By: Mark Glennon*
Statements about Ukraine from most officeholders would lead you to think they’d be ready to grab a Live Free Or Die flag and an anti-tank gun to fight against foreign oppression if it ever came.
But a new poll says that, for Democrats, their rank-and-file constituents would run, not fight.
Here’s the question asked in the Quinnipiac survey: “If you were in the same position as Ukrainians are now, do you think that you would stay and fight or leave the country?” A majority of Democrats (52%) said they would leave the country rather than stay and fight (40%). In contrast, independents said they would stay and fight rather than leave by margins of 57% to 36%. For Republicans, that margin was 68% to 25%.
That’s an astonishing result if you think about it along with another finding in the poll, which is that Democrats overwhelmingly approve of how President Biden is handling the Ukraine invasion. Biden is handling the invasion by encouraging Ukrainians to fight and providing weapons to do so. Ukrainian casualties will probably end up in the tens of thousands and many cities are being pulverized. Seventy-seven percent of Democrats approve and just 13% disapprove.
That means Democratic voters are essentially saying this: Fight and die, Ukrainians, and here are some weapons. Just don’t think we would ever do the same.
But statements from politicians, in Illinois and across the country, routinely urge Ukrainians to fight on and celebrate their courage. That includes Democrats whose party members would prefer to flee. Some examples:
- U.S. Senator from Illinois Tammy Duckworth issued a statement saying, “Our country and the world remain in awe of the bravery of the Ukrainian people who are so effectively defending their homeland and their freedom and, with the fearless leadership of President Zelenskyy, are continuing to repel Putin’s forces against overwhelming odds.”
- Governor JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, and House Speaker Chris Welch issued a joint statement that says, “As Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine escalates, it threatens everyone around the world.”
- “Putin is a heinous blowhard. He’s an insidious, barbaric, authoritarian ruler. And he’s, I believe, committed war crimes in Ukraine attacking not only the military but civilian targets,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthy (D-Illinois) to FOX 32.
- “My heart breaks for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who, as we speak, are under attack and bombardment by Russian troops,” said Illinois Congresswoman Marie Newman. “This unjustified invasion is not only a grave violation of international law and the Charter of the UN but represents one of the darkest moments for Europe since World War II.
Do those politicians know their base would flee rather than fight like Ukranians? Or are they of the same mind as their base and just roaring like cowardly lions (an exception in that case would be Duckworth, a disabled veteran)?
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
So many Democrats despise the country in which they reside, so why fight for it? They are residents, not citizens. Run to Canada, if they’ll take you. I lived there a couple years. It’s not what you think it is. Apparently, patriotism means so little to Democrats. But despite them, the USA and its form of democracy and freedoms are the greatest in history. It’s why millions and millions have come and continue to try to come here. I’ll take one hard working legal immigrant for 10 dopy Democrats, yet that might not even be a fair trade.
I know this will get a lot of down votes but i have much more respect for Putin than the ignorant,lying dopes,Pelosi,Kamala Harris,and President Brandon,the latter three are truly scumbags and could care less about this country or the general populace
Yea, you got my downvote on the Putin comp. But “ignorant, lying dopes” they sure are.
I don’t disagree in that Putin (KGB?) and his history, but he shows an interest in purity in his own nation towards families however disregard for families in the Ukraine.
I don’t think we are seeing the facts in any of what is being portrayed on media.
Those I know behind the lines are worried about the human toll as I am.
I do not see Pelosi, Biden or any Democrats really worried about any of that nor is Putin.
The people suffer while oligarchs wage wars.
i agree
Kinda like sayin’, “I see Hitler’s point, but that Neville Chamberlain was a dope.”
Who has killed more innocents in the 2000’s: Putin in Chechnya or GWB in Iraq?
If we’re keeping score, Putin’s just gettin’ started; it’s only the second inning. USSR II?
what im saying is,Putin is an evil dictator,but i still have more respect for him than the three complete buffoons that i mentioned above
Yes, Thee.
The Russian border is lined with Nato missiles pointing at the Russian people He has asked repeatedly for Ukraine to stay neutral.How would folks feel if China lined our northern and southern borders with missiles pointing at us?
Putin is defending his border and the security of the Russian people.
I wish I had a president who did that.
yes Anna,we had a president like that a couple years ago
I agree. All the pundits now say this is all Putins fault! It’s really the woke globalist’s fault, the US and EU poking Putin over and over in the eye with NATO hubris. Such people seem to think that territory is no longer a thing. Well to Putin and most non-globalist countries territory is the only thing. The wokesters teased Ukraine into thinking they were really a part of the west now, Ukrainians actually believed it too, because territory isn’t real to these wokesters. Putin and many others would see it all differently. Now the globalists whine about why Putin… Read more »
We don’t owe Ukraine a damn thing, sure its horrible their situation. But we can’t guard our own border, our military doesn’t know how to win a war that vanquishes the enemy into oblivion. We were beaten in Afghanistan by goat herders, and we’re supposed to think our woke military can go up against Russia? Then after losing we retreat like cowards leaving billions of equipment to the goat herders that hate us. Ukraine was a part of the Soviet block, it makes sense Putin wants no interference, just like if Russia came after Puerto Rico here. Ukraine gave Hunter… Read more »
hardly democratic now.Z just cancelled yesterday all opposition political parties and all news sources.
Watch a sober explanation (first 45 min) of recent history in Ukraine dating back to 2014 and the west’s ouster of its then President. You want peace through strength? Very difficult to follow through on that mantra when you’re busy hollowing out your own middle class through insane economic and energy policies while letting your borders be overrun with foreign invaders. The DC elites do not care about you. If you were trying to harm the US over the past several years to prevent it from employing peach through strength, what would you do differently than what has been happening… Read more »
True enough, true enough.
Mark, your post misses the real story here: The Democratic Party and our nation have been led by a President, Joe Biden, and a cabinet who were way too slow to provide the arms needed to allow the Ukranians to defend their country more completely against one of the world’s worst tyrants, Putin, leader of the world’s third strongest military power. So, Ukraine has been unable to prevent thousands of senseless casualties and three million (and counting) people from losing their residences, land, belongings, schools and communities. The U S has provided two billion dollars to Ukraine,… Read more »
Lotta words for what essentially boils down to a view the US should bankrupt itself even further to support the military industrial complex and the deep state’s misadventures in extremely corrupt Ukraine.
Super accounting processes attached those those billions of dollars, amiright?
Trust the media and govt at any cost.
Russia, Russia, Russia!
Jeff, I too have been surprised and disappointed by how far Tucker, JD Vance and a few others have gone with their indifference to Ukraine. I am also disappointed in those who call them traitors. I personally think our response currently is about right, though lots of mistakes were made that led up to this.
Send your children to fight in Ukraine. Don’t offer to send mine.
Debtor, I am not aware of anybody calling for US troops. I certainly did not. U.S. current policy is intended to avoid any entanglement like that.
Is it? Doesn’t seem that way.
Our ‘team’ in charge of this Cold War is joe Biden, Kamala, mcmilley, Victoria nuland…this isn’t their first entanglement in ukraine.
If Putin invades a nato country then we have treaties to honor.
But ukraine? a corrupt playground our leaders have been looting for years? Not interested in the slightest. Don’t care.
Let Europe solve this problem in their own backyard.
This is a sensitive issue on both sides but I try to look or should I say prepare just in case Putin drops a small nuke in Ukraine but what happens if his hypersonic missile goes haywire and lands in a large city outside of the Ukraine? If Putin is backed into a corner who knows what will happen. Maybe all these cyber hacking from Russia have been just a test and he is probably much more capable of wreaking havoc over here. While the world is watching over there what is North Korea up to? Same if China goes… Read more »
Freddy, I totally agree. This is an extremely dangerous situation that could be set off by an error, a poorly controlled commander or Putin’s craziness. I know you know how WWI started. And nobody has talked much in recent years about the horrors of an intercontinental nuclear exchange.
https://news.usni.org/2022/03/19/video-navy-pilots-flying-dozens-of-daily-russian-deterrence-missions-from-uss-harry-s-truman
Article above: Sounds great! Biden won’t accidentally get us involved in Www3 over some corrupt pseudo-democracy, right? Ukraine is HIS country to loot, not Putin’s to loot!
Isn’t all this in some way why burimsa paid hunter millions dollars?
If you find yourself on the same side as all the blue checks on twitter and all the Democrats you’ve probably taken the wrong side. This includes most of the Republican establishment too.
The new “cyber hacking” is not the fear of shutting down systems and networks. The worse cyber hacking is propaganda spread freely by woke tech giants who sway elections. Go ahead Russia shut down my electricity I don’t give a damn, I know the more dangerous threat is swaying the minds of Americans. They’ve already done it apparently when so many would rather flee to Canada than defend their country. And rig elections.
Debtor, if you have a bad neighborhood, eventually that bad neighborhood will visit you. That’s what happened on 9/11, Pearl Harbor, 2020 summer riots in the Loop and suburbs and car jackings now throughout Chicago and many of its suburbs. Iraq was a total mistaken war. Trillions of our treasure and tens, if not hundreds of thousands of lives needlessly lost, targeting the wrong country. Made sense to remove the training camps, Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan, but 20 years there and a completely botched exit of course made no sense. But sticking your head in the sand and… Read more »
We’ve made this problem bad enough. Its best we totally ignore it militarily Ukraine, except for humanitarian aid. Let Russia have it now, we’ll only make it worse. And we’ll need our strength in Taiwan soon.
Mark, damn straight. Zelenskyy didn’t call for U S troops. Neither did you nor I. Debtor, stop putting words in people’s mouths that aren’t there. It’s not a productive way to debate the issues.
Didn’t he call for nato? A no fly zone? Did he not just give a speech to Congress asking for any and all assistance? Where do you people actually think this is going? He’s called for us to shoot down russia planes. That’s asking for us/nato troops. So yes he has asked for us troops through nato.
C’mon debtsor, take that up with Zelensky. He called for that, not “us people.” I sure don’t agree with that.
It think it’s a very grey area between giving billions in weapons, aid, sorties, special operations logistical support and assistance, but then say “no troops”. It’s fighting a proxy war.
Mark, I am glad to learn that you, too, are disappointed by how far Tucker, et al have gone with their indifference to Ukraine. I agree, and I haven’t called Tucker a traitor. But, I have said his statements that he doesn’t care what Putin does to Ukrainians and Tucker only cares about Americans are shameful. That is not what America is about and that is not a good set of values to guide our foreign policy. I also agree with you that we should not be sending our troops to defend the Ukraine. But Zelenskyy has never asked for… Read more »
This is far too naive assessment of the situation. Russia fought long hard battles against the Chechens. This war could go on years. Supplying the Ukrainians with weapons only drags out the inevitable and causes untold death and destruction and sends more refugees to Europe. Russia gets Ukraine without the Ukrainians! Win/Win for him! Meanwhile, it’s a great political opportunity for Biden because he can blame Putin for everything #PutinsPriceHikes. All of BIden’s problems are putin’s fault. TWo months ago it was my fault, the unvaccinted, I caused all of america’s problems, now it’s Putin’s fault. Most importantly, which is… Read more »
well said, agree 100%!
This war is not Putins fault, we threatened him with NATO expansion into Ukraine on his border. I don’t blame Putin one bit for going into Ukraine, just like we would go into a western hemisphere country if he were on our doorstep, I blame our policy entirely. His only recourse was to try to take Ukraine or lay it to waste, we pulled the trigger. We never had any strategic value in Ukraine membership in NATO, other than woke politicians thinking they could get that feather in their hats. Yet we dangled that carrot irresponsibly in front of Ukraine,… Read more »
Spot on. We absolutely baited Putin into taking the Ukrainian bait. He couldn’t help himself. Ukraine and all those innocent people are just pawns in a game of geopolitical chess. And now we get a grinding proxy war in Ukraine with a reordering of the East/west political divide, and we are on the losing side. But contractors get rich and Biden can talk his Putin price hikes. That a real thing they use as a talking point.
I wonder if the West will see things differently when the only thing standing between China and Europe is the decimated Russia that they were intent on destroying.
One word: Canada. The same Democrats who promised to bail on the USA for the Great White North (pun intended) if Trump won are the same who’d flee in an instant if they had to put any sort of physical effort into defending American soil. They already view Canada as a viable, nay, preferable alternative to the USA. I would wager, if given the choice, 90% of the fleeing white Democrats would not choose a country where POC are the majority.
This survey is great news. Now we conservatives know how to rid the country of Democrats! They’ll simply leave if there’s even a threat of a Russian invasion.
Putin, please come save us!
The poll has other interesting parts. Women and blacks overwhelmingly say they would flee rather than stay and fight, but hispanics would stay and fight by a ratio of almost two to one.
Maybe many Hispanics have already fled once and recognize that their new home (United States) is worth a fight. Blacks instead feel like victims (whether justified or not) so why stay and fight? Just speculating. I’m not surprised by the poll numbers.
“Maybe many Hispanics have already fled once and recognize that their new home (United States) is worth a fight.”
Or more likely that Hispanics think fighting Russians in the US is safer for Latin America than fighting Russians in Latin America.
Blacks instead feel like victims (whether justified or not) so why stay and fight?
I can’t speak for an entire group of people, but I think they know they, that as permanent underclass, they would not fare well under the rule of an authoritarian foreign power.
Honest Jerk, such are the fruits of telling them constantly that America is systemically racist, all whites are oppressors, the Constitution was designed to perpetuate slavery, etc.
Liberals have principles, so long as it’s convenient.
FYI: As a conservative, I’m mostly fine with how the U.S. government has responded to the Ukraine invasion. I also think Putin would not have invaded if Trump was still president.