The rise of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) is showing that peace is popular, as the lovely Hawaiian made serious waves advocating for a non-interventionist foreign policy during yesterday’s first Democratic presidential debate.
“For too long our leaders have failed us, from taking us from one regime change war to the next, leading us into a new Cold War and arms race, costing us trillions of our hard-earned taxpayer dollars and countless lives. This insanity must end,” Gabbard said on Wednesday night.
She got into a heated debate with another contender, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) who argued the standard, boiler-plate warmongering position.
“You have to stay engaged in these situations. Nobody likes it. It’s long. It’s tedious,” Ryan said. “So I would say we must be engaged in this. We must have our State Department engaged, we must have our military engaged to the extent that they need to be.”
“As a soldier, I will tell you, that answer is unacceptable,” Gabbard responded.
“The Taliban was there long before we came in,” Gabbard said. “They’re going to be there long before we leave. We cannot keep US troops deployed to Afghanistan thinking that we’re going to somehow squash this Taliban that’s been there, that every other country that’s tried has failed.”
As a result of her strong stance in favor of peace, Gabbard’s online following is booming. She won the Drudge Report poll asking who had the strongest showing in the debate by a wide margin. She also was the Democratic candidate who was searched for the most across the country, according to Google trends.
Many users on Twitter approved of her stances as well while the bloodthirsty establishment kvetched at her strong showing:
As a surfer, @TulsiGabbard chose the wave that becomes an empathetic tsunami and eventually will sweep away the banality of evil and take her into the #WH: ALOHA!#Tulsi2020#MakeAmericaSaneAgain#MASA#MeeTooAbusedByPsychopaths#UpriseOfHumanityForSanityhttps://t.co/0Fd0Ej42RC
— Thomas Binder ⏳ (@Thomas_Binder) June 27, 2019
“Chickenhawk Cabinet”
Tulsi Gabbard invokes her record as a military veteran to advocate for no war on Iran. #DemDebate
“What would your red line be?” Lester Holt asks.
Gabbard insists people focus on how Trump admin is creating this crisis.
— Kevin Gosztola (@kgosztola) June 27, 2019
Can we get all 10 to go on the record opposing military action against Iran like Tulsi just did? #DemDebate
— John Iadarola (@johniadarola) June 27, 2019
Tulsi Gabbard is who AOC thinks she is
— Armani Salado (@historyofarmani) June 27, 2019
I’d take @TulsiGabbard over any other Dem candidate by a fucking long shot. Look forward to hearing more from her.
— Quoth the Raven (@QTRResearch) June 27, 2019
@TulsiGabbard gives me Rogue vibes! #TULSI2020 pic.twitter.com/yTWevWt2KJ
— Amanda Mo (@amanda_mo1) June 27, 2019
I find #TulsiGabbard‘s absolute refusal to get drawn into classic DNC identity politics rhethoric, despite being a lovely woman of color who could easily take advantage of it, incredibly refreshing. OUT with the old ,stale feminist views. IN with SUBSTANCE that COMMANDS respect!
— Megan Metcalfe (@MetcalfeMegan) June 27, 2019
Although Gabbard’s socialist policies predicated on aggression undermine her dovish foreign policy stance, the grassroots swell of support that has coalesced around her is largely centered around her opposition for endless wars. It shows that, while Ron Paul may have retired, the sentiment that catapulted him to national prominence still remains. Peace is as popular as ever.
