Ray Malone's Commentary

There have been a number of columns by so called media experts predicting the terrible things that will happen to Republicans who support the Iraqi war and the wonderful things that will happen to Democrats who say "pull out now."

I would urge those pundits to go back and read the election returns from 1968 and and 1972. The Vietnam war became an issue in both of those presidential elections. In 1964 standing up to communism was popular and LBJ won an easy victory. There were few American voters in 1964 who had ever heard of Vietnam.

But in 1968 the polls showed LBJ losing big time primarily because of the Viet Nam War. LBJ had lost the support of the left. So LBJ announced that he would not stand for reelection in 1968 Richard Nixon won easily. Vietnam in 1968 was very bad for Democrats.

But go back and read the media and its polls in 1971 and the first half of 1972. Yes the polls showed that the Vietnam war was very unpopular and that Richard Milhous Nixon was in deep trouble with this very unpopular war. So unpopular that there were riots on the streets in our big cities. Los Angles, Detroit, Chicago and several other cities experienced anti war riots. The perceived loss of support for Nixon may be why Nixon's people did the Watergate break in on June 17, 1972.

But what happened in the 1972 election? What was the result of an election that pitted the unpopular Richard Nixon against cut and run George McGovern?

Nixon won in a huge landslide. That is what happened. If the Vietnam war was the issue in 1972, then it was a huge positive issue for Richard Nixon. Nixon won a much bigger victory than LBJ did in 1964. Nixon came within one tenth of one percent of exceeding the margin of victory achieved by FDR in 1936.

Election returns show that FDR was the most popular president of the 20th century, or he was on election day in 1936. Nixon, in 1972, was the second most popular president of the 20th century.. At least he was on election day 1972.. That is if you believe the election returns are a reflection of what voters really think. Consider that Nixon got 60.7 percent of the vote in 1972 and Franklin Delano Roosevelt got 60.8 percent in 1936.

Yes 1972 was at the height of the unpopularity of the Vietnam war and yet Nixon won big time. This is the same war that had 4 years earlier chased LBJ out of the presidential race.

How could that be. It must be that the Vietnam war was not the drag around the Republican's necks that the media says it was. It was a huge drag around Democratic necks. It was not a drag around the Republicans.

Members of today's media remember their opposition to the war. But they did not and do not now represent the American people. Democrats were against the Vietnam war ... big time. Just for the record Democrats do not vote for Republicans... That is why they are called Democrats.

The Elections returns show that. Vietnam hurt the vote getting ability of Democrats and improved the vote getting ability of Republicans. The only conclusion is enough moderates deserted McGovern in 1972, to elect Nixon in a huge landslide.

But you say Bush is very unpopular. What do you think Richard Nixon was in 1972? Do you think Nixon was the definition of a nice likable guy? Nixon's job approval rating was terrible in nearly all of 1972. Yes Virginia Nixon's job approval rating was lower than even Truman's in 1952.

Republicans for some reason tend to believe the media. They do not bother to study history.

It will be interesting to see where Hillary goes once she wins the Democratic Nomination.

I firmly believe that the only way Hillary can win is if the Republican nominee deserts George W. Bush. A lot of Republicans deserted Richard Nixon in 1972. IT did not cost Richard Nixon it cost the Republicans who deserted him.

I would urge that every Republican candidate take some time and study the history of Vietnam.. It just might open their eyes.

IRAQ and Vietnam destroy Democrats. They do not destroy Republicans.