Well this really sucks

[GP6971]

It looks TCM is showing nothing but all war movies tonight. What a joke.....any of us who have been there despise the glorification of war. It ain't pretty.

I honor my great uncle and cousin on this day (WW II & Iraq). Nothing takes away from our dedicated men and women in uniform that put their lives on the line.

I would I like to know how many rethougs have sent their children in harms way. My guess is not that not many.

So my questions are .....

Do we continue to condone drone strikes. My answer. Probably not a good idea. I don't think killing innocent civilians is in ourh best interest.

And the second and final question. Where are we as a country are headed??????? Think about that. We are, IMHO, moral decay.

I'll make it.......I'm 64 i won't be hurt that bad. My son? Not so much

[Honeycombe8]

1. I think a lot of Rethugs join the mililtary.

It draws them. A # of Republican Presidents had a military background. The military seems to be mainly made of Republicans, and they vote that way. Altho it's less now in years past.

[Adsos Letter]

2. I agree. Some politically connected Republicans may shield their kids

from any service where their is a real chance of getting hurt. I suppose there are some politically connected Democrats who would also do it. I think, based upon no empirical evidence whatsoever, that the majority of the rank and file of military age kids in either party probably serve, or have served.

The South, for instance, is very supportive of the military, and tends to provide many recruits.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. You could not be further from the truth

But I guess thinking archetypes and all. The military is a mirror of society in many ways.

Yes, my husband retired from the Navy...I suspect his view is based on 21 years of service. How many years have you served?

Many lifers are independents though...and they will vote in higher numbers too.

[GP6971]

6. I served 11 years

Put my papers to got at the 10 year mark. They held me over until the end of first gulf war.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Was talking to Honeycomb

You know the score. You know democrats, republicans, independents and others serve.

This only republicans, or mostly republicans serve is a myth

[GP6971]

10. Going overseas to see my son whose in the Army

Who,I haven't in him over a year. Will be interesting to hear the current military "take" on the politics. My parents grilled me........don't think I'll do that to him though. Everyone has their own opinion.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Yeah, while in uniform you have no right to your opinion

I served somewhere else, same rule. It's a good thing actually

[Honeycombe8]

13. You're always so confrontational. There are anecdotes, and there are statistics. Here you go.

Time:

But the U.S. military plainly tilts toward the GOP. That’s largely because today’s military is an all-volunteer force increasingly drawn from the Sunbelt, where the Pentagon has focused its recruiting efforts since the draft ended 40 years ago. And traits the military prizes — like aggressiveness and respect for authority — tend to be more pronounced in conservatives.



Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2012/11/05/does-the-military-vote-really-lean-republican/#ixzz2US5l7ZbH

A Pew survey released last year showed post-9/11 veterans’ political leanings are the reverse of the public they’re serving: 36% describe themselves as Republicans, and 21% as Democrats; 34% of the public said they were Democrats, and 23% Republican. Six in 10 vets say they’re more patriotic than the average American.


Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2012/11/05/does-the-military-vote-really-lean-republican/#ixzz2US6cdIoD

But there is conflicting evidence. The Center for Responsive Politics reported last month that self-described military personnel had donated $678,611 to Obama, 85% more than the $398,450 the Romney campaign has collected.



Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2012/11/05/does-the-military-vote-really-lean-republican/#ixzz2US6oJljD

As I said.....the military is mainly Republican, but it is less so now than in years past. A mere paying attention to the absentee military votes as they roll in during elections will tell anyone that it is primarily a Republican vote, but a higher Obama vote in recent years. Hence, the Republican efforts to get absentee military votes counted.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Yup and... The US Army Times has also run surveys

Interesting findings for them since they asked what Pew did not and classified their findings by rank.

They found Junior enlised and Junior Officers trended democratic, while higher ranking NCOS and Officers trended Republican. Can you think of an equivalent in the civilian world? I can lower rank are rank file workers vs middle and upper management.

And I am not being confrontational just tired of the crap...and it is crap indeed.

Nor did you tell us how long have you served...

For the record, hubby 21 years, me 10 somewhere else.

[SlimJimmy]

17. You served 10 years in the military? Really, that's something I don't remember you saying before.

[Honeycombe8]

20. That is covered in the article I read.

yes, there are liberals in the military, incl in officer ranks (altho officer ranks are largely conservative). But the liberal ones are junior, as you say, and leave the military. This is one reason by the senior level officers, the ones who stay, are mainly conservative.

Here are more article excerpts. This is really common knowledge for anyone who follows politics. All the shenanigans by Republicans in Ohio & other states to get absentee military votes counted while not counting other absentee votes, watching election returns showing the military vote come in (it always is an edge to Republicans).

The traditional Republican lock on the military vote, coveted but rarely captured by Democrats, shows signs of softening in the run up to this year’s presidential race, experts say. And in hotly contested states with large military populations, where turnout is expected to be high, absentee ballots could be the deciding factor.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5964655/ns/politics/t/military-vote-softens-doesnt-shift/

Democrats lost the veterans vote by big margins in the last two presidential elections, but Obama campaign officials said Thursday they intend to reverse that trend by arguing that Mitt Romney would cut veterans’ benefits.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/17/obama-campaign-going-after-veterans-votes/#ixzz2US9sPCnY
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

On Monday, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign sent Wisconsin officials a letter expressing concern that the state is not doing enough to make sure that military members serving overseas will have their votes counted.

"It takes a long time to get the ballots overseas," Romney campaign spokesman Ryan Williams told The Huffington Post. "Many times, members of our armed forces are on a mission that would require them to be away from their mail facility for several days. Sometimes they move around from different bases or different facilities. Of course, the ballot would have to catch up with them. So that 45-day window is critical."

"We're doing this across the country in red states, in blue states, in battleground states, to ensure that every one of our fighting men and women have the right to vote and have their vote counted," Williams said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/mitt-romney-miliary-voters-absentee-ballots_n_1933754.html

And on and on and on. The military isn't a block vote that votes overwhelmingly Republican, but it has traditionally turned in more votes for Republicans than Democrats. As I said, there has been a trend lately for more Democratic votes because of Iraq, Obama, and other things.

[Earth_First]

11. Absolutely false.

The military is made up of Democrats, Republicans, GLBT, Caucasins, African Americans, Irish, and many, many more demographics.

It seems you know very little about the military.

[Honeycombe8]

14. Read my supplemental post. Don't you watch the election returns?

When the absentee military vote comes in? Haven't you listened to the news in the last 20 years as the Republicans push to get the absentee military vote counted? That's because the edge goes to the GOP.

I'm surprised, really, that political posters don't know this. This is common knowledge. It is, however, less so now than in years past, because of Iraq and Obama, among other things.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. That is why they lost the military vote in 2012

By the way...read this...

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/military-less-republican-than-you-think/

[Honeycombe8]

21. So is this your way of apologizing?

Agreeing that the military has traditionally voted Republican, but is less so in recent years because of Iraq and Obama?

I accept your apology.

You should know my posts by now. I almost always say "IMO" or "I think," when I give an opinion. But for common knowledge statements and statements based on stats or facts, I just state them. As I did in this case.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. Good bye

Have a good life in my ignore list

You spread whatever. Please do continue to use that broad brush of yours...I just won't have to read it ever again

[Lady Freedom Returns]

22. Many people of many backgrounds join.

The use of such a broad brush is wrong in so many ways.

[WinkyDink]

26. Say what?! the MILITARY comprises alsoMinority groups and others who need the work/education, not

"mainly" Republicans.

And what's with your "A # of Republican Presidents had a military background."?? Forget the Democrats, did we?

Truman fought in France in WWI. JFK famously served in WWII, and LBJ won the Silver Star. Candidate McGovern was a WWII pilot. Carter was a submariner in both WWII and the Korean war. Candidate Kerry won the Purple Heart.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. It's Memorial Day

They do it every year. I would love them to run Johnny got his Gun a few times though.

It is almost NC-17 in it's portrayal though

[NightWatcher]

8. Yeah, show some more realistic movies

Johnny Got His Gun was a rough one. That book should be mandatory reading before being allowed to sign up for ROTC in highschool.

[LeftInTX]

24. Mandatory reading in our high school - 1972

[Egalitarian Thug]

5. IOKIYAD.

[marions ghost]

9. How about some documentaires

on what's really behind those wars.

[hunter]

18. And you pay for cable or satellite television why???

My life is improved without them.

[premium]

19. That's really not true,

millions of repubs sons and daughters have enlisted and served in the Armed Forces, maybe not alot of the current politicians, but ordinary repubs have.

I don't have a problem with showing war films as long as they get it basically correct.
Some of my favorite are as follows.

1. Band of Brothers
2. Saving Private Ryan
3. Casualties of War
4. Platoon
5. Black Hawk Down
6. Wind Talkers

[WinkyDink]

25. And John "Marion who never served" Wayne, to boot.