why does the military overwhelmingly vote republican?

[UpsideDownFlag]

important: this is NOT an anti-military thread. I am just trying to figure out why they vote like they do.

[Bucky]

1. We have a chance to change that this year

This could be a realignment year. But like Wes Clark says, Democrats have to become a full service party. We need to state a strong position, truly lead (and not just tag along) on foriegn and defense policy questions.

[Blue Wally]

2. Two Words

George McGovern


Prior to the radical left gaining influence in the Democratic party, most officers were Roosevelt/Kennedy Democrats. Strong on national security (and anti-communism), culturally conservative, and economically liberal.

[GOPFighter]

4. "Radical Left"?

How so?

[Bridget Burke]

15. A "Radical Left" bomber pilot?

He flew a B-24 & won the Distinguished Flying Cross.

[DBtv]

5. Two words: BULL SHIT.

George McGovern was correct in being against an unjustifiable war of imperialism and corporate profiteering that this country has never recovered from. He was beaten by a lying, dirty tricking criminal.
(Ding, ding, ding, does that ring a contemporary bell?)

"Radical left"? Nice publican talking point.

[Blue Wally]

7. Was you there???

I was on active duty in the sixties and seventies and watched the shift.

The officer corps didn't warm up to Nixon in 1968, went against McGovern in 1972, came back to Carter in 1976, then went to Reagan in 1980 and ever since.

It wasn't mcGovern personnally so much as it was the general tone of his supporters. Read Theodore White's book "The Making of the President-1972" and you will get a real good feel for the times.

[DBtv]

9. I worked on the McGovern campaign in 72.

I've got a plenty good feel for those times and I'm still pissed about it. McG was a great leader and he was dirty tricked by the same crew that dirty tricked The Big Dog (lucianne goldberg et al)and the same scum bags that are dirty tricking Johnny K. So take your "general tone" and shove it, these criminals are taking our country down, aided by the stupidity of the sheeple.

[Blue Wally]

13. I spent most of 1972 in Vietnam (second tour)

You could "dirty trick" an election like 2000 where it is so close. You can't dirty trick a guy into winning only one state and the District of Columbia. That is massive rejection by the voters of George McGovern and where he stood. That was the first time I ever voted for a Republican.

Note that the Democratic House and Senate candidates did quite well in that election (of course they ran "away" from McGovern and his followers).

[DBtv]

17. You voted for Nixon?

I rest my case.

[Blue Wally]

20. Lesser of two evils at the time.

[Skittles]

27. oh good LORD

:puke:

[DBtv]

34. BULL FUCKING SHIT!!!!!

Who, pray tell, are you voting for this time?

[Julien Sorel]

24. Agreed.

But it actually started with Eisenhower. Truman was blamed for mishandling Korea, and Eisenhower ran on the promise to fix Korea. He then did a good job of shepherding the country through 8 years of power and prosperity.

Another factor was Nixon and McCarthy by starting the whole "Soft on communism" thing. When Kennedy came to power, he was absolutely paranoid about being labeled soft on communism, so he ended up with the Bay of Pigs (failure), and began escalating Vietnam (another failure) to show he was tough. Johnson escalated Vietnam much further, of course, and the fact that he ran the war in a grossly timid and incompetent fashion didn't endear the military to the Democrats.

Curiously, the anti-war movement started among Democrats, even though the Republicans were the party that was out of power, and had just gotten over a long tradition of isolationism. I haven't figured that one out yet. At any rate, the anti-war movement sealed the deal for the military and the Democrats. Humphrey was a semi-hawk, so I'd imagine he did OK with the military, but it's been downhill since then.

As a side note, Truman was absolutely furious at Johnson for quitting, thereby giving in to the radical war movement. He felt that Johnson was diminishing the presidency, which was nearly sacred to Truman, and damaging the Democratic Party by quitting. Smart man, that Mr. Truman.

One of the major keys is that patriotism is tightly wound up with military service, and there is a small but loud mouthed wing of the Democratic party that shits on the word patriotism every chance it gets. That hurts. And to this day, it's that same small but vocal wing that is guaranteed to protest any war or military action that the U.S. becomes involved in. That hurts as well. You're talking about kids mainly, who have never accomplished anything in their lives. They go into the military, get training, get discipline, get some accomplishments under their belts, then they hear a group of people who disparage the organization that gave them these things. Even though it's a tiny minority of Democrats who do this, it's enough to taint the whole party in their eyes. I saw this exact scenario happen with my younger brother, who went into the Marines. He's now one of the 10-15% of black people in this country who vote Republican, because he hates the extremist anti-war Democrats.

[wyldwolf]

31. Great analysis - and it doesn't surprise me that it has been ignored

[blm]

3. Same reason that anyone would. Media serving its corporate masters LIE for

them and purposely distort the important process of informing the electorate.

[dolo amber]

6. Because Dems are wimps

and would strip us of our guns and let the UN take over inside of a week. Sheesh, don't you read? :eyes:

[One_Life_To_Give]

8. Repubs = Better Equipment

What I hear is a beleif that they will have better equipment to work with if the Reps win.

[DBtv]

10. Yeah, busholini gave them great body armour.

What bull shit.

[kayell]

11. They have been indoctrinated in an authoritarian mindset, and

most people who join the military (other than for simple financial desperation) have grown up with an authoritarian outlook on life to begin with. To survive in the military you have to accept authority. To remain and make a career, you have to thrive in that kind of environment.

Republicans are the ultimate party of authoritarianism. Most are convinced that without the tight control of authority, people would collapse into immoral, sexually depraved, terroristic anarchy.

Not saying that respect for authority or military means one will be republican, but the military situation certainly weeds out free thinkers, anarchists and other people who don't enjoy having all their decisions made for them, leaving a higher percentage of republicans by default.

[kaitykaity]

12. Holdover from the Reagan years.

I was in the Army from 82 to 85, and my first election
I voted to reelect Reagan.

Simple answer is that Reagan spent lots and lots and lots
and lots and lots and lots of $$$ on the military, and
it's a deep, abiding memory. Reagan = Republican.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. Self interest. The pugs give them more money for toys.

Not to mention that brainwashing of the poor sods works.

[Beacho]

16. Voted 'other'

I question the 'military votes GOP' meme.

[Bridget Burke]

18. Where are the actual statistics on the military vote?

By election?

Officers versus NCO's versus enlisted?

By service?

It would be interesting to discuss some real data.

[sr_pacifica]

19. The majority are young and dumb

[Ron Green]

23. They'd be a lot smarter if they HAD to go. n/t

[gollygee]

21. I'd have to vote for both choices A and B (m)

There's a military mentality, but at the same time the information they get can be filtered.

[Ron Green]

22. Another effect of the insane ALL VOLUNTEER ARMY...

It's not quite a mercenary force, but much closer than it was during Vietnam. Without the healthy dissent among draftees, we have a non-representative, "gung-ho" military who might tend to support even a President who is the least intellectually curious person ever to hold the office.

[UpsideDownFlag]

29. um

draft is NOT that answer.

[Ron Green]

32. Pray tell, then, what is?

Over half the opinion in this poll is either that they are gung-ho types or they've been mislead. I would suggest that any gung-ho type has been mislead as well. How will young and impressionable people, living away from home for the first time, hear some diverging points of view and find out some of the truths of life, if their only barracks-mates are all the same: volunteers for military service? Tell me how a more and more highly-paid (or more generously benefitted) force of people who WANT TO FIGHT will serve our country better? Sounds like Halliburton Army to me.

[sr_pacifica]

36. But it's worth examining how a Volunteer army benefits those in power

[sr_pacifica]

35. Draftees are as likely to be against the administration as for it

During the Vietnam War draftees could be quite outspoken. I remember as a teenager (child of an air force enlisted) being at the military movie theater and when the star-spangled banner played (the custom before the movie started), 3 guys in front of me stood, bowed their heads and held their fists out in a display of protest.

[ObaMania]

25. They have to...

.. probably the military mentality where they HAVE to support their leader. Like they are brainwashed or something.

My neighbor, a National Guardsman who is a young kid, like 23, is heading to Afghanistan for 18 mo. and although he says it sucks, he still supports * and is voting for him. Same with his fiance whom he's leaving behind.

I tried to get him to say * is an idiot, and although he seemed like he wanted to, he also seemed like he didn't want to say anything for fear of getting in trouble or something.

I didn't pursue it any further.

[Cravat]

30. Sorry, wrong answer.

I was there for most of the Clinton military years. The Corps does not support Democratic candidates at all. He was called everything from a coward to a pedophile to worse. Top to bottom, the Corps is Repub. I was in the tiny minority.

[against all enemies]

26. Military does not encourage free and independant thinking

[Killarney]

28. The military wives I've talked to say that

Republicans pay them more.

I don't know if that's true or not. We're not a military family.

[Bluebear]

33. Who says they do other than push polls?

[UdoKier]

37. They don't.

Everything I've ever read shows military voting about 53-47 Repug.

I wouldn't call that "overwhelming".