Poll Shows Drop in Military Support for Bush

[ECH1969]

A new poll by the Army Times Publishing Company, to be released Monday, shows a drop in support for President Bush and his conduct of the war in Iraq. The poll was sent to thousands of active duty military subscribers of the publisher's newsweeklies, including the Army Times. Debbie Elliott speaks with senior managing editor Robert Hodierne.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5078700
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* is down to 60% approval amoung the military and military families a nine point drop from last year.

[ThoughtCriminal]

1. Considering the methodology

A very selected target (Army Times subscribers), that does not look good for Bush. A more random sampling would probably give even lower support.

[ECH1969]

2. It actually mirrors the rest of the population

This time last year * was in the low 50s. Right now he is in the low 40s, about a 10 point drop overall.

[Rainscents]

3. I agree with you!

[FreedomAngel82]

10. Isn't that kind of a gimme?

Wouldn't they "support" him even if they didn't agree? Isn't it a big no to say anything negative about the president (pResident in this case) during "war" time?? I haven't heard of anything from the 2004 vote have you? I googled December 2004 for the results and only found three. I didn't look too long (already taking a good while) and two out of the three I saw had voted for Kerry. I betcha if we knew their votes they'd be shouting it everyday in every speech from the roof tops.

[TheGunslinger]

4. This is HUGH!!!11!!11!!1!!!!!!1

[ECH1969]

5. * was in the low 60s in December 2003

He was in the low 50s in December 2004. And, he is in the low 40s this December and he has three years to go.

[NanceGreggs]

6. At the rate his numbers are falling ...

... we might be hearing an ecstatic Limbaugh/O'Reilly at this time next year, crowing about how Bush has rebounded and is back in the double digits!

[ThoughtCriminal]

7. Here's the Army Times link

http://www.militarycity.com/polls/

Some intersting things show up. Heavily weighted toward officers, A large percentage of "Decline to Answer", and this:

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Party identification:
2) In politics today, do you consider yourself a:
Democrat 13%
Republican 15%
Independent 2%
Libertarian 56%
Other 3%
Decline to answer 11%

[Erika]

8. So much for W's respect for being the CIC n/t

[NI4NI]

12. CinC = Chimp in Charge

[FreedomAngel82]

11. Wow

I didn't know libertarian was big in the military like that. Wow. What would "other" be??

[w13rd0]

14. That's ridiculous...

...Libertarian?!?! Why the hell would Libertarians join the military? Talk about a body of government that stands at complete contrast to Libertarian ideaology...

Pffft...

[AndyTiedye]

17. Does "Libertarian" now mean "Disgusted Former Republican"...

..."who still can't bring himself to call himself a Democrat"?

I can't imagine that large a percentage have more than a passing acquantance with the Libertarian Party.

[applegrove]

9. Who could support a general that sends you into war to fight in

a battleground that is filled with myth and where Rummy doesn't want to break the bank on his budget so he can have a legacy.

[peacebaby3]

13. Well, my husband and I don't subscribe the the Army Times as far as I know

My husband gets some kind of quarterly publication, but not the Army Times so we weren't ask. If we had been asked, we would have checked F*ck Bush if that had been a response (sort of doubt that was an option).

I'm not that surprised about the party affiliation response. To be honest, I have found that most of the members of the military I have met (mainly enlisted) are very a-political and don't pay much attention until someone basically tells them who to vote for. They would definitely see themselves as out of the mainstream. Officers tend to vote Republican. I sure the heck don't know why. It has to be the outright brainwashing because they actually believe that Republicans are better to the military when the opposite is actually true. A good example of that is when I was having a conversation with a guy in the Army and he was telling me how much better the raises had been under Bush and I said that we had barely noticed any raises over the last 3 or so years and he said that they had been pretty average lately but didn't I remember back when Bush first came into office how we had gotten two really good raises in 2001? I said yep that it was the last time I really remember my husband getting a nice (and deserved) raise. So he said, see that was because Bush took office and the Republicans care about the military. I then had to inform him that the budget for the year 2001 was done in 2000 and the fiscal year for the government started in Oct. 2000 so the nice raises he got on Jan 1st (before Bush actually took office) and then later in June or July of 2001 were actually part of the last Clinton budget. I've never seen anyone so pissed.

The military is not as one-sided as it appears. It's just that anyone who dislikes the CIC can't really speak out (unless they were Clinton haters - that was tolerated behind closed doors)particularly since Bush has been in office and we have been supposedly at "war."

[EFerrari]

15. Hi there peacebaby3. I don't think I've read you before.

Welcome to DU and thank you for the insider's take on this poll.

:hi:

[peacebaby3]

18. Hey sfexpat. I've been here about a yr. now. I donated to Andy a couple of

times and I remember you from that, I think.

Thanks for the welcome. :)

[EFerrari]

22. Sorry! Maybe this is just premature senile dementia

:silly:

[peacebaby3]

24. No problem. There are lots of people on this board and many gave to Andy

so I wouldn't really expect you to remember me. I kept very quiet during the entire event because I found it really sad and didn't personally know Andy nor had I been here that long, but I couldn't believe what all went on and found it very disturbing. I hope his family and partner are still doing well.

Glad we finally got to meet properly! :hi:

[Nutmegger]

16. We still don't know how they voted in 2004

The DoD didn't release the data correct? Either way it doesn't look good for Bush Inc.

[peacebaby3]

19. No kidding! I have asked for this data so many times. I really wanted to

know how those serving (or had served) in Iraq voted.

[ddeclue]

20. That'll happen when the President keeps sending the same people in for

second and third tours in Iraq and Afghanistan...

These military people are getting tired of this and of George Bush.

Doug D.

[CJCRANE]

21. Didn't the guy from Army Times say 54% approval

in the interview, not 60% as shown in OP..?

[B Calm]

23. military subscribers.. is this a large enlisted group or a small group

of officers and lifers?

[peacebaby3]

25. I would say mostly officers and probably expat retirees.

Of course, that would be in general.

My husband could be considered a lifer because he will retire this September with 20 yrs. and we don't subscribe nor do we plan to. I would imagine the bulk are officers which is pretty interesting because they are usually more political than the enlisted and probably more conservative as well, IMHO.

Edit: typo Oh, and to also add that many expat retirees are actually pretty liberal.