What happened when Democrats in Congress cut off funding for the Vietnam War?Historians have linked that cut in finds directly to the fall of Saigon and the right successfully made the argument that Democrats were soft on Defense. Before that, Democrats were in charge of almost every war, and in early in World War II Republicans were isolationists and called WWII Roosevelt's war and were against it.
Especially since Vietnam, Republicans have created a belief that Democrats, because of their action, are soft on Defense. It has stood now since 1975 as a belief by the right and even a majority of independents. This belief also led many of the peace advocates to be a little more involved with Democrats because Republicans hitched their wagon to war and national defense.