Military abroad favoring Obama, money-wise
It's not a ton of money or large number of donors, but it is interesting to note that more US military members deployed abroad are backing Democrat Barack Obama than Republican John McCain.
The Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks campaign money, reported today that Obama has received nearly six times as much money from troops deployed overseas at the time of their contributions than McCain. Ron Paul, who like Obama opposes the Iraq war, has received four times McCain's amount though he suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination.
Through June 30, Obama had received 134 donations totaling about $61,000 to 99 totaling about $45,500 for Paul, and 26 contributions totaling less than $11,000 for McCain, who graduated from the US Naval Academy, was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, and highlights his military experience.
Among all members of the military, whether deployed abroad or not, the gap between Obama and McCain is smaller, though Obama is still getting 57 percent of the cash.
The trend is a shift from both 2004 and 2000, when Republican George W. Bush substantially outraised John F. Kerry and Al Gore, respectively, among the US military. And if the shift in money translated to votes, it could be more significant.
"That's shocking. The academic debate is between some who say that junior enlisted ranks lean slightly Republican and some who say it's about equal, but no one would point to six-to-one" in Democrats' favor, Aaron Belkin, a professor of political science at the University of California who studies the military, said in the center's report.. "That represents a tremendous shift from 2000, when the military vote almost certainly was decisive in Florida and elsewhere, and leaned heavily towards the Republicans."
Yes... isn't it a shame that 100% of their absentee votes will be shredded and not counted because mail to their former US addresses bounces. And isn't it a shame that this is the system that Karl Rove set up through the justice department to disenfranchise all military overseas voters in 2006, with no notice to them whatsoever that their votes were thrown away then, or will be thrown away in November. And furthermore that Congress has done nothing yet to correct this problem?
Not to mention the lists of minorities in the US who were prevented from voting because of "bounced mail".
Anyone who thinks Obama has a chance of winning in November is a fool.
no wonder local Senatorial candidates are not going to the McCain funeral, er, convention.
He is a sea anchor that will drag down the down ticket candidates.
I am so glad to see that the military has seen through the WMD lies.
McCain on Anthrax: ON LETTERMAN, in OCT 2001, carrying the water for the White House, to provoke us into the IRAQ WAR:
"Iraqi's did it to us. I have a source. "
REALLY?
Tell the FBI. They would love to solve the crime.
Clinton's name will be put in nomination at convention;
Senator Clinton & super delegates can still take the Democratic
presidential nomination at the last minute by taking advantage of ever
growing buyer's remorse among Democratic super-delegates who are
dismayed by the performance of Senator Obama's camp.
Senator Obama has raised tens of millions more dollars than Senator
McCain, which should translate into an advantage in the polls. The
economy is doing poorly, Republicans control the White House and the
incumbent party is blamed for a bad economy, Democrats feel should have
translated into an advantage in the polls. Still has not...
Senator McCain is old and is unpopular with his party's base because he
has broken with conservatives on taxes, global warming, torture, and
campaign speech limitations. Again Democrats think should translate into
an advantage at the polls, but hasn't.
President Bush, is most unpopular President in history, blamed for the
Iraq War. Three bestseller books Bush-bashing; Democrats think that this
too, should translate into an advantage in polls. Despite all these
factors, Senator Mr. McCain is running roughly even in the polls with
the "presumptive" Democratic nominee. At a time when cable media has
saintly coroneted Obama for an entire year and continue to do so should
be way ahead but isn't? Again Dem buyer's remorse.
History Lesson:
In early Aug 1988, Governor Dukakis was ahead of Vice President Bush by
a wide margin. In early August 04 Kerry was ahead of President Bush.
Since Obama have proven without a doubt he can't close the deal as with
Senator Clinton in the primaries, he continues to disappoint democrats
since he doesn't have a big lead even now, it will get pretty ugly for
the Democrats as November approaches. Once again, voters are only now
beginning to realize the mainstream media like CNN & MSNBC did not cover
this election fairly or correctly, FCC does not dictate that cable news
pundits report fair and balanced news. This is seen all day on CNN
pushing Obama. Finally is coming back to bite them as democrats "BUYER
REMORSE" with Obama is growing rapidly.
It will only get worse when McCain and Obama face off in
Presidential debates. The public is just now discovering that Obama,
silver-tongued orator, is no debater - which explains why his camp did
its best to dodge debate invitations from Mrs. Clinton and Mr. McCain.
Feature Mr. Obama's flubbering on the outbreak of war between Russia and
Georgia. (Obama does poorly unscripted)
Is all this enough to prompt Democratic super-delegates to re-think
Their allegiance to Mr. Obama and hand the nomination to Senator
Clinton? Possibly? Allot of rumbling has been growing in the Democratic
Party since Senator Clinton suspended her run.
Fact: If you count Michigan, Mrs. Clinton won the reported popular
Vote in the Democratic primaries and caucuses, 17.8 million to 17.5
Million, and won many of the hotly contested big battleground states
That the Democrats need to win in November - Pennsylvania, Ohio,
California, New York, New Jersey, Florida. She won Massachusetts even
After Senators Kennedy and Kerry endorsed Mr. Obama.
Take away the delegates Mr. Obama has by virtue of the endorsement of
Senator Edwards, who has newly admitted deceiving the electorate about
The adultery he committed while his wife lay stricken with cancer,
delegate gap is even narrower. Obama doesn't have enough delegates to
win the nomination without the super-delegates, so there wouldn't be
anything terribly exceptional about the super-delegates putting her
rather than him over the top. Especially now that it proven she is the
stronger candidate against the republicans is why they wanted to run
against Obama.
By the time the convention rolls around, Mr. Obama isn't just running
neck and neck with Mr. McCain but could be lagging in addition to the
release of public polls still showing Senator Clinton doing better than
Obama in matchups against Mr. McCain in battleground states two months
after suspending her run has caused great concern Democratic Party
leaders.
Add the new anti-Obama book debuted on the top of the best seller list
proves media failed viewers and they are beginning to really look at
this guy. Showing Obama not fundamentally American in his thinking
and in his values or friends and advisors, second (as anticipated) Obama
makes a big blunder with his choice of a running mate, added to the fact
Rev Wrights book and tour start in Oct (which is already causing
whispers swirling among super delegates) Obama may very well be out...
Bias Cable news pundits done presume to tell the Democrats whom to
nominate, We have no illusions about the ultra-long-shot of Mrs.
Clinton's chances of actually emerging as the Democratic nominee, even
with poor leadership by Pelosi and Dean, but truth being its not
technically impossible, as
Mr. Obama is no doubt aware.
Voters are watching and not listening to cable pundits, Obama skipped a
visit to a military hospital in Germany. He spent this weekend on
vacation in Hawaii. While Senator Clinton spent last week visiting
wounded service members at Fort Drum. Mr. Obama may think the primary
campaign is over, but Mrs. Clinton's die-hard supporters may trump a
last-minute surprise.
I would love to see the numbers broken down by branch of service, I suspect that the regular army and marine troops support Mccain, but do not contribute donations, its not like those guys make a lot of money. I suspect Obama's support comes from the National Guard and reserves, they never planned on being there in the first place, and have the money to contribute.
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