Military Times poll: Troops backing McCain

[CommunityEditor]

Sen. John McCain enjoys overwhelming support from the military’s professional core, though race appears to be a decisive factor for career-oriented black service members, a Military Times survey of nearly 4,300 readers indicates.

McCain, R-Ariz., handily defeated Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., 68 percent to 23 percent in a voluntary survey of 4,293 active-duty, National Guard and reserve subscribers and former subscribers to Army Times, Navy Times, Marine Corps Times and Air Force Times.

The results of the Military Times 2008 Election Poll are not representative of the opinions of the military as a whole. The group surveyed is older, more senior in rank and less ethnically diverse than the overall armed services.

But as a snapshot of careerists, the results suggest Democrats have gained little ground in their attempts to appeal to a traditionally Republican voting bloc in campaign messages and legislative initiatives, such as the recent expansion of GI Bill benefits, experts said.

“The military has been perceived as a conservative Republican institution,” said Peter Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University and a special adviser to the National Security Council from 2005 to 2007.

“A lot of people thought that eight years of frustration with the Bush administration was going to undermine that,” he said. “This evidence suggests that it hasn’t undermined it as much as they thought, at least not yet.”

Officers and enlisted troops, active-duty members and reservists, those who have served in combat and those who haven’t, all backed McCain by large margins, to about the same extent they supported President Bush four years ago.

About 69 percent of respondents said they voted for Bush in 2004, while about 16 percent voted for the Democratic nominee, Sen. John Kerry.

McCain’s majority wanes among women and disappears altogether among black respondents.

Nearly eight out of 10 black service members indicated they intend to vote for Obama despite his lack of military service and despite McCain’s record as a naval aviator and prisoner of war in Vietnam.

“I’m going to vote for Barack Obama,” said Marine Gunnery Sgt. Derrick Pipkin, a heavy equipment chief with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Miramar, Calif., and a black man who said he served seven months in Iraq in 2005.

Pipkin said his vote was influenced more by the continued presence of 152,000 troops in Iraq than by race.

“I believe that we did our best for the country,” he said. “It’s time to move on.”

Iraq is third-biggest issue
Among the top issues for respondents in the survey, the war in Iraq ranks third, behind character of the candidate and the economy. The war in Iraq was cited by more respondents in the 2004 Military Times survey than any other issue, including character and the economy, in considering their choice for president.

Recent progress in stabilizing Iraq has helped McCain politically, Feaver said. McCain was an early supporter of the troop surge credited with helping to reduce violence in Baghdad and other areas of Iraq.

Similarly, the character question plays to McCain’s strength, Feaver said. His dramatic experience as a POW is embodied in his campaign slogan, “Country First,” and carries a particular resonance in the military community, as service members themselves indicated.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Derriel D. Collins, who is black, said he was influenced by McCain’s service record, though he acknowledges black friends question his decision.

“I’m not going to give [my vote] to you just because you’re black,” he said. “It doesn’t work like that.”

“John McCain went to war for this country, even though he had an admiral father who probably could have gotten him out of the service,” Collins said. “He stuck it out five years in a prisoner of war camp. If that ain’t fortitude, showing your willingness to go all the way, I don’t know what the credentials are.”

Army Sgt. Timothy Coen said he will vote for McCain because that would be in keeping with his political views.

“I just always voted conservative and on a lot of the issues at hand — gun rights and abortion — it just seemed like the more logical choice,” he said.

Coen, who is white, said he is proud to see a minority running on the ticket of a major political party.

“But we’d all be fools to think that the race card isn’t going to be played in this election,” he added. “As much as we’d like to say that discrimination or inequality is a thing of the past, it’s not.”

Daniel J. Becker, an enlisted airman who declined to provide his rank because he wanted his comments to reflect only his personal views and not those of the service or Defense Department, said he will vote for McCain because he has always leaned toward Republican candidates.

“I’ve always felt that the Republican Party was interested in having a stronger military, which leads to a stronger America,” he said. “That gives us a better voice in world politics and just makes us stand out as the world leaders that we are.”


Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/20..._poll_100508w/
Charts: http://www.militarytimes.com/static/...003_ep_2pp.pdf
Methodology: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/20...ology_100608W/

Are you kidding me? This poll was so biased it should be sent back to the scuttle-butt area on the ship. Is is a basic reported FACT, by the national press and the NAVY that has show that McCain is backed by those who are Officers or Chiefs, who are career lifer's (like myself) who have always been brainwashed to go with the canidate the pentagon see's as most likely to give them more money or more ships and programs. Meanwhile enlisted people prefer the guy who will get them the hell out of Iraq where we never should have been in the first place. They want the guy who will get them home to see the spouse and kids and help them finacially when they do. I supported McCain in 2000 when he ran. THIS IS NOT THE SAME GUY and anyone who is stuck in Iraq or Afganistan will agree. McCain's PTSD is clouding his judgement and his character, plain and simple. So let's go easy on your poll results that do not reflect the real troops that are the backbone of our great Navy.

[SARAHCEE]

I am a dependant and my husband is a member of the National Guard. He has served his country for over 20 yrs. My husband just returned home a few months ago from his 2nd deployment in 3 yrs. Our son is about to return to the States from a deployment to Iraq.We are a family of many different ethnicities,cultures and beliefs.We are proud to be voting for Barack Obama. I am not voting for Mr. Obama because he is African -American,but because he is the American that I believe will do the best job. I don't believe you need to serve in the military to show that you love your country. I have known many soldiers,sailors, airmen,and marines that have joined not for love of country. And as far as having a stronger military leading to a stronger America,if we don't fix some of our other problems how strong can we be?

[SARAHCEE]

I agree with BM1 John Mccain is not the same . I can say that I have lost respect for the man. I would not vote for him because he is a war hero.

It's time for change! The ideas and ways of John McCain and Bush has this country on the verge of WWIII and the great depression part 2. The military represents the middle class and McCain does not support the middle class. So much is made about his prior military record, that gives him knowledge of military ops, sure. He is however, ill equipped to handle other issues, such as job loss and the economy! Obama Baby!!!

[Variable Wind]

Originally Posted by BM1 (Ret.22 yrs)

Are you kidding me? This poll was so biased it should be sent back to the scuttle-butt area on the ship. Is is a basic reported FACT, by the national press and the NAVY that has show that McCain is backed by those who are Officers or Chiefs, who are career lifer's (like myself) who have always been brainwashed to go with the canidate the pentagon see's as most likely to give them more money or more ships and programs. Meanwhile enlisted people prefer the guy who will get them the hell out of Iraq where we never should have been in the first place. They want the guy who will get them home to see the spouse and kids and help them finacially when they do. I supported McCain in 2000 when he ran. THIS IS NOT THE SAME GUY and anyone who is stuck in Iraq or Afganistan will agree. McCain's PTSD is clouding his judgement and his character, plain and simple. So let's go easy on your poll results that do not reflect the real troops that are the backbone of our great Navy.

By biased you mean it was skewed by the military bias of the military folks? You have got to be kidding me right?

[LogDog_guest]

As the survey says it isn't representative of the military because the sample represented "is older, more senior in rank and less ethnically diverse than the overall armed services." This group is usually more conservative and more likely to vote for Republicans. I'm sure there will be pundits who will use the results of this survey to push the point that the military supports McCain while other pundits will say the results are biased because it the sample doesn't represent the diversity (age, rank, gender, race, religion, etc.) of the military. All this survey has become is a fluff information (no real news value) for the paper.

[Variable Wind]

Originally Posted by LogDog_guest

As the survey says it isn't representative of the military because the sample represented "is older, more senior in rank and less ethnically diverse than the overall armed services." This group is usually more conservative and more likely to vote for Republicans. I'm sure there will be pundits who will use the results of this survey to push the point that the military supports McCain while other pundits will say the results are biased because it the sample doesn't represent the diversity (age, rank, gender, race, religion, etc.) of the military. All this survey has become is a fluff information (no real news value) for the paper.

What you just said is true for all polls. You can make them say what you want. I could create a poll right now and make it show that in fact Hillary Clinton is leading in the election through write-ins.

[LogDog_guest]

Originally Posted by Variable Wind

What you just said is true for all polls. You can make them say what you want. I could create a poll right now and make it show that in fact Hillary Clinton is leading in the election through write-ins.

You can do that but it wouldn't be accurate. Those who are in the polling business and do it professionally utilize statistical sampling to ensure the results are representative of the population they are sampling. To do this they make sure the wording of their questions is neutral and not misleading. Whenever you have a poll that allows anyone to participate without controls then you get results like you have in this Military Times polls.

[Variable Wind]

Originally Posted by LogDog_guest

You can do that but it wouldn't be accurate. Those who are in the polling business and do it professionally utilize statistical sampling to ensure the results are representative of the population they are sampling. To do this they make sure the wording of their questions is neutral and not misleading. Whenever you have a poll that allows anyone to participate without controls then you get results like you have in this Military Times polls.

Really? Ive never taken part in said polls. Of course also its your sample audience too. Remember that every poll had Kerry winning the election in 04 a month before the elections, yet somehow they were wrong...


...hmmm maybe they are professionals, but accuracy is not their standard.