Does the military really support Bush?

[holiday]

this is what a Bushie lover is sending me.


13341 Posts <> Posted - 10/26/2004 : 11:55:32 AM Politics

Military Bullish on Bush
Posted Oct 22, 2004


President Bush's overwhelming edge in popularity among men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces could tip the race to the incumbent in a close election.

A National Annenberg Election Survey of military personnel and their families indicates that this segment of the population is far more likely to view President Bush favorably than Sen. John Kerry. In fact, 69% have a favorable opinion of Bush while only 29% have a favorable opinion of Kerry.

The survey, released October 15, also shows that 94% of the troops on active duty say they intend to vote this year, while only 85% of the general population intends to do so.

Even though Kerry served in Vietnam and made his past military service a major feature of the Democratic National Convention, the Annenberg poll indicates he has won very little respect from active-duty military and their families.

The survey interviewed 655 active-duty military (including regular forces, National Guard members and Reservists) and military family members between September 22 and October 5. The poll had a margin of error of +/-4%.

Sixty-seven per cent said they approved of the way Bush was handling his job as President and 64% said they believe the country is headed in the right direction.

Perhaps the most significant answer in the survey came in response to the question: "Who do you trust to handle the responsibilities of commander in chief of the military: George W. Bush or John Kerry?" Sixty-nine per cent said Bush, while only 24% said Kerry.

A 1948 law prohibits directly polling members of the armed forces about whom they intend to support in elections. So, the poll only raised the logical inference that a majority of military personnel will support Bush based on answers given to other questions.

The preference for Bush over Kerry, for example, was strongly displayed when military people were asked to compare various traits of the two candidates. When asked who "shares my values," 64% said Bush; 28% said Kerry. When asked who is a "strong leader," 72% said Bush; 20% said Kerry. When asked who "says one thing and does another," 22% said Bush; 65% said Kerry.

The military personnel embraced realistic views about Iraq. When asked: "All in all, do you think the situation in Iraq was worth going to war over, or not?" 69% said yes, and 27% said no. Only 47% said the war in Iraq has reduced the risk of terrorism against the United States, and only 47% said they think President Bush has a "clear plan" for bringing the situation in Iraq to a successful conclusion.

Nonetheless, a dismal 16% believe Kerry has a "clear plan" for bringing the situation in Iraq to a successful conclusion.

When asked to list the "most important reason" for going to war in Iraq, 29% said to remove Saddam from power, 23% said because Iraq was helping terrorists, 15% said because Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, 13% said to bring stability to the Middle East, 11% said to gain control of Iraq's oil, and 6% said to bring democracy to Iraq.


Military Compares Bush and Kerry

Cares about people like me

Bush higher: 59%

Kerry higher: 30%

Equal: 10%

Strong leader

Bush higher: 72%

Kerry higher: 20%

Equal: 6%

Shares my values

Bush higher: 64%

Kerry higher: 28%

Equal: 7%

Says one thing, does another

Bush higher: 22%

Kerry higher: 65%

Equal: 9%

Generally speaking do you think of yourself as:

Republican: 43%

Democrat: 19%

Independent: 28%


High Marks for Commander-in-Chief

Here are some of the results from the National Annenberg Election Survey of 655 active-duty military personnel and their families.

Do you approve of the way George W. Bush is doing his job as President?

Approve: 67%

Disapprove: 29%

Please tell me if your opinion of George W. Bush is favorable or unfavorable?

Favorable: 69%

Unfavorable: 23%

Please tell me if your opinion of John Kerry is favorable or unfavorable?

Favorable: 29%

Unfavorable: 54%

Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction, or do you think things are going seriously off on the wrong track?

Right direction: 64%

Wrong track: 31%

All in all, do you think the situation in Iraq was worth going to war over, or not?

Yes, worth it: 64%

No, not worth it: 32%

Do you think George W. Bush has a clear plan for bringing the situation in Iraq to a successful conclusion, or don?t you think so?

Has a clear plan: 47%

Does not have a clear plan: 48%

Do you think John Kerry has a clear plan for bringing the situation in Iraq to a successful conclusion, or don?t you think so?

Has a clear plan: 18%

Does not have a clear plan: 72%

Who do you trust more to handle the responsibilities of commander in chief of the military: George W. Bush or John Kerry?

George W. Bush: 69%

John Kerry: 24%

Source: National Annenberg Election Survey. The complete poll can be viewed here



Anyway to debunk this? this goes against the people that i know who have loved ones in Iraq and hope and pray Kerry is elected.

[AIJ Alom]

1. Here's a point I will make. How many of them are in Iraq ?

I'd love to know what the troops in Iraq think of Bush !

[RunningFromCongress]

3. I have a couple friends there

and here's a quote from one of them:

"But all of my buds are for kerry. One of em goes off on some pretty good rants sometimes lol. I would say definately the majority of the people here with me would vote kerry, but of course this is a disgruntled group. "

He's one of the Read Reserve people who have been called up. He had 3 weeks left before he was out for good, and they called him up.

[AIJ Alom]

5. That's what my buds and family have been telling me from Iraq !

[Dem Agog]

2. The Smart Ones Don't... Conversation with a soldier...

One of our best friends spend 14 months in Iraq and is looking at being redeployed soon. He says it's a mess there and he knows that * is to blame. His unit earned 17 purple hearts, fortunately no casualties just injuries. He hates * and from talking to him, the sentiments of those deployed are very similar.

[Qanisqineq]

4. 9 out of 10 guys in my husband's platoon

support Kerry. The 10th guy isn't even gonna vote. Is the rest of the military like that? Doubtful. These guys were in Iraq and strongly dislike Bush. Does he have the majority in the military? Who knows, but I think it goes to show that Bush's military support isn't as strong as he thinks.

Edited 'cuz me grammar ain't so good today.

[DulceDecorum]

6. The military HATES Bush

"Every day you read the articles in the States where it's like, 'Oh, it's getting better and better,'" said Lance Cpl. Jonathan Snyder. "But when you're here, you know it's worse every day."

Why the disconnect? According to Pfc. Kyle Maio, government officials might be reticent to speak candidly because of the upcoming U.S. elections. "Stuff's going on here but they won't flat-out say it," he said. "They can't get into it."
<snip>

Meanwhile, a Gallup Poll released on October 12 reveals that 54% of American now say it was "not worth going to war in Iraq." This is up from 48% in early September.

Fainaru closes his article with the kind of absurd dark humor that became a staple among Americans in Vietnam by the late-1960s. He reports that when he asked the platoon's radio operator, Cpl. Brandon Autin, 21, if he was worried about the Marines being punished for speaking out, he replied, "We don't give a crap. What are they going to do, send us to Iraq?"
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000663447

[serryjw]

7. I spoke to a friend .........

whom is a commission officer in Naval Intel and he said that NO ONE knows how the military or Intel will vote. His experience is there are as many pro bush and anti......depends on your prespective. My friend is voting for * but he is a moderate. I just disagree on his prespective on whats happening.
I don't whom this organization is?? How was the poll taken? If I was in harms way I wouldn't tell anyone how I would vote.These guys whom are in Afganistan and Iraq and are NOT commission officer, but rather National Guard.........IMHO would never vote for Bushit


Boys and their Toys Written a week before 9/11....Did they get what they wanted?
http://www.alternet.org/story/11427

[Ishoutandscream]

8. Saw an old friend that I haven't seen in three years

Asked her if she had voted yet. She knows I'm a Dem, and she simply said "I have two kids in the military." So I stated, "Oh, you're voting Kerry." She simply looked at me like I was crazy to have even said that. So, in other words, she is voting for Bush because of her military kids. How insane is that!

[novadem]

9. According to the Army Times they prefer the Shrub

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4110561