Military has little faith in Obama

[AllieBaba]

2008 Military Times poll: Wary about Obama

Troops cite inexperience, Iraq timetable
By Brendan McGarry - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jan 2, 2009 10:09:24 EST

When asked how they feel about President-elect Barack Obama as commander in chief, six out of 10 active-duty service members say they are uncertain or pessimistic, according to a Military Times survey.

In follow-up interviews, respondents expressed concerns about Obama’s lack of military service and experience leading men and women in uniform.

“Being that the Marine Corps can be sent anywhere in the world with the snap of his fingers, nobody has confidence in this guy as commander in chief,” said one lance corporal who asked not to be identified.

2008 Military Times poll: Wary about Obama - Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Army Times

 

[Truthmatters]

What do you suggest this means?


Do you suggest they will not follow orders?

 

[AllieBaba]

I don't suggest it means anything. And no, they will follow order. They're US military, not Cuban military.

I just find it interesting that those who are in Iraq and Afghanistan are concerned.

 

[Ravi]

They should be booted out. What a disgrace.

 

[AllieBaba]

What the hell are you talking about now? You're making less sense than usual.

 

[Diuretic]

That has to be something approaching the purest of ironies. "Lack of military experience and leading men and women in uniform". Right.

I think there's some confusion there though. The military is a political tool, but it's a political tool which is best left in the hands of professional military people. The best relationship politicians can have with the military is to use them, not run them, leave that to the professionals. There's no need for a politician who can issue instructions to the military to have military experience, he or she just needs to be a good listener and thinker.

 

[tigerbob]

The same findings, written another way, might say:

Military more positive than negative about Obama

Despite claims by the McCain campaign during the election that Barack Obama's lack of military experience would prove unpopular among troops, a recent Military Times poll of servicemen and women shows only a quarter are pessimistic about their new C in C, with 33% actually optimistic.

 

[AllieBaba]

I think the poll shows pretty definitively that the military has made some deductions about Obama based upon his comments. I think they think it's a mistake to pull out on a timetable, essentially, and that makes them doubt his ability to make military decisions because it's OBVIOUSLY SUCH A FUCKING BAD IDEA.

 

[AllieBaba]

The same findings, written another way, might say:

Military more positive than negative about Obama

Despite claims by the McCain campaign during the election that Barack Obama's lack of military experience would prove unpopular among troops, a recent Military Times poll of servicemen and women shows only a quarter are pessimistic about their new C in C, with 33% actually optimistic.

Nice lefty spin, but you can't really spin those numbers.

 

[del]

That has to be something approaching the purest of ironies. "Lack of military experience and leading men and women in uniform". Right.

I think there's some confusion there though. The military is a political tool, but it's a political tool which is best left in the hands of professional military people. The best relationship politicians can have with the military is to use them, not run them, leave that to the professionals. There's no need for a politician who can issue instructions to the military to have military experience, he or she just needs to be a good listener and thinker.

 

[del]

I think the poll shows pretty definitively that the military has made some deductions about Obama based upon his comments. I think they think it's a mistake to pull out on a timetable, essentially, and that makes them doubt his ability to make military decisions because it's OBVIOUSLY SUCH A FUCKING BAD IDEA.

so tell me, von clauswitz, what would you recommend be done?

 

[AllieBaba]

Stay until it's able to sustain stability. However long that takes.
Pretty basic. You don't go in, then leave without pulling up your stupid pants.

 

[tigerbob]

Nice lefty spin, but you can't really spin those numbers.

I wasn't trying to spin them. I just thought the poll's results were more open that you did and illustrated it with a juxtaposition.

 

[AllieBaba]

Look at that, you're spinning spin now.

 

[Modbert]

OpenSecrets | Troops Deployed Abroad Give 6:1 to Obama - Capital Eye

According to an analysis of campaign contributions by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Democrat Barack Obama has received nearly six times as much money from troops deployed overseas at the time of their contributions than has Republican John McCain, and the fiercely anti-war Ron Paul, though he suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination months ago, has received more than four times McCain's haul.

Individuals in the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps have all leaned Republican this cycle, but the only branch in which that ideology has carried over to the presidential race is the Marine Corps, where McCain leads Obama by about $4,000. In each of the other branches -- including the Navy, in which McCain served when he was taken prisoner during the Vietnam War -- Obama leads by significant margins.

This is the kind of poll Allie uses:

Military Times poll: Troops backing McCain - Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Army Times

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.

And what was the only group that Obama lost? Old white men.

 

[tigerbob]

Look at that, you're spinning spin now.

Just because someone doesn't think your personal interpretation is right doesn't mean they are adding "lefty spin".

Look at the numbers. More troops are optimistic (33%) than pessimistic (25%). An article might reasonably make that statement without being wrong, which is exactly what I wrote, irrespective of what you think the poll "definitively" reveals.

FYI, I've voted conservative for 25 years, supported the war in Iraq from Day 1 and do not support troop withdrawal on a timetable. And I have major concerns about Obama's qualifications as a C in C. If I had taken part in the survey, my vote would have shown up in the 'pessimistic' column.

 

[Modbert]

Just because someone doesn't think your personal interpretation is right doesn't mean they are adding "lefty spin".

Look at the numbers. More troops are optimistic (33%) than pessimistic (25%). An article might reasonably make that statement without being wrong, which is exactly what I wrote, irrespective of what you think the poll "definitively" reveals.

FYI, I've voted conservative for 25 years, supported the war in Iraq from Day 1 and do not support troop withdrawal on a timetable. And I have major concerns about Obama's qualifications as a C in C. If I had taken part in the survey, my vote would have shown up in the 'pessimistic' column.

The parallels the War in Iraq has to the War in Vietnam is astounding.

Both places we should of never had been in the first place.

 

[AllieBaba]

Bullshit again.
Name the many parallels, einstein.

 

[tigerbob]

The parallels the War in Iraq has to the War in Vietnam is astounding.

Both places we should of never had been in the first place.

I don't know enough about Vietnam to comment, but I still believe the intent was correct with the invasion of Iraq.

 

[AllieBaba]

There are no parallels between viet nam and iraq, except in the mind of lefties. Whole different scenario, different enemy, different reasons for going in. The only thing that is the same is that the libs don't want us to win.