The poll above is very revealing when it comes to the difference between the political parties. MSNBC polled members of both parties on whether they supported a military strike by the U.S. against Syria.
In 2013, 38% of Democrats supported such a strike, and in 2017 a similar 37% supported a strike. It shows that the Democrats who supported such a strike did so whether it was done by a Democrat or a Republican in the White House.
It's far different with Republicans. In 2013, only 22% of Republicans supported a military strike against Syria, but in 2017 that support had climbed to a whopping 86%. It seems that those Republicans opposed a strike in 2013 only because an African-American president was in the White House. They were fine with a military strike in 2017, because a White Republican was in the White House.
Laura Clawson at Daily Kos said:
It’s almost like people in one party have some principles and people in the other just care whether a member of their team in in charge.
I think she's exactly right.
