THIS IS A GOOD OBSERVATION

(h/t Atrios)

Robert Farley at Lawyers, Guns and Money has really great description of some of our war whores:

The central reason for this is not difficult to articulate; conservatives (at least in the current American construction of the term) are more likely to favor the use of force, are more likely to favor high defense budgets, are more likely to focus on military capability as a central component of American identity, and (statistically) are more likely to have served or know someone who has served in the military than are progressives.

I would add that it also seems to be an important part of their personal identities.