Kornblut on Hardball: "Republican crowds are a little different. They still want to be supporting the troops"

During the August 21 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, Washington Post staff writer Anne E. Kornblut asserted that, in contrast with Democratic crowds who applaud Democratic candidates when they say, "I'm going to start ending this war in Iraq," "Republican crowds are a little different. They still want to be supporting the troops." A Post reader flagged Kornblut's remark during an August 23 washingtonpost.com online chat, asking chat host and Post White House reporter Peter Baker: "Is this a commonly held belief amongst Washington reporters? Given that the majority of Americans favor ending the war, do you believe that they don't support the troops?" Baker defended the comment, replying that Kornblut "was saying that Republicans see the issue as supporting the troops. She wasn't saying that's her view."

In fact, during the August 21 Hardball, Kornblut said:

KORNBLUT: It [the war in Iraq] remains, especially in Democratic crowds, the number one issue. There is no applause line that gets a bigger response when you've -- when you're out with Senator Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, than when they say, "The first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to start ending this war in Iraq."

Republican crowds are a little different. They still want to be supporting the troops. I saw Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani in recent weeks out in Iowa. The Republican crowd is a little different, but even there, Democrats know that there is a strong Republican majority of people who are not happy with this war. So, it's still playing out there. It's still, I would say, the number one issue on the table.

Media Matters for America has identified a tendency on the part of many in the media (here, here, here, here, and here) to characterize those who supported the Iraq invasion or oppose U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq as pro-military or "supporting the troops," suggesting that those who opposed the U.S.-led invasion or now support withdrawal are somehow "anti-military" or not supportive of the troops.

From washingtonpost.com's August 23 "Post Politics Hour":

Seattle: Your colleague Anne Kornblut suggested on "Hardball" this week that ending the war in Iraq equals not supporting the troops: "There is no applause line that gets a bigger response when you're out with Sen. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, than when they say the first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to start ending this war in Iraq. Republican crowds are a little different. They still want to be supporting the troops."

Is this a commonly held belief amongst Washington reporters? Given that the majority of Americans favor ending the war, do you believe that they don't support the troops?

Peter Baker: I didn't see the program but judging by the quote you attach here, I don't think that's what she was saying at all. It seems clear to me that Anne, who's one of the most talented and fair-minded political reporters out there, was saying that Republicans see the issue as supporting the troops. She wasn't saying that's her view.

From the August 21 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MIKE BARNICLE (guest host): How's it playing out there?

KORNBLUT: It remains, especially in Democratic crowds, the number one issue. There is no applause line that gets a bigger response when you've -- when you're out with Senator Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, than when they say, "The first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to start ending this war in Iraq."

Republican crowds are a little different. They still want to be supporting the troops. I saw Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani in recent weeks out in Iowa. The Republican crowd is a little different, but even there, Democrats know that there is a strong Republican majority of people who are not happy with this war. So, it's still playing out there. It's still, I would say, the number one issue on the table.

—K.H.