Americans Prefer Retention Over Repeal Of 1993 Law On Gays In The Military

http://www.militaryculturecoalition.com ^ | August 2010 | MCC

[Maelstorm]

Washington, D.C.—A survey of 1,000 likely voters, commissioned by The Military Culture Coalition (MCC), finds support for the status quo on the issue of homosexuals in the military. It also finds little support for the current movement to repeal the 1993 law that is referred to as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).

Center for Military Readiness President Elaine Donnelly predicted that the opinions of likely voters reflected in the MCC survey would give lawmakers yet another reason to support the current law. “Americans understand that the current push for sexual minorities in the military is motivated by politics, not principle. Instead of seeking favor with a minority of LGBT activists, lawmakers should heed the advice of military leaders who support the current law.”

Major findings of the MCC Survey include the following:

* By a margin of 48%-45% voters preferred retaining, rather than repealing, the 1993 law to allow homosexual persons to serve openly in the military.

* More people would give weight and deference to the four service chiefs of the military rather than to advocates in the decision to overturn the law.

* Only 1% of likely voters said that this should be the top priority for Congress and the President through the end of this year.

* Voters were 26 percentage points more likely to believe that politics, not principle, motivated President Barack Obama’s promise to overturn the law (57%-31%).

* Thirty percent would be less likely and 21% more likely to vote for their Member of Congress knowing that he or she voted to disrupt the status quo.

* A majority of likely voters (52%) opposed (and 37% favored) the imposition of career penalties on military personnel and chaplains who do not support homosexuality in the military.

* By a margin of 55%-40%, likely voters disagreed that the “military should modify training programs to promote acceptance of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in all military colleges, training programs, and schools run by the U.S. Defense Department.”

* Voters opposed allowing abortions in military medical facilities by a margin or 49%-41%.

* Lawmakers who vote for abortions in tax-funded military facilities do so at their own political peril: 43% would be less likely and 21% more likely to vote for their Members of Congress who do so.

A full report on the Military Culture Coalition survey, a project of the Center for Military Readiness, is here, and more information is available in the MCC Survey TOPLINE DATA.

Organizations supporting MCC efforts in defense of the 1993 law include Family Research Council Action, the Center for Security Policy, Focus on the Family CitizenLink, the Alliance Defense Fund, Let Freedom Ring, Concerned Women for America, Liberty Counsel, Eagle Forum, Thomas More Law Center, Freedom Alliance, Tradition, Family & Property and the American Family Association.

Experts available for comment include: Kellyanne Conway 202/667-6557 Elaine Donnelly 202/347-5333 Tony Perkins 202/624-3003 Bob Maginnis 571/331-6094 Frank Gaffney 202/835-9077 Daniel Blomberg 1-800-TELL-ADF Wendy Wright 202/488-7000, x1022 Richard Thompson 734/827-2001

Unlike other major news organization polls of adults in general, the MCC Survey sought the opinions of 1,000 likely voters nationwide. The Polling Company/WomanTrend conducted the poll in mid-July with randomly-dialed phone calls, producing results with a 3.1% margin of error. The extensive survey asked respondents specific questions about the1993 law and the political impact on lawmakers voting to revoke it. It also used terms favored by LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) groups advocating repeal, and sought opinions on controversial proposals that the same activists have recommended for implementation if Congress revokes the law.

To schedule an interview with Donnelly or leaders of the various organizations working with the Military Culture Coalition, call CMR Executive Director Tommy Sears at 202/347-5333, or visit the MCC website at www.militaryculturecoalition.org.

[Maelstorm]

This is what I expected. The news media is entirely corrupt when they poll these issues. Now will conservative media pick this up? Probably not, they are too busy hobnobbing with liberals in an insulated culture of denial.

[Pearls Before Swine]

You said... “retention”... a loaded word for this topic.

[Caesar Soze]

The PDF has a lot more data about the survey. The prize at the bottom of the Crackerjack Box:

Would you prefer that your elected
representatives in Washington, DC
(ROTATED) vote to overturn the 1993
law and allow homosexual persons to
serve openly in the military, OR vote to
keep the law as it is?

48% VOTE TO KEEP IT AS IT IS

45% VOTE TO OVERTURN

7% DO NOT KNOW/DEPENDS (VOLUNTEERED)

1% REFUSED (VOLUNTEERED)

Margin of Error 3.1% at 95% CI

In other words, no conclusion can be drawn about whether a plurality prefer to keep the law or overturn it. The difference is within the margin of error. There's some push in this poll, too. The loaded questions at the start of the survey link DADT to several unobjectionable statements about the military, biasing the respondents against repeal of DADT. It's subtle, but it's there.