Troops back Bush over Kerry 4-1

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2004
Troops back Bush over Kerry 4-1
6
Mon, 10-11-2004 - 8:22pm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-10-03-bush-troops_x.htm

Troops in survey back Bush 4-to-1 over Kerry

By Dave Moniz, USA TODAY

An unscientific survey of U.S. military personnel shows they support President Bush for re-election by a 4-to-1 ratio. Two-thirds of those responding said John Kerry's anti-war activities after he returned from Vietnam make them less likely to vote for him.

President Bush greets troops aboard a flight headed to Iraq and Kuwait in Bangor Maine in September.

Kevin Bennett, Bangor Daily News

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.

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 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.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-17-2004
Mon, 10-11-2004 - 8:54pm
No surprise. But so what? My dad was in Viet Nam and didn't like people who protested the war for years after he came home. Why? Emotions. He left friends behind, he thought he and they were there for a reason. It didn't take him long however to see that the war was wrong.

My dad admires JK for what he did. Not just protesting the war but mostly for VOLUNTEERING to serve his country when he could have gotten a deferment. My father was drafted. He had no choice. He was poor, blue collar. He sees right through gwb and all the chickenhawks in his administration.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2004
Mon, 10-11-2004 - 9:13pm


I think it speaks volumes that the majority of the men and women fighting in Iraq support the war and support the President who took us to war. It is their lives on the line, if they really believed it was for nothing like some would have us think, I would think they'd want to vote Bush's butt right out of office.



And your dad has certainly earned the right to his opinion. I was just pointing out that he is in the minority as far as our military is concerned, both active duty and veterans.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-17-2004
Mon, 10-11-2004 - 9:45pm
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You said it. It is their lives on the line. Of course they want to think they are there for a purpose. They are pumped up. They are there but yet they are detached. And alot of the military folk that are there are much like my two nephews who just signed up for the navy. They are graduating high school next year, didn't have the grades to make college, and have no direction. (The military loves that).

I am not sure that my dad is in the minority as far as viet nam veterans.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-01-2003
Mon, 10-11-2004 - 10:29pm


Well duh, Why in the world would they support a man who pis*es on their morale on a daily basis. Seems like this is a no brainer people.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-11-2004
Tue, 10-12-2004 - 12:50am
President Bush is very respectful of the military and the military respects him because when he says something he means it unlike Kerry who is a traitor. You need to be more respectful to those who keep you safe while you mock them.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 10-12-2004 - 5:59am
Actually we don't know if he's in the minority because the poll was not scientifically conducted.


Elaine