Yeah, that really is a puzzler. Why do our troops hate America? ;)

Why do our troops hate the troops so much?

I'd like to see how they spin this one.

Greg,

It is simple, the troop doesn't like McCain. How can you like the guy that opposed 21st century GI bill? These troops are no dummy; they are young and understand how important they need to take care of their future.

I still believe McCain cannot win the election among the military family. Even during the Primary race, the troops gave more money to Obama and Ron Paul but the media failed to report it.

There is nothing puzzling about this phenomenon...it is the reality of the 21st century. Internet has level the playing field and the troops read the news too.

Can someone explain to me why McCain opposed the 21st century GI bill? It is unquestionable but he did it anyway and later took credit for it.

Our troops clearly don't want victory in Iraq. Maybe they just aren't clear about what McCain means when he says only he will achieve victory. Victory will be achieved when we win. And then we'll be able to keep our troops in Iraq safely for the next 1,000 years.

or maybe they are just paying attention

Greg, you should read how McCain was received at the disabled veterans meeting in vegas. Get this only 1 of 14 vets are definetly supporting McCain. Also, alot of them were dissapointed in using that occasion to attack Obama, while Obama via tape basically outlined his proposals for vets. The link is here http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug/10/mccains-attacks-rival-fall-flat-vets-group/

It's obvious that the troops hate the troops, and lack the spine and patriotism to support themselves.

Because they don't want to die.

Top Ten Reasons Obama is Outraising McCain Among Servicemen Deployed Overseas by 6 - 1.

10. They'd rather win an election than win the war.
9. They must have him confused with the guy on the Allstate commercials.
8. They heard he had declared their hospitals No Photo-op Zones.
7. What, did you think deployed Soldiers, Marines and Airmen are going to take orders from a BLEEPing squid?
6. Thought Michelle looked totally hot with that AK.
5. Had nonrefundable vacation packages scheduled sometime during the 2009 - 2108 period.
4. Furious about Anheiser-Busch takeover by Belgian consortium. "Belgians? Are you BLEEPing kidding me?"
3. Ahhh, its just a little prank on the liberal media suggested in a popular chain email.
2. Obama campaign spread vicious rumor among Marines that Cindy Hensley ran a Charms distributorship.
1. "Hot chicks like Obama" commercial totally backfiring.

This is just a small glimpse of what's coming...

I can't account for this odd phenomenon. Anyone have any ideas why this might be happening?

C'mon Greg, I've got to say that I'm a little disappointed with you on this one...it's a no brainer! The military (and espcially the families) are disgusted with Bush, they want to come home and they see McCain as another Bush term only worse. They know that McCain's a warmonger and if he were to become president he'd not only keep them in Iraq for another hundred years, the one's that would get to leave Iraq would be shipped off to Iran.

Snark aside, I think this points to something most political talking heads miss about McCain and the politics of the military.

In labor terms, McCain was part of management, while most members of the military are workers. McCain, like his father and grandfather before him, was an officer. He sees things from that perspective. That's why it is consistent and makes sense for him to be concerned about how the GI bill will affect retention.

Someone more in tune with workers, instinctively knows that troops are underpaid and will support improving benefits.

This explains a lot of the difference.

My guess is that if you broke down contributions by officer and non-officer that Obama's advantage among non-officers would be even more significant.

That and .. uh ... oh yeah, people don't like be shot at to gain access to cheap oil.

Look for overseas military absentee ballots to be challenged and/or disappear entirely, come November. Mark it; this will happen.

-- ARG
Posted by ARG in Chicago
August 14, 2008 11:50 AM

That's the back-up plan. The first plan is to simply kill them all off. It's worked like a charm so far. (Pat Tillman was only the first.)

Is your confusion rhetorical? The troops want to come home.

Did McCain even show up to vote for the new G.I. Bill? I seem to remember him not participating and then trying to take credit for it afterward.

In related news about the troops...

From The Times of London:

Iraq minister: US combat troops to pull out in three years under new deal

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article4526313.ece

I am one of them.

I am no longer overseas and just got out of the military. We need intelligent leaders who are cautious not hot headed ones.

Wow, this totally doesn't fit the media narratives. It actually blows it clear out of the water.

Prediction: The rightwing-pandering, mentally-challenged geldings in the MSM will likely ignore it, since it confuses their tiny little brains.

Looks like the both the tropps and theIraqis themselves all know that they are coming home in 16 months or so, and that warmongering hothead lil' Johnny McCain just wants to get them all killed so he can relive/refight the Vietnam War.

People should spread this post. It's big news. Obama is CRUSHING McBush among US soldiers.

"Although 59 percent of federal contributions by military personnel has gone to Republicans this cycle, of money from the military to the presumed presidential nominees, 57 percent has gone to Obama."

I hate to rain on our own parade but this means that 59 percent of the people contributing are doing so in favor of Republicans and 57 percent of that money is going to Obama. More military personnel have contributed to Republicans while more money is going to Obama. So when it actually comes down to voting among military personnel, McCain might, (stress the might), get more votes. When it comes to enthusiasm of support Obama wins out because fewer people are willing to spend more money on him.

Because they don't want to go to war with Russia?

6:1 military contributions from abroad, along with the other stats, suggest many contributions are coming from the lower ranks. This wouldn't seem odd to one familiar with modern history, e.g., Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution, or even a good history or two of the Vietnam War. What it does suggest is that the working class army, presumably most with time in Iraq, are far more radically inclined than the rest of the population. Unfortunately, America currently lacks the leadership to do anything about it, thus leaving another generation of youth are left to vote for one more of the same - and in too many cases eventually turn cynical.

I await your full support of Michelle Obama.

I'll not hold my breath.

Republicans are not "for" the military in the sense that they are for military personel. They are for transferring wealth from our Treasury to corporations via military spending. That's why Bush is not in favor of a 3.9% salary increase for actual military personal. He is quoted as saying that 3.4% is sufficient. That 0.5% should go to corporate interests, not to actual humans.

Why do you say this is perplexing, Greg? It makes perfect sense.

The troops on the ground know that invading Iraq without sufficient troops, equipment, allies or an exit strategy was a historic act of bad judgment.

They know that John McCain was cheerleader-in-chief for this erroneous decision, despite massive evidence Iraq would end up being the quagmire & killing fields it is today.

They know they have been lied to by Bush Administration apologists about every aspect of the mission.

They know America is wasting money, lives and credibility occupying a foreign country we never should have invaded.

They know stop-loss and other extensions of their combat tours are entirely political.

Obama was right, McCain was wrong --it's that simple. Any soldier smart enough to give a contribution while deployed abroad is giving it to the guy who was right.

BTW --the study makes a false claim that there is a "historically Republican bent among the military." Historically, party preference among the military has varied considerably, and closely resembles the general population by race, gender, geography, age, rank, volunteer vs. draftee, income level, etc.

A couple things: As someone noted earlier, that is a real small sample size. I don't think it means much.

Since the Vietnam War, the enlisted ranks have generally been split 50-50 D-GOP while the officer ranks are generally more conservative. Even at a small liberal university, I am the exception (as a liberal democrat) in my ROTC program. This is reflected in the donations where McCain gets a high average donation than Obama (possibly reflecting the fact that he's getting more from officers who have higher incomes).

Finally, I think it bears noting that the military is very strict about its members engaging in political activity. While our uniformed men and women know they can vote, they might not know or think they can donate either, so I'm sure that the ones who have donated are extra motivated and focused on this election (which may reflect the intensity deficit that McCain suffers).

Fact is, we won't know how rank and file members of our military feel until Election Day when we count their votes.

Why do the soldiers hate the troops so much?

Greg makes his question at the end of the post pointedly NON rhetorical. Lots of us here immediately go to sarcasm and snark as if the question has an obvious answer, based I guess on what we have felt like from the beginning of this conflict.

As Greg points out though, through the years the soldiers support for the more hawkish candidate has reversed. If this is actually happening, then the reason the soldiers have for supporting the candidate who wants a clear deadline to withdraw is paramount.

I haven't heard it mentioned much, but I clearly remember McCain stumping for the war in 2002 and at the same time openly expressing worry that the normal casualties we would inevitably suffer could turn public opinion against the effort before the mission was complete. This lack of intestinal fortitude is always what has been said to be behind the stateside civilian's anti-war emotions, and it is therefore dismissed as defeatist, wimpish, un-American, etc.

The men and women who are fighting these conflicts used to strongly support the Bush. McCain's positions on nearly everthing are almost identical to Bush's, why are many of these people now switching sides to support Obama? They are surely not wimps or defeatists.