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Our Commonwealth remains a purple state, not the hoped for red swing state, despite the hard work of many. Politics, once again, proved to be an exhausting and frustrating puzzle dominated by money, messaging, and media. Still, our election was safe, transparent, timely, and, in the end, certain. Our Constitutional Republic endures, strengthened by a resounding Presidential victory. And this year at Thanksgiving, we can celebrate both our personal blessings and an inspiring hope for a return to common sense, a strong economy, lower inflation, and restored national security.
As Veterans, we feel cautiously optimistic. Older Veterans know the solution to the recruiting crisis begins with an abrupt return of mission focus to our active military. They understand the human costs of growing national security threats posed by bad actors overseas and at our border. And they know the long road back to combat readiness has few short cuts. Veterans hope to see Serious leaders and Serious actions.
Younger Veterans may have slightly more immediate concerns and appropriate expectations for improvements in VA services for health, education, employment, business development, and family support. The incoming administration’s intent to promote efficient, effective solutions across the federal bureaucracies must include the Veterans Administration. DOGE and their genius team must spend some time dealing with Veteran needs despite their total lack of experience with the Veteran world. Once again, Veterans hope to see Serious leaders and Serious actions.
The assembling administration, its leaders and their proposed actions, has been likened to a pirate ship. Sounds about right. This new team is a remarkable mixture of personalities, politics, and egos intent on disrupting the status quo of Washington. They serve a returning President who knows the obstacles facing his policy agenda, both bureaucratic and institutional. Changes will begin at the border, continue through the economy, reverberate internationally, and impact politically. Veterans, both young and old, expect results, not riots. Indeed, they want Serious leaders and Serious actions.
This new administration can only begin corrective steps. It is said that they have only 10 months to put their changes in place. Next year, at this time, we will see the politics of midterm elections gaining strength. The follow through, the adoption, the broad acceptance of everything from border policies to defense priorities to public norms and laws will take reinforcement in the halls of Congress, the departments of the federal government, our full array of courts, and the legislatures of our states. Executive orders are insufficient. There will be much more work to do. Such work demands Serious leaders and Serious actions.
As voting in these most recent elections produced promising consequences, only voting and winning the elections ahead will assure the outcomes that raise our hopes and expectations today. There will be a natural desire to declare “End of Mission” as we watch future national dramas. The changes in policies and personnel will shortly move from the spectator spectacle consuming these short days before January 20, 2025, to the intensity of new elections with opponents bent on recovering their diminishing electorate and political power. In 2025, all Virginia House Delegate seats are up for election (100) as are the full slate of Virginia State offices. Time for Serious leaders and Serious actions.
Members of American Veterans Vote have earned sincere gratitude and some time to rest and recover before preparing to once again serve. But it can’t be End of Mission. We must remain vigilant. Time is our advantage for planning and preparation. After four election cycles completed, American Veterans Vote is conducting a leadership AAR in December. And we are assembling insights from Veteran voting data in 2024. We’ve learned much about the Veteran role in winning in Virginia. We remain convinced that Veterans are those Serious leaders capable of Serious actions – Vote, Volunteer, Lead.
EVERY VETERAN, EVERY VOTE
VETERANS FORWARD
Bob Wood
LTG (R), USA
CEO, American Veterans Vote
AVV Website
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