Gallup: Romney’s lead over Obama comes from veterans
Politics seeps into Memorial Day news from a Gallup poll which says that Romney’s lead over Obama is mainly fueled by veterans;
These data, from an analysis of Gallup Daily tracking interviews conducted April 11-May 24, show that 24% of all adult men are veterans, compared with 2% of adult women.
Obama and Romney are tied overall at 46% apiece among all registered voters in this sample. Men give Romney an eight-point edge, while women opt for Obama over Romney by seven points. It turns out that the male skew for Romney is driven almost entirely by veterans. Romney leads by one point among nonveteran men, contrasted with the 28-point edge Romney receives among male veterans.
Gallup blames the socialization processes that convert people into Republicans while they serve;
Why veterans are so strong in their preference for the Republican presidential candidate is not clear. Previous Gallup analysis has suggested that two processes may be at work. Men who serve in the military may become socialized into a more conservative orientation to politics as a result of their service. Additionally, men who in the last decades have chosen to enlist in the military may have a more Republican orientation to begin with.
I think it’s because Romney has the advantage of not having the opportunity to screw veterans yet, whereas Obama’s strategy of pumping money into the Department of Veterans Affairs while slashing healthcare at the Department of Defense while Leon Panetta takes the heat doesn’t seem to be working as he planned. Obama’s rush for the exits in Afghanistan doesn’t look to be doing him any favors either.
Age makes little substantive difference in the vote preferences of male veterans. Those younger than 50 are roughly as likely to support Romney as are those 60 and older. Male veterans aged 50 to 59 are slightly less skewed toward Romney, but still support him by a 15-point margin.
Time for VoteVets and IAVA to roll out their usual “non-partisan” blather to save the President skin.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Veterans in politics
“Why veterans are so strong in their preference for the Republican presidential candidate is not clear.”
In a related article, LTC (Ret) Nagl had a piece in yesterdays WaPo that asked “Does military service still matter for the presidency?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/does-military-service-still-matter-for-the-presidency/2012/05/25/gJQAAAMupU_story_1.html
But what about Ron Paul’s veteran support?? Ugh.
Although I’m not thrilled about Romney, I even dislike Obama more.
Onama’s ROE in the field, his stripping of Vet benifits, his seemingly disdain for the people that serve under him is not a plus in my book.
As far as the claim that the military is “Socialized” to be republicans ?, thats total bull, it has to do with the long history of abuse by the left of our Soldiers , we will never forget being spit on when returning from the Asian war, we can not forget Jane Fonda and the others that called us ” baby kiler and Murderers”. But most of all many of us retired Vets can not forget how the rich left winged elitists used thier money to get out of going to war while forceing the poor under educated man to fight in his place, because we had no choice.
The left can dog us all they want and make claims we love to kill and go to war, but the truth is no one hates going to war more than the soldier does, why ?, because he is the one that has to fight and die in it while other watch Dancing with the Stars.
With roughly 20 Million Veterans alive today, that would be a adult male population of roughly 80 Million American men. Seems like the numbers are off to me.
Of course Veterans skew against the politician that is doing everything he can to charge Retirees for their retirement, and to gut the National Defenses. You would think that would be a no-brainer, but I guess he thought he could fool us, like he has so many others.
I’ve often thought that when I hear some MSM idiot talking about how vets like the doofus and will back him again that maybe they should read a military blog like this one. That’ll damn well change their mind. And I cringe every time I see him depart AF-1 or Marine-1 and salute the guys standing at the foot of the stairs. I can only imagine what they’re thinking and it ain’t pretty.
I’m so liberal that I get photoshopped pictures of me with unicorns, but as a veteran, I would still NEVER vote for Obama after what he’s done to our military. I disagree with Romney on a lot of things (most notably gun control, ugh!) but at least he doesn’t promise out of one side of his mouth and take away with the other.
Obama doesn’t respect veterans, he only talks a good game and makes flourishing signings when he wants something from us.
When I was young and in service I was republican because they continued to raise my every year. it seemed like an obvious choice at the time. Now that I’m out and stewing in bitterness I throw my vote away to a third party.
[…] Wright of Politico calls me for an interview on the election and the campaign. It was influenced by the bit we did on the Gallup poll late last month which says veterans are carrying Romney in the polls and Obama’s attempts to […]