Did Kerry get majority of the military vote in the final tally ?

[kentuck]

I thought I had read that Kerry had the majority of military votes - at least from overseas? Anyone have any numbers on this?

[Cobalt Violet]

1. I haven't heard about it at all.

:shrug:

[Jayster777]

2. Doubt

I hate to say this...but being in the Air Force...I highly doubt it. Though it would be great.

[GRLMGC]

16. I didn't think so

I don't undertand the Bush love but I know it exists.

[kentuck]

3. I think they are counting the overseas ballots in Ohio?

And they may have some numbers on those already?

[girl gone mad]

8. After counting all of the provisional ballots..

and overseas ballots, including millitary, Bush's lead in Ohio shrank by several thousand. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the specific numbers.

[Sweet Pea]

4. The Army/Navy/AF Times surveys

Had Bush up by an incredible 73 percent to 18 percent in the voluntary survey of 4,165 active-duty, National Guard, and reserve subscribers. Tough to see how Kerry could have won that back. Overseas? Don't know about that.

[UdoKier]

5. Those polls are very inaccurate.

They reflect the subscriberships of those publications, which lean heavily commissioned officer, careerist, older people.

I'm 100% certain that the actual vote tally will be much closer, if not a Kerry win.

[gaia_gardener]

7. I also heard from a friend

who subscribes that she didn't receive a survey. She says that none of the non-bush supporters in her group of friends received one. I don't know how they decided who got one and who didn't (but they said they sent it to all subscribers), but they could possibly have looked at voter rolls and went from there.

[Jayster777]

12. Point

I hate to say this...but I must tell the truth of what i see. I can not account for other branches, but from the majority of people i know...discounting myself...most people I know supported Bush heavily. When I was debating, I was the minority. About the only people on my side were African Americans in the military. I soooo hate to be a downer on this! But...I have to be honest!

[CatWoman]

17. see post number 9

and if I were you, I'd get some new friends.

[lachattefolle]

36. My husband is a white officer and we most definitely do NOT support

having * in the White House. That said, my husband and both of my children (one Navy, one Marines) have to shut the hell up about ow they feel. No freedom of speech in the military. I don't know, how come three atheist Democrats can serve our country, but all the f---ing Repukes can't?

On edit: I should have typed "have to shut the hell up about how they feel". I don't want to spell like a freeper.

[UdoKier]

37. Aren't African Americans about 1/4 of the military?

Just asking. Get 90% of the African Americans and 1/3 of the rest, and you've got pretty good support.

Also, are you enlisted or commisioned? You are Air Force, right? I wouldn't be at all surprised if Air Force leans heavier GOP than the Army, Navy or even Marine Corps.

The vast majority military friends I have are Navy and Marines, and they are not especially right-wing. I only have one friend who's been to Iraq, a Marine, and he told me he totally thinks the war is BS and doesn't like Bush. He said most of his friends feel the same, but they don't want to screw up their careers or their GI bill, so they stay quiet until they're out. Nobody feels free to say their real opinion, except in confidence.

[Sparkly]

10. Thank you -- I found it very difficult to believe

but can't say I know anything about the survey.

[TacticalPeek]

6. I think there is a very low probability of that.

But a larger percentage than Gore would be reasonable to expect. I know for certain that many in Eye-rack did not receive absentee ballots in time, due to 'snafu', and many of those would have gone to Kerry.

[SoCalDem]

9. The fact that we have heard nothing but "crickets chirping"

pretty much tells me that *² did NOT get the resounding approval he expected from the "troops"...

We will probably never hear the final totals..of ANY group..absentee, early voting..ex-pat..you name it..

Personally, I think the "early-voting" thing was just a scam to pacify all of the eager-beavers who were chomping at the bit to vote against *².....those votes probably just went "poof".. and the bonus was..they did not have to deal with a bunch of obstinate anti-*² people on election day.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

35. Christmas pickle??? n/t

[MrUnderhill]

11. The exit polls (insert grain of salt here) said:

Bush won the "military vote (18% of the electorate) by 57%-41%.

In fact... take the military OUT and Kerry won 50-49.

[Jayster777]

13. They make a difference

I don't understand why the military supported Bush so much. Anyone else? Is there anything to it?

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. A Marine that I know

told me he supports Bush because of all the pay raises he's gotten since Bush became President.

[CatWoman]

19. why do you think they are called "grunts"?

[SoCalDem]

15. Active military have little access to discuss politics..

in fact they are not "allowed to".. They swear an oath of the commander in chief, and if they disobey, they could face court martial..They also have Rush Limbaugh piped in via armed forces radio, and NO COUNTER-BALANCE broadcasts...so...... we all know how Pigman propagandizes..

The soldiers are being played, and they either refuse to believe it, or they have not figured it out yet..

[Jayster777]

22. Excuse me

Not allowed to? You are obviously not in the military! I can vote for whoever I wish. The only thing the military can not do is join demonstrations. We can not affiliate with either party publicly in uniform. The military wants to be neutral and not politically involved. No brainwashing going on at all. We are free to our opinions and can voice them individually outside of uniform. We just can't send an impression that the military endorses either party. And I'm in favor of that personally.

[DoYouEverWonder]

25. Then why were Active Duty Military personel

attending Bush rallies in uniform?

[CatWoman]

30. LOL

DoYouEverWonder, you should be ashamed of yourself.

His head just exploded.

CLEANUP ON THREAD THREE :D

[SoCalDem]

26. Vote for..I agree but you cannot (nor should you)

discuss politics in the barracks or wherever..

I am not military..just an AFBrat..father served 26 years..I lived overseas most of it..

TIA

[MrUnderhill]

31. It's discussed all the time.

There's no such regulation...

I can tell you that the long-standing "rule" in the wardroom on board ship (the officers' mess) is that there are three forbidden topics of conversation that must NOT be brought up: Religion, Politics, and Women.

Invariably... they are the ONLY things discussed. :-)

[SoCalDem]

33. It's all moot now anyway.. The military loves the Bush-man

they can HAVE him.. Maybe one day he'll get around to attending some funerals of the people he "sentenced" to death in his little vendetta.

If the military these days is happy to follow a draft dodging pompous little liar, who am I to doubt their wisdom..

Made bed..sleep well:(

[MrUnderhill]

24. The Rush thing is actually backwards.

He isn't "pushed" on them without counter-balanced arguments... they begged for him.

The story goes something like this. The Clinton administration put out a poll asking who the grunts wanted to listed to and promised that the top vote getters (10?) would be put on AFR. With over a hundred programs listed, they didn't even put Rush on (probably for good reason)... he came in third (second?) on write-ins alone.

I guess they get what they deserve, but it isn't a case of his program being pushed on them.

[MrUnderhill]

23. Generally speaking... the military is reflexively Republican.

Not lock-step, but a pretty solid voting block.

To some extent it's a history of Republicans expanding the military while Democrats are perceived as cutting military support.

[SoCalDem]

27. perception(deception) becomes reality :(..n/t

.

[MrUnderhill]

29. Well....

it's certainly not true of ALL democrats (not THIS Democrat). But it is certainly true that out party's history has been one of favoring cutting defense budgets.

I was in at the end of the Reagan years (and a bit of BushI). There was a general concern of what the Democrats would do if in power. At the time I thought a "peace dividend" was a very reasonable plan.

[kentuck]

28. About three more tours in Iraq might make them give a second look ?

They are pretty hard-headed but even they are capable of seeing the light.

[BensMom]

18. I was just talking about this

My friend and I just talked about this. Her neighbors son was home on leave and she asked him direct where his vote went.

He replied:
"I voted bush - you always vote for your boss. There is so much the PUBLIC doesn't know...."

Now I have no clue what that means - I am the public.

[GreyRoofoo]

20. Partially right........

Only officers aren't allowed to say anything bad about bush.

Enlisted are told not to voice opinions while in uniform, so it doesn't look like they represent the opinions of the entire air force.

Anyways yes, Republicans are likely to give better pay raises and bigger military budget than democrats.

[cally]

32. Who supports the troops with higher pay and benefits...Dems

Who increases the military budget for massive contracts for their corporate cronies...Reps.

Do some research before you buy the Rep spin.

On edit: Welcome to DU. :hi:

[NightTrain]

21. Probably not. The military is just as ignorant as the general population..

...if not moreso.

My boss is a perfect example. Just before the election, he told me, "I'm ex-military, so I'm voting for Bush." :puke:

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. Truth be told, we don't know

I suspect they went for Kerry, just hearing my husband's colleages before he retired... LORD they were PISSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So if people tell you that the miltiary voted for fearless leader, ask this question... why haven't we heard the votes? Chances are the military went overwhelmengly for Kerry

Whyat I did get though is FULL CONFIRMATION that many of the troops did not have a right to a secret vote... but don't expect same troops to go public.