The Vote
"Those are our jets now"
-actor Ron Silver commenting on a military flyover during Bill Clinton's 1992 Presidential inauguration
I've never forgotten that quote. Though simple, it said a lot. A party that had been in opposition during 12 years of Reagan/Bush had just assumed control of the executive branch and all its powers, services, and agencies. The jets, soldiers, and weapons of the military, whose buildup had been roundly condemned by Democrats throughout the previous 12 years, was now at the command of Democrat President Bill Clinton. A party, who had been for many years the metaphorical "Back Seat Driver", ever criticism, ever complaining, ever second-guessing, and ever offering up their dime-a-dozen opinions of what they would do differently, had at that moment assumed control of the wheel -it was their turn to drive. Needless to say, the Democrat President used the jets often and well. We know the places where they were visited upon (perhaps many of us have forgotten): Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq. A party, whose leaders had been participants in 60's era marches of peace, was, during the 90's, well adept at waging war. The jets had become theirs to command.