Posted on 07/12/2004 7:33:16 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
San Antonio Express-News July 9, 2004
Military Vote Gap Might Be Closing
By Peggy Fikac, Chief, Express-News Austin Bureau
AUSTIN — Faced with the possibility of being recalled to Iraq, Capt. David Harris of the U.S. Army Reserve said he's ready to "walk away from it" after a dozen years in the military.
But that doesn't stop the Democrat from citing his military experience to bolster his call for President Bush's ouster.
"My resignation's already typed up. ... It's hard. I love what I do. I love my country," Harris, of Arlington, said at a news conference this week on the Texas Capitol steps, where he urged voters to hand Bush an involuntary resignation at the polls in November.
A majority of the mostly male military tends to favor Republicans, as do male voters in general, experts said. But with U.S. policy in Iraq an issue in the race between Bush and John Kerry, veterans are a source of votes and testimonials for both sides.
Political scientist Peter Feaver of Duke University said factors including Kerry's military service and issues in Iraq have positioned the Democrat to snatch some of that support.
He said it's difficult to quantify, in part because there's no firm data from the 2000 presidential race to compare veterans' voting behavior.
"But I think it's reasonable to expect that Kerry is eating into the Bush advantage in this area," said Feaver, whose specialty is the politics of the military.
Rep. Frank Corte, a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve who most recently was on active duty in South Korea, said he "wholeheartedly" supports Bush.
"If anybody can handle the foreign matters ... it would be him," said Corte, a San Antonio Republican.
White House spokesman Taylor Gross said Bush retains military support.
"I think men and women who serve our nation serve proudly and they know that ours is a just and noble cause," he said.
A poll conducted April 17-29 for Duke found Bush with 57 percent support among veterans and active duty military personnel to 36 percent for Kerry, Feaver said.
Two months later, the gap apparently had narrowed.
A poll conducted June 18-28 for the university found veterans and military personnel divided 53 percent for Bush to 39 percent for Kerry.
Both polls surveyed 900 adults nationwide and had margins of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, but the margins were higher for veterans and military, who made up only 17 percent of the samples.
Of interest, Feaver said, is a jump in veterans and military personnel who said they definitely supported Kerry, instead of just "leaning" toward him. That group grew from 24 percent in April to 35 percent in June.
"There hasn't been a sharp movement in overall numbers," Feaver said. "On the other hand, looking more closely at the numbers, it looks like there's a hardening of the support Kerry already had among veterans."
But very few polls count veterans as a separate category to compare to overall results.
A CBS News poll conducted May 20-23 found veterans favoring Bush over Kerry by 54 percent to 40 percent, with the overall sample favoring Kerry over Bush by 49 percent to 41 percent.
Michael Dimock, research director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, said a Pew survey conducted June 3-13 found 50 percent support for Bush and 45 percent for Kerry among male veterans and non-veterans alike.
"We haven't found military service to be a real factor in shaping people's views that much," Dimock said.
Feaver said he doubts veterans vote as a bloc, because they come from "a wide swath of America and, secondly, they haven't been mobilized in the same way that other groups have been mobilized."
Still, both sides reach for those voters.
"The veterans are 26.5 million people, which is a sizeable chunk of the voting population, so it's not inconsequential," Feaver said. "And especially in a close election, every subgroup is important."
Seeking to mobilize public opinion against the war from the Capitol steps, Harris was joined by retired Lt. Col. James C. Berbiglia of Helotes, a Vietnam veteran who served as a military chaplain, and Marine Lance Cpl. Michael Hoffman, a veteran of Iraq.
The news conference was sponsored by Veterans for Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War and Military Families Speak Out.
"Peace is what makes sense," Berbiglia said. "Not the deaths of young American girls and boys."
Corte said Americans get to question the commander-in-chief.
"But I think it's also counterproductive as a veteran to go out and do something and then say, 'I didn't really support what I did.'"
David Cohen of the Austin Bureau and News Researchers Julie Domel and Kevin Frazzini contributed to this report.
And this is the reason that we go to war - Take it to them so they can't take it to us !!
You gotta love the cowards, don'tcha?
You call 3000 dead peace?
Yeah, makes me sick to even think one out of the hundreds of folks I work with on base could be like any of these idiots. That jackass in Captain is a coward and a thief for taking money for many years and now walking away from the fight. Hate to remind folks but some in WW II some folks served for four years, almost continuous combat duty for many. What a *ussy....
I don't know even ONE person who has publicly said they will vote for Kerry. I do know several who won't vote at all because they think Bush is too liberal with our money and the socialized-pills program thats going to cost us billions. I wish a fair and balanced group would do an accurate poll. I'd bet over 70% for Bush too.
Hmmm... 12 years ago was 1992... he signed up and served under Clinton for the first 8 years.
This is another Kerry abirthing. Anyone else wonder who set up this disgraceful little press conference?
P.S. Captain Harris -- if you resign, you're still eligible for the IRR call up.
I just got back from my Aunt's retirement from the AF.
I could not find any liberals.
I keep being reminded of the bible quote, "The devil speaks with a silver tounge".
If we take the spanish diablo(devil)
we see a pattern to the greek diabolis(to mislead).
Military Vote Gap Might Be Closing......Yeah, and death rays from Mars might wipe out the planet tomorrow, but it ain't likely. I'm in the AF and President Bush enjoys widespread support. Kerry? Well that's another story.
Well said, and I think its getting worse base on what I see on TV. I am praying GW wins so we have chance at destroying these fools who made the mistake of starting WW III with the largest dog on the block. But if Mr. Kerry makes it in via the diabolis of the media, it t'aint gonna matter how tough we are, we're screwed if we end up with a windsock for a CIC.....
In their dreams.
While I feel most agree with me, it is not forced up them to be either party. There is a voting specialist who helps with absentee ballots and helping get info for them to research and make an educated vote. Also with the Internet many military members are able to keep up in real time as to the standings of the 2 parties. I do think the military can make a break a president.
You mean I have to fight in wars if I join the military ? Good riddance!
Yup the military gap might be closing, and penguins might thrive in the Sahara.
I'd put my money on the penguins.
My fave was that they had no hard data from previous elections. How long have they been throwing out military absentee votes?
Eggs, you to make the correct comment
4 years why wait till the last minute?
Charlie, your comments humor me. But the humor turns to outrage. That deceased Americans are being heard from the grave. That certain people of a certain party give out cigarettes.
Nice to know I am not the only angry!!
I am not sure why this was pulled, the thread you were reponding to, but, this still follows the same concern of why our military are unable to vote as they should.
I'll match your anger, and raise you one. I'm fuming!
You are not. But, of course I can't post the article. Evidently the link and title can be posted but even that does not go through. It is just so important and should have fixed long ago. I am glad you were able to find this link.
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