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2008-08-18 18:45:48 UTC
Money Talks: The Troops are Saying 'Vote Obama'
Posted by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress at 2:46 PM on August 14, 2008.
Obama has received nearly six times more in donations from soldiers deployed
overseas than McCain has.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has repeatedly claimed that he can speak for the
interests of U.S. troops and best represent what they want. During a
November 2007 debate, for example, McCain said:
I want to -- and I want to tell you something, sir. I just finished having
Thanksgiving with the troops, and their message to you is -- the message of
these brave men and women who are serving over there is: Let us win. Let us
win.
Moreover, he has charged that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), "who does not
understand what's happening in Iraq or fails to acknowledge the success in
Iraq, would rather lose a war than lose a campaign."
But a new analysis by Open Secrets finds that the U.S. military is
increasingly rejecting McCain as its spokesman. Obama has received nearly
six times as much money from soldiers deployed overseas. Even anti-war
libertarian Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), who has suspended his campaign, has
received more than four times as much as McCain:
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.
McCain leads Obama by $4,000 in Marine Corps donations, although in all the
other branches -- including in the Navy, in which McCain served -- Obama is
leading "by significant margins." Army Specialist Jay Navas cited Iraq war
policies as a key reason he gave to Obama: "We'll complete our duty -- I'm
deploying next year -- because it's a commitment I made to the nation, not
to a president. But we all know that Iraq was a big mistake."
Not only is Obama's withdrawal plan -- redeployment within 16 months --
seemingly more popular amongst U.S. troops, but is also favored by Iraqi
government officials. Even many wealthy donors in the United States who
contributed to Bush in 2004 have been reluctant to donate to McCain because
of his Iraq policies.
Amanda Terkel is Deputy Research Director at the Center for American
Progress and serves as Deputy Editor for The Progress Report and
ThinkProgress.org at the Center for American Progress.
Posted by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress at 2:46 PM on August 14, 2008.
Obama has received nearly six times more in donations from soldiers deployed
overseas than McCain has.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has repeatedly claimed that he can speak for the
interests of U.S. troops and best represent what they want. During a
November 2007 debate, for example, McCain said:
I want to -- and I want to tell you something, sir. I just finished having
Thanksgiving with the troops, and their message to you is -- the message of
these brave men and women who are serving over there is: Let us win. Let us
win.
Moreover, he has charged that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), "who does not
understand what's happening in Iraq or fails to acknowledge the success in
Iraq, would rather lose a war than lose a campaign."
But a new analysis by Open Secrets finds that the U.S. military is
increasingly rejecting McCain as its spokesman. Obama has received nearly
six times as much money from soldiers deployed overseas. Even anti-war
libertarian Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), who has suspended his campaign, has
received more than four times as much as McCain:
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.
McCain leads Obama by $4,000 in Marine Corps donations, although in all the
other branches -- including in the Navy, in which McCain served -- Obama is
leading "by significant margins." Army Specialist Jay Navas cited Iraq war
policies as a key reason he gave to Obama: "We'll complete our duty -- I'm
deploying next year -- because it's a commitment I made to the nation, not
to a president. But we all know that Iraq was a big mistake."
Not only is Obama's withdrawal plan -- redeployment within 16 months --
seemingly more popular amongst U.S. troops, but is also favored by Iraqi
government officials. Even many wealthy donors in the United States who
contributed to Bush in 2004 have been reluctant to donate to McCain because
of his Iraq policies.
Amanda Terkel is Deputy Research Director at the Center for American
Progress and serves as Deputy Editor for The Progress Report and
ThinkProgress.org at the Center for American Progress.