Troops Deployed Abroad Donate Six Times More To Obama

Open Secrets:

During World War II, soldiers crouching in foxholes penned letters assuring their sweethearts that they'd be home soon. Now, between firefights in the Iraqi desert, some infantrymen have been sending a different kind of mail stateside: two or three hundred dollars -- or whatever they can spare -- towards a presidential election that could very well determine just how soon they come home.

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.

Despite McCain's status as a decorated veteran and a historically Republican bent among the military, members of the armed services overall -- whether stationed overseas or at home -- are also favoring Obama with their campaign contributions in 2008, by a $55,000 margin. Although 59 percent of federal contributions by military personnel has gone to Republicans this cycle, of money from the military to the presumed presidential nominees, 57 percent has gone to Obama.

Read the whole story: Open Secrets

Comments

[LillianB]

Wow, these are numbers that should really be highlighted: The military vote doesn't go to the socalled "experienced" warsupporter, with his background as POW. When troops are able to see through the "I know the military, I know the world" rhetoric, why aren't the public, too?

[KathyIndiana]

This is a surprise??

[watchTVgetSTUPID]

Mr "Boots on the Ground" McCain lost a lot of credibility amongst the troops when the news spread that he told the American public there are safe places in Bagdad where Americans can walk around freely and safely.

The troops laughed their A$$es off when they heard it. It does not matter how many times McCain visits Iraq. He leaves just a ignorant as when he arrives.

[Bharatbhangi]

ok 1 in 6 means about 17%. This means that the flag-waiving, bible-thumping, immigrant-hating segment of our citizenry is woefully under-represented in the military. we all know that about a 33% of US population is the evangelical base of the GOP. they love bush's wars but how come they don't join the military?

[JulieSA]

134 soldiers deployed overseas gave money in reportable amounts to Obama. 26 gave to McCain.
This is out of over 300,000 people serving overseas.

134 people out of 300,000 gave to Obama. Do you know what the word "anecdote" means?

[BigLib]

I think they polled about seven soldiers.

[whiteboyblues]

Wishful thinking eh?

[JulieSA]

Well, it's not a poll, but you're close anyway. The records are on 323 soldiers. 323 out of all the ones deployed overseas, which is over 300,000. Yeah, it's a very small sample.

[CharlesJ]

As I said, the damaged caused by McCain can not be repaired fast enought. Loyal republican senators, congressmen, the normal military republican base, the average republican voter is so very tired of McCain and his Lies. They are jumping ship so fast it would make a normal everyday thinking human to step back and take notice; however, it appears the Republican party is so full of themselves this time around that they can not see the light between the trees.

[Nonamnesiac]

The reception Obama received from our troops in Iraq when he was there recently was worthy of the kind of loop coverage the media gave Reverend Wright and and are giving to John Edwards's sex life. Instead the coverage was sporadic, rapid and quickly disappeared. Obama was received by our troops in Iraq the same way he's been received at the many rallies he's had all over the country. The audience of troops were screaming and loudly cheering him.

The failure of the media to show Obama's cheering reception by our troops in Iraq over and over again just shows that the media still want perennial war in Iraq. The only reason there are so few pictures of our dead heros returning home from Iraq is because the despicable media is collaborating with the Bush Administration, just as they collaborated with them to lie us into Iraq in the first place. Refusal to cover Obama's cheering reception by our troops in Iraq Bush has not yet killed or maimed is more media collaboration to continue the occupation.

[WasteNJ]

Why is it surprising that the military would favor Obama, at least the guys actually getting shot at?

Look at all the other career military guys, Generals, who have run this war in Iraq. How many of them were competent, and how many were just shills for the Bush administration. They are the worst kind of sellouts because they are dishonoring themselves and their uniform.

The ones who spoke up and actually wanted to do what was best for the troops were "replaced" shortly after. God Bless America, troops can still vote.

[kjdwyer]

Obama would do well to use this statistic whenever McCain refers to "conditions on the ground."

[levibatgirl]

Oh, troooooooo­llllllllll­llllllllll­llllllllls­ssssssss..­..........­..........­....

lmao!

[ohmetoo]

Well if the troops support Obama in such numbers, lets be sure to protect their absentee ballotts! Perhaps another nation should help us run a fair election this time around.

[sandiegoconservative]

Such numbers? 400 out of how many troops? That's hilarious!

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

This should be plastered on every website in the country.

[leftoflennon]

LOL!

Go Barack !

[MPeter]

Yeah! Go Barack. The reason Barack gets this support is because our troops abroad are smart and brave but they prefer to have an administration capable of using all the tools available-­-diplomati­c, cultural, financial/economic, UN before resorting to the military as the last resort!!!

[Ayreon]

Why do our troops hate the troops?

[riverhouse]

I agree with the other posters who say this fact should be put into an O*bama ad. It's as though the MSM has conceeded the military vote to the wrinkley old guy. That public needs to be disabused of that idea.

[beboy]

Could you explain to me why making fun of McCain's age is acceptable, but Obama's race is out of bounds?

[Syco]

because one is funny while the other can earn you a beat down