The Troops Don't Support the Troops*

by folkbum

By now you've probably heard this news; US troops deployed overseas have given to Barack Obama's campaign at a rate of about six-to-one over John McCain:

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. [. . .]

In 2000, Republican George W. Bush outraised Democrat Al Gore among military personnel almost 2 to 1. In 2004, with the Iraq war underway, John Kerry closed the gap with President Bush, but Bush still raised $1.50 from the military for every $1 his Democratic opponent collected.

This suggests that more and more of the people on the ground in Iraq, from our own forces to Iraq's own Prime Minister, are endorsing a withdrawal plan. (Ron Paul wanted troops out immediately, Obama says about 16 months, and McCain won't set a timetable.) The Republican ship on Iraq keeps sinking; pretty soon it will be just John McCain and a few blogging dead-enders clinging to scraps of flotsam. The sad thing is, McCain and his ilk have killed more than 4100 Americans and countless Iraqi civilians in their venture.

McCain's reality-denying bluster about the Russia-Georgia conflict (an opinion paid for by lobbyist dollars!) does not lead me to believe that he will care all that much to send another 4000 US troops to satisfy his machismo. The troops know what they're doing.

* I give up on the one-word titles. I couldn't even last a month ...