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

[GiovanniC]

Gotta love this idiotic story. Based on what the article said, it's about as valuable as a Bush vs. Kerry poll on www.freerepublic.com.

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.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=710&e=3&u=/usatoday/20041004/pl_usatoday/troopsinsurveybackbush4to1overkerry

[clydefrand]

1. So what do the combat soldiers say?

Far more of these than officers, right?

[warrens]

14. The Christian Science Monitor had anecdotal interviews with combat troops

Their message was, everyone is watching F911 bootlegs and they're NOT happy with Smirk.

[slojim240]

27. This is what Limbaugh radio gets for you. Brain-dead military.

Well, they deserve whatever they get from the hands of this administration.

[CRK7376]

28. This trooper will never vote

Repub nor do I support Rush, that fat slug! Despise his radio show and suffered through it for the past year in Korea, it was all that was available on the AM dial from 7-8pm. More often I turned the radio off from 7-8pm but at 8 NPR was on for the next 2 hours.....Be Careful about bashing the military, we are not all Bush followers...

[Jack_Dawson]

2. Poor Bastards

One of life's great mysteries. Backing a draft-dodger over a warrior.

:shrug:

[nine30]

3. Not their fault

First of all I doubt the ratio is really 1:4. Secondly they have been programmed to support their 'Commander in C(T)hief'. Anything else is considered almost treasonous. And they are also carefully shielded from outside sources of information.. guess what .. Rush Limbaugh is regularly played on Armed Forces radio.

[w4rma]

5. Right-wing propaganda on one of their few forms of entertainment.

Why on Earth that Dem politicians let this slip through, I have no idea.

[AndyTiedye]

11. If * wins and starts up the draft, everyone gets indoctrinated...

...until we have a whole nation of fundie rethuglicans.

[hatrack]

4. So it's not a scientific poll, and therefore has the predictive value . .

. . . of a pitcher of cow drool.

Next!

[enki23]

29. it has a *lot* of predictive value

so long as you're trying to predict for the population of army-times subscribers who voluntary respond to survey emails.

[expatriot]

6. these results are actually pretty good...

...given that
1) Bush is their "C-in-C"
2) Bush is a Republican and that nasty myth that GOP is the pro-military and pro-defense party is pretty pervasive.
2a) Nearly 60% of those polled identified themselves as GOP.
2b) Only 13% identified themselves as Democats

3) The big one: how many of them are going to trust that their responses are going to be anonymous in a Rumfeld's military and Ashcroft's America?

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

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[nadinbrzezinski]

7. This is an OLD survey

that is for starters

Secondly most who support Kerry are going to have second thoughts about sending this in, as it could affect their careeers

Don't expect freeards to understand this, but most service members are enoucraged to applaud their elders and to keep any crticism to themselves.

Then again, most freepards have NOT served

[HereSince1628]

8. No one "wants" to be engaged in a fake war

I remember buddies throughout my time in service trying to justify Vietnam. This is really not much different.

You can't wake up and shave unless you rationalize what you are doing as correct. Iraq is so very depressing, I am sure the troops use many psychological tricks to get through their days.

I blame them not one iota. They've been placed in the crosshairs because of Cheney Bush intransigence.

[grytpype]

9. Poll the grunts in Iraq.

See how much they love the Commander in Chief who sent them to be killed and maimed for no damned reason whatsoever.

[saigon68]

10. But there is a reason

Halliburton Corporate Profits.

[Melodybe]

15. The Christian Science Monitor said that 9 out of 10 soldiers in Iraq

asked are voting for Kerry.

[nofurylike]

12. last week i read it WAS 8:1 in those ranks, this is BIG! thank you! n/t

[Tommy_Douglas]

13. It sounds like soldiers are having a hell of a time over there...

I mean the weather is nice and hot. People throwing flowers and blowing kisses. I mean no wonder they want Bush to win. He plans on keeping them there another 10 years... /sarcasm

[AIJ Alom]

16. I bet one freeper who is also a person to receive this survey managed to

contact all his freeper buddies.

[Florida_Geek]

17. Key words " 31,000 subscribers"

subscribers

this is mainly retired officers and of those only 1/6 replied at all..

[mimitabby]

18. not bad, actually

only 13% are democrats and 18% will vote for Kerry

[daleo]

19. The poll has no validity

It is obviously biased, as they admit themselves. Also, it was before Bush showed himself for the fool he is in the first debate.

[Wind Dancer]

20. I don't believe it.

[saracat]

21. But the Army Times has been anti Bush. This is not good!

Anybody check the Army times? Too see if this is right?

[Princess Turandot]

22. Someone I know who is married to a civilian deployed in Iraq..

with little choice because of what he does, who lives in Texas by that very large base there (Fort Hood?) says that people despise *
there. They are are large base and have taken a lot of the casualties.

[leesa]

23. Well, this is probably what it will look like when the GOP gets done

stealing/altering military votes anyway.

[Dogmudgeon]

25. Relax. It was an opt-in poll.

They're notoriously wrong.

--bkl

[Kimber Scott]

26. I'd like to see a Stars and Stripes survey. nt

[Starlight]

30. "Its readers are older, higher in rank and more career-oriented than...

...the military as a whole."

Older, higher ranking, career military usually vote Republican. No surprise. It's an entirely different story with the enlisted men & women...

[deadparrot]

31. "Unscientific" being the key word.

Soldiers may favor *, but it ain't by a 4-1 margin, I can almost promise.