Posted on 08/16/2004 1:26:36 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Americans who served in the military will be well represented at the upcoming Republican convention, more so than at last month's Democratic convention or in the U.S. population overall, according to the GOP.
About 15 percent of the 4,800-plus delegates and alternates to the convention in New York are veterans, organizers said Monday. An additional 3 percent are active military personnel.
Census Bureau (news - web sites) estimates show that roughly 12 percent of U.S. residents in 2002 were military veterans. About 11.5 percent of delegates at the Democratic convention in Boston were veterans, a record high, according to the Democratic National Committee (news - web sites).
With President Bush (news - web sites) and Democratic challenger John Kerry (news - web sites) locked in a tight race, winning the votes of veterans in swing states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Washington will be important.
Each candidate hopes to convince voters he is better suited to keep America safer and to lead the war on terror.
Convention organizers are tightlipped about what role veterans will have in New York. At the Democratic convention, some of Kerry's Navy swiftboat crewmates from Vietnam appeared on stage and at other news events.
Kerry's campaign sought to focus on the Massachusetts senator's military service in Vietnam to counter GOP contentions that he is liberal and weak on national security issues.
"The truth of the matter is, this election is not about Vietnam and the Vietnam War. This election is about who is best qualified to lead America in the war on terror, and I'm convinced it's George W. Bush," said Joe Repya, 58, a Republican delegate from Eagan, Minn., who served in Vietnam and in the first Gulf War (news - web sites).
Though trailing the Republicans, the Democrats were pleased with their increase in convention delegates who are military veterans.
"The fact that our convention veterans' participation so closely mirrors the GOP numbers is an important change this election year," DNC Secretary Alice Germond said.
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Republican National Convention: http://www.2004nycgop.org/
President Bush (news - web sites) addresses the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention Monday, Aug. 16, 2004, at Cinergy Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Bush on Monday announced plans to shift 60,000 to 70,000 U.S. troops who are now stationed in Europe and Asia in one of the largest troop realignments since the end of the Cold War. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) speaks at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention at the Dr. Albert B. Sabin Cincinnati Cinergy Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.(AFP/Luke Frazza)
Yes, Alice, but we won't neglect the thousands of men and women who are active military that you and your ilk will try to keep from voting...
President George W. Bush (news - web sites)(R) greets supporters at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention at the Dr. Albert B. Sabin Cincinnati Cinergy Center in Cincinnati, Ohio(AFP/Luke Frazza)
I understand the Dims convention had 12 retired Admirals and Generals who support Kerry. I have no doubt the Pubbies could line up 120 who support Bush and if they really worked at possibly 1200!
USA Freedom Corps representative Alexandra Amend, 10, shows U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites) a bag bearing his image in Cincinnati, Ohio August 16, 2004. President Bush (news - web sites) was expected to call for gradual withdrawal of about 70,000 troops from Europe and Asia, but no immediate relief for troops in Iraq (news - web sites), in one of biggest post-Cold War realignments of U.S. military forces abroad. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque US ELECTION
Wife of Fat Jack Germond.
Jabba Germond ;-)
DAV Vets back bush also ! !
Are they talking about all those war crazed Vietmam War veterans we were all warned about in the 70s.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) speaks to the banquet of the 105th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.(AFP/Getty Images/Mike Simons)
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