posted on October 4, 2004 05:53:06 PM new
Troops in survey back Bush 4-to-1 over Kerry
Mon Oct 4, 6:39 AM ET
By Dave Moniz, USA TODAY
An unscientific survey of U.S. military personnel shows they support President Bush (news - web sites) for re-election by a 4-to-1 ratio. Two-thirds of those responding said John Kerry (news - web sites)'s anti-war activities after he returned from Vietnam make them less likely to vote for him.
In the survey of more than 4,000 full-time and part-time troops, 73% said they would vote for Bush if the election were held today; 18% said they would vote for Kerry. Of the respondents, 59% identified themselves as Republicans, 20% as independents and 13% as Democrats.
The survey was conducted Sept. 15-28 by the Army Times Publishing Co., which distributes the weekly newspapers Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times. (Army Times Publishing is owned by Gannett, which also publishes USA TODAY.)
Army Times Publishing sent e-mails to more than 31,000 subscribers and received 4,165 responses on a secure Web site. The publisher cautioned that the results are not a scientific poll. Its readers are older, higher in rank and more career-oriented than the military as a whole.
Even so, experts who examined the survey results said they do not bode well for the Kerry campaign's efforts to woo the military, a traditionally Republican and conservative voting bloc. The Kerry campaign has highlighted his war record in an effort to burnish his credentials as a prospective commander in chief.
"You can't dismiss" the results, said Peter Feaver, a Duke University political scientist who for years has studied the political leanings of the U.S. military. Feaver said it's unlikely that Bush will receive 70% of votes cast by military personnel. But the results suggest it will be difficult for Kerry to make substantial gains among a group that has strongly supported Republican presidential candidates in the post-Vietnam era.
Feaver said he suspects Kerry is losing support among those in uniform because he seems less committed than Bush to prosecuting the war in Iraq (news - web sites).
Richard Kohn, a University of North Carolina history professor who has studied the political culture of the military, said the Bush campaign has been effective in creating the impression that, if elected, Kerry might "cut and run" in Iraq. "None of us who has studied Kerry's character believes that, but the Bush campaign has established in the public's mind a connection to Vietnam," Kohn said.
Kerry campaign spokesman David Wade called the Army Times Publishing effort "an inaccurate e-mail survey" and said that Kerry has "the vision and values to keep faith with military families and America's veterans."
Of survey respondents, 65% of active-duty and 67% of Guard and reserve troops said that Kerry's activities after Vietnam made them less likely to vote for him. Kerry served in Vietnam as a naval officer and was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. He protested the war after returning home.
Only 12% of active-duty troops and 16% of Guard and reserve troops said Bush's actions in the National Guard made them less likely to vote for him. Bush received a coveted pilot's slot in the Texas Air National Guard during the height of the Vietnam War and missed a number of mandatory drills after he stopped flying fighter jets in April 1972.
Active-duty, Guard and reserve troops number about 2.4 million, a small slice of the electorate. But in closely contested states such as Florida, their votes could be crucial. The survey found little difference in presidential support among the four military branches.
While there is a lot of information available on how military veterans have voted, data on the voting patterns of active-duty personnel are scarce. Feaver said experts believe military personnel favored Bush over Al Gore (news - web sites) 2-1 in the 2000 presidential race.
A number of military analysts, including Feaver, had been predicting as recently as this summer that Bush would suffer a slight erosion this year based on a number of factors, including misgivings about the conduct of the war in Iraq and dislike of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in some military circles. Of those responding to the survey, about three-fifths said they approve of the way Bush is handling the situation in Iraq; one-quarter said they disapprove.
Military personnel who responded to the survey said they were generally happy with their jobs: 73% said they would re-enlist.
How many will re-enlist if that traitor is elected?
posted on October 4, 2004 06:49:11 PM new
My son has said he won't.
kerry and co. are going to have their lawyers disputing/challenging every military vote they can next month....just like they did in 2000. In 2000 it appeared to many that the gore people were doing their very best to NOT let our overseas military soldiers vote be counted. How pro- American, pro-soldiers - NOT!!
Very few fighting soldiers, or injured soldiers who hear kerry's statements while they and their buddies lives are/have been on the line would much care for kerry's 'wrong war, wrong time, wrong place' stupid statement. And as you mention....the vets who aren't serving aren't impressed with kerry's 14-16 week VN service...throwing his medals...siding with our enemies, etc. No way.
I'd expect the military vote to be a much larger percentage for re-electing this President than it was in the 2000 election.
As for the success of Kerry's anti-democracy protests and his leadership of the VVAW and association with Fonda's Winter Soldier Investigation, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Vietnam's most decorated military leader, wrote in retrospect that if not for the disunity created by such stateside protesters, Hanoi would have ultimately surrendered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment, Section 3, which states, "No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President ... having previously taken an oath ... to support the Constitution of the United States, [who has] engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism." --George Washington
posted on October 4, 2004 07:52:06 PM newAn unscientific survey of U.S. military personnel shows they support President Bush (news - web sites) for re-election by a 4-to-1 ratio.
Yep there is all the proof you need....an unscientific survey.
Now if an unscientific survey said Kerry was ahead of Bush 4-1, Linda would be the first to jump all of it.
Now why don't you post the results of a real survey.
My son has said he won't.
Good more reasons why a draft will have to be reinstated who ever is elected in November.
DICK CHENEY SUPPORTS MY RELATIONSHIP: People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to
Let's have a BBQ, Texas style, ROAST BUSH
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YOU CAN'T HAVE BULLSH** WITH OUT BUSH.
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posted on October 4, 2004 08:24:24 PM newGood more reasons why a draft will have to be reinstated who ever is elected in November.
Nope... when President Bush is re-elected there will be no reason for a draft. Plenty are signing up even now. There's no need for one.
Besides even kerry says [and we all know how we can count on him not to change his mind ] that he doesn't want a draft either.
Just like during the clinton administration....military people leave when they don't care for the CIC. They didn't care for him cutting our military by 40%....so they retired and left.
posted on October 4, 2004 08:48:40 PM new
Twelvetoes LOL, the U.S. Marine that is helping me is voting for John Kerry. Must be I know 1 out of the 18%. This young Marine thinks Bush lied to take America to war. He also told me if anyone had asked any questions about Bush while he was on active duty he would have praised Bush for fear of his commanding officers. Maybe that's why the survey you copied a pasted send out 31,000 survey questions and only received 4,165 responses.
I also talked to an Air Force Officer a couple weeks ago in Washington D.C. he said "I know that Bush is my commander and chief but I am voting for John Kerry". Of course my survey is an unscientific survey also.
Is it true that America and the White House got bad news from Poland today? Is Poland thinking of pulling their troops out of Iraq sometime in the up coming year?
posted on October 5, 2004 05:08:18 AM new
peepa wow two whole military men... and one is helping you...if he was voting for Bush would you still be asking for his help?
I know of two soldiers and more that are voting for President Bush...
I just wanted to post this to what would be said... However it is apparent that those crying the loudest that have something against the military...
Those papers are strictly Military... reason they are unscientific... you cannot get much response outside of a certain group.
posted on October 5, 2004 09:29:02 AM new
There is a huge problem with this survey.
It was done by email so every respondent could be identified.
I'd bet that the true percentages in the military arent too much different than the general population.
I would also add that the percentage who actually vote in the military is probably lower that the general population.
Just read some info about Ohio voters too. Looks like despite the surveys, Ohio will go to Keery by a good margin. Seems the Dems have registered thousands of new voters there.
posted on October 5, 2004 09:39:50 AM new
Can't remember the exact percentages but I've read that the military almost always favors the republican candidate.
When result for past elections are evaluated.
And then there is the assumption being made that since so many have registered to vote - in both parties...that in fact they really will vote. Many will forget to...not be bothered to vote...they just registered because someone asked them to....not necessarily because it was important enough for them to register themselves. In other words, lacking the motivation to register, but when it's presented to them - they do.
No guarantee the majority of them will actually vote.
posted on October 5, 2004 10:13:50 AM new
twelvetoes, the Marine that helps me has a Honorable Discharge from the Marines. This Marine only has good things to say about his fellow Marines. He just feels that Bush/Cheney are liars. Yes, of course I would ask him to help me if he was voting for Bush. I only feel bad that my small business can only give him a couple days a week of work. He is trying very hard to find a good full time job but is having a hard time.
Maybe you can answer my question about Poland below.
Is it true that America and the White House got bad news from Poland today? Is Poland thinking of pulling their troops out of Iraq sometime in the up coming year?
posted on October 5, 2004 05:08:06 PM new
Yes and No, they will if the elections go well and Iraq is stablized... but then by the end of next year we could see a draw down also... not really a surprise.
posted on October 5, 2004 05:17:40 PM new
kerry showed his true self in 1971 and todays military personnel realize ke would treat them the same way....without honor.
Hey, hey Ho, ho Kerry - sign the 1-8-0
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The person who has nothing for which he is willing
to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
--John Stuart Mill
] that he doesn't want a draft either.