Some military voters may abandon Bush

The State.com [Knight Ridder Newspapers] ^ | March 11, 2004 | WILLIAM DOUGLAS

[KriegerGeist]

Some military voters may abandon Bush
President might be losing support among veterans, service members and their families
By WILLIAM DOUGLAS
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON — When the Bush campaign asked James McKinnon to co-chair its veterans steering committee in New Hampshire — a job he held in 2000 — the 56-year-old Vietnam veteran respectfully, but firmly, said no.

“I basically told them I was disappointed in his support of veterans,” said McKinnon, who served two tours in Vietnam with the Coast Guard.

“He’s killing the active-duty military. ... Look at the reserve call-ups for Iraq, the hardships. The National Guard — the state militia — is being used improperly. I took the president at his word on Iraq, and now you can’t find a single report to back up or substantiate weapons of mass destruction.”

President Bush is seeking re-election as a “war president” whose decisive leadership steered the military to victories in Afghanistan and Iraq. But as guerrilla warfare drags on in both countries, casualties mount and the Army is stretched ever thinner, many voters in or affiliated with the military are no longer saluting the commander in chief.

Factors threatening to erode Bush’s once-strong support among military voters include:

• The failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq

• Lengthy deployments of active-duty soldiers and reservists

• Proposed cuts in veterans’ benefits.

In the 2000 presidential election, absentee military ballots from overseas helped deliver the narrow margin of victory that sent Bush into the White House. So even a small defection of current and retired military people and their dependents could spell trouble for Bush in 2004.

“I think President Bush has an electoral edge despite the fact that Senator (John) Kerry has a better military service record,” said Loren Thompson, the chief operating officer of the Lexington Institute, a conservative Washington think tank.

“That said, the prolonged tours of duty, the unexpected intensity (of the Iraq war) and the way reservists are being deployed are working against the president. There is a lot of resentment in the ranks about the level of commitment demanded of the reserves, particularly among the families.”

A bipartisan poll of likely voters conducted in September found that Bush’s approval rating among relatives of military personnel was only 36 percent. Family members upset by Bush’s policy on Iraq are venting through Web sites and public protests.

Military Families Speak Out, an antiwar group of relatives of deployed troops, plans to observe the Iraq war’s first anniversary next week with processions outside Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where the bodies of dead soldiers are returned, and at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, where wounded soldiers are treated.

Democrats sense an opportunity to chip away at what’s been a mostly Republican base since the United States turned to an all-volunteer military in 1973. Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate from Massachusetts and a decorated Vietnam veteran, touts his military record on the campaign trail.

Bush campaign officials say they expect military voters to return to the fold because the president has delivered on his 2000 campaign promise that “help is on the way” for underfunded, underpaid armed forces.

In his 2005 budget, Bush proposed 3.5 percent pay increases for armed service members, more than double the 1.5 percent increase for federal workers. Since Bush assumed office, the Pentagon has upgraded about 10 percent of its military housing and expects to modernize 76,000 more homes this year.

[AmericaUnited]

This don't sound good.

Come on, you can't be naive enough to believe this utter phony story. I'll bet you 1000-1 odds that more military are supporting Bush (who they love) in ever greater percentages than Clinton (who they despised) or Camel Face(feckless wonder).

[Mo1]

Military pay has increased as has hazardous duty pay and the housing and food allowance which is not taxable.

Didn't Sen. Kerry vote against this pay increase??

[LibLieSlayer]

You just won the argument my friend!!!

All of you mamby-pamby "dim"-wits give it up. If Ollie says the military is behind President Bush, then the military is BEHIND President Bush.

Ollie has been through hell and back with today's military (in Iraq and Afghanistan). Living with them as he has, he is the one man that I trust to KNOW the TRUTH!!!

LLS

[Happy2BMe]

Thank you for this post.

Much of it is correct. No use lying about it, Iraq has taken a toll, among other things upon Dubya's support in the military ranks (mostly retirees).

Dubya has my vote though. I haven't voted for demon in my entire life, not about to start.

[waRNmother.armyboots]

Kerry has voted against military pay raises 12 times in his career in the Senate. He voted against the appropriations that would increase the hazardous duty pay, provide Tricare for the families of NG called to active duty and for the funds for body armour, ammo and steel plates to reinforce the Huvees. (one of only 12 senators who voted against that bill that the press billed as an Iraq give away). Most of the 87 billion was for our troops or equipment that they use.

[FairOpinion]

This article is as phony as the "peaceful tomorrow" commies who slammed Bush's 9/11 ads (paid for by Teresa Heinz).


==

BINGO!!!

They come up with these, designed to discourage the real people.

[FairOpinion]

"“That said, the prolonged tours of duty, the unexpected intensity (of the Iraq war) and the way reservists are being deployed are working against the president. There is a lot of resentment in the ranks about the level of commitment demanded of the reserves, particularly among the families.”


==

NEWSFLASH: THERE IS A WAR ON!!!

The article make it sound, as if Bush were doing this, just to entertain himself.

[FairOpinion]

"Seems this guy is a SUPPORTER OF WES CLARK!!!!!!!!


I am a 24-year retired Coast Guard warrant officer who is 100 percent disabled," said James McKinnon, a former state commander of the New Hampshire VFW who has agreed to co-chair Clark's veteran outreach effort. "I've lost faith in the government and in this country. Why Clark? That's why."

http://www.primarymonitor.com/news/stories2003/112603new_vets_2003.shtml


====

EXCELLENT FIND!!!

Can anyone really believe the Bush campaign even asked him?!

[arasina]

Has there been a single response by the originator (Ghost War)? Hit-and-run thread?

[MEG33]

Why are the retirees thinking Kerry will be better ?

[Not A Snowbird]

Don't believe it for a second.

There are always going to be a few anti-Bush folks among the military, but they are a small minority. Generally they're the ones who have an axe to grind and are not focused on the big picture.

[Not A Snowbird]

A bipartisan poll of likely voters conducted in September found that Bush’s approval rating among relatives of military personnel was only 36 percent.

Relatives of military personnel? I don't doubt it. They don't understand why little Johnny is doing what he's doing. But while they're whining, little Johnny is doing his duty and will stand by his Commander in Chief.

[Lynda]

Knight Ridder Newspapers. Say no more.

[Spyder]

The minute he brought up "haven't found weapons of mass destruction," it became a DNC talking point. I agree with you that it's a phony article. Most of the military folk I know don't blame Bush for the shortages - more like the drawdown under clinton.

[cyncooper]

Seems this guy is a SUPPORTER OF WES CLARK!!!!!!!!

Good grief.

It seems when they want an anti-Bush story, there is a handy dandy list of people to contact that "sound" like they were or intuitively would be for President Bush, but *SURPRISE*, they're not!

Gee, I wonder where that handy dandy list came from.

Never mind, we all have an idea...kinda like the disgruntled 9/11 families after the glimpse of 9/11 footage shown in the Bush ads.

Good find, Dog.

[Not A Snowbird]

Why are the retirees thinking Kerry will be better ?

There are two retired military people in this household. We wouldn't vote for Kerry under any conditions, no matter what goodies he promised to put under the Christmas tree for veterans. What good is a raise in my disability pay if the country is going to go to hell in a handcart?

[Denver Ditdat]

You do know something called media bias don't you. You have only been registered here since November 2000

Not that I don't agree with you on media bias, but just how long must someone be registered as a Freeper to escape the "newbie" label? 3+ years sounds more than adequate to claim veteran status, IMO.

[FairOpinion]

You and the rest of us should write a Letter to the Editor about your discovery listed in post 19, that the veteran they are quoting was co-Chair for Clark's veteran's outreach campaign effort. Why didn't the author mention this?!

e-mail address: stateeditor@thestate.com

And for the Knight Ridder newspapers:

news@krtinfo.com

Again --- as a story purpurting to be a news story, it's a major and deliberate omission, to not identify the person they are quoting, as a Clark supporter, who played a major role in Clark's campaign - obviously a Democrat

[DoughtyOne]

Lets see... one party likes the military and supports it with respect, equipment and pay. The other party trashes it, let's the equipment rot rather than fund parts etc., and spits on them.

Tough choice.

NOT!

[LibLieSlayer]

"Much of it is correct. No use lying about it, Iraq has taken a toll".

Bull****! Geraldo just traversed the entire length and breadth of Iraq. He found that the personnel serving in Iraq today (almost to the man and woman) love the President (and are proud that he is their CIC), and understand and are committed to the mission.

I have two bases near me, and I know thousands of retired vets living here. The vast majority of retirees are very supportive of President Bush, appreciate what he has done for the military, and will be voting for him in November. A recent poll (of active duty and retired miliatry) was taken by the local ABC affiliate in my town. 78% were certain of their support for the President in November, 7% were undecided, and 15% were brain-dead...

It comes as no surprise that a certain minority in the military are dim-o-Rats, therefore "some" will vote for kerry. Since 35% of all voting American's are dim-o-Rats, some lesser percentage of this figure must be either active duty, or retired. I KNOW that the percentage of dims in the military is lower than society as a whole, due to the fact that many male dims are (metro-sexual) pantywaist "girly-mens" that can't hack it!

LLS