Veterans Recruitment

[Stephen Kennedy]

Hello all,

I'm new to this site, so I'm not sure if this has already been addressed, and I apologize if it has. I am an Iraq veteran supporting Senator Scott Brown for reelection. Especially considering his opponent in the upcoming election, I feel that it is very important to mobilize Scott Brown supporters on Election Day.

This may not win me many fans here, but three years ago while I was still on active duty, I volunteered for Barack Obama's campaign in North Carolina. I was drawn to Obama's promise of bipartisanship and his purportedly moderate solutions for our nation's problems. I feel that, being in the military, I was particularly attracted by the idea of implementing policies that appealed to a large range of the political spectrum. Although this may seem contrary to the typical image of a soldier, I feel that anyone who has led other soldiers can tell you that even in a system where there is no choice but to follow orders, if the orders do not seem reasonable they will not be carried out nearly as well as they would if most of the unit believed in them. Following this logic, in 2008 I began a program of voter registration for active duty enlisted soldiers in Fort Bragg and Fayetteville, North Carolina. Although we registered anyone, regardless of their political affiliation, by targeting the enlisted ranks of active duty soldiers who had been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, who valued moderation and problem solving, we found that we registered far more Democrats than Republicans, and ultimately Barack Obama carried North Carolina in the election. Although we certainly could not take credit for the victory, I could not help but feel like it was a win for centrism, due in part to efforts like ours. Although the President turned out not to be the moderate I thought him to be, I still feel that his support among the enlisted ranks came from his perceived centrism.

In the 2012 Massachusetts Senate race, the voice of moderation is clearly Senator Brown. Elizabeth Warren's partisanship can only add to the stalemate in Washington that has stymied all efforts toward reform. One of the few voices for compromise and forward movement has been Scott Brown, and I think that the citizens of Massachusetts, particularly soldiers and veterans, can see that. To bring this reality to the fore, I think that it is of utmost importance that the Brown campaign begin an effort to rally soldiers and veterans to their cause through voter registration and get-out-the-vote initiatives. I hope that other supporters and the campaign management may notice this advice. I know that I would certainly be supportive of such an effort, and the Massachusetts veterans that I know would join me.

[Alex Ingram]

Thanks for your thoughtful post, Stephen. Paul Avella is heading up Scott's Veterans for Brown Coalition and can work with you to organize veterans throughout Massachusetts. He is a distinguished veteran himself and is excited to work with those like him throughout the state. Feel free to email him at [e-mail] to connect with him.

I look forward to meeting you! Thanks for your ongoing support