets” because they can present themselves as “above politics.” For example, in the 1952 presidential election, Dwight Eisenhower was able to draw upon his experience as former commanding general in World War II to emphasize qualities interpreted as presidential. This strategy is particularly useful for newcomers to politics such as Eisenhower, who highlight their previous service as a means of introducing themselves to the electorate and projecting an image of leadership.

The list of past presidents with military experience is extensive. While there are “common vets” among them, including Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, and Richard Nixon, the majority of presidents with military experience have been “former generals” and “hero vets.” Those who have served as generals include Washington, Andrew lackson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Eisenhower. Among those presidents who were military heroes are Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and George HW. Bush.

While the perception that military experience is a boon to candidates has been borne out in presidential elections, the advantage in congressional elections is less clear. In the immediate post-World War II era, those with military experience were overrepresented in [Page 412]Congress—that is, the percentage of veterans on Capitol Hill was larger than their percentage within the general population. While evidence indicates that voters in the 1950s did not necessarily see veteran candidates as more attractive than nonveterans, the assumption that they possessed an advantage led political parties to seek them out for nominations. However, as legislators from this generation began to retire, they were not replaced by a new generation of veterans. This led to a significant decline in the number of congressional members with military experience.

It also has been argued that the benefits of veteran status vary with a candidate's political party. According to opinion polls, Republicans are seen as stronger on defense and national security issues than Democrats; but Democratic candidates with past military experience may be able to offset this public perception, especially if their Republican challenger is not a veteran. This theory has been put to the test in the era of heightened national security since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, as has the general perception that veteran status offers candidates an electoral advantage.

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