Question for current and recent military members

[CHNOPS]

I know everyone on Lit is a former Navy SEAL. I'm hoping there are one or two actual current or recent military members who can answer a question for me.

In the "anonymous" book about to come out by the former SEAL, the author makes reference to antipathy against Obama from the SEAL members. One expresses disappointment that killing OBL will get Obama reelected, and the general sense, according to the author, is respect but dislike.

I have heard the frequently--that our military dislikes our current president. I am curious if that dislike has to do with any direct actions against (or lack of action for) the military, or if it's simply the case that military members tend to skew Republican. Or perhaps you felt the same way about the previous OO occupant--that it's the office, not the man...?

Your thoughts, please. I'd be grateful for your input.

Also: incest and pedophelia!!

 

[Peregrinator]

I was at SOPC during the 2004 election. The cadre--instructor types, all SF guys--were dead set against Kerry. They went so far as to make a special effort to set up the opportunity for us to vote, with much explanation that Democrats are weak leaders of the military so, you know, vote how you like, but really, the Democrats suck for the military.

Most of the Portland, Oregon unit I was in, a thoroughly blue state, supported Republicans fairly blindly, including the ones who had been deployed multiple times to the wars that Bush started.

During the second Bush term, a litster and my friend who's a SEAL and I were having an email convo and the SEAL said he felt like the country's leaders were pussies and that it handcuffed the military. The gist was that everything had become so politicized that no one was willing to make the bold stroke.

I think it's a safe generalization to say that most members of the military drink the "liberals are evil" Kool-Ade.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Not a former Seal. Former Marine and I was an aviation Ordinance Technician which in English means I put guns and bombs on helicoptors and jets and really just helicopters.

Most of the Marines I know are pro-Obama but it's not universal by any means. I'd say 70-30 and it's entirely possible, probable even that considering I've been out for six almost seven years that the people I'm still in touch with agree with me more often than not and that's why we're still in touch instead of me having forgotten they exist like my high school class.

I don't get the impression the current batch cares much about the president one way or the other all things being said. Certainly nobody I'm talking to seems to mention the current group of kids being any more politically motivated than we were which is to say the majority of military people are age 18-24 and the few who stick around past that point are rather few.

 

[Lancecastor]

My Seal Team are all pro-Obama.

 

[Saint Peter]

My Seal Team are all pro-Obama.

We all know how you Canadians treat seals.

 

[kbate]

Everyone in my BUDS class is pro Obama and anti President Obama.

 

[thør]

We all know how you Canadians treat seals.

 

[Lancecastor]

We all know how you Canadians treat seals.

Proud of it, too...the only firearm I own is a 19th Century seal hunting rifle.

 

[Sean Renaud]

We all know how you Canadians treat seals.

New England has a seal problem that is attracting sharks. Can we import this Can-Ade-Indian you speak of? Are they expensive? What do I have to feed them?

 

[Squibbs]

All I know is that if it were a Rep in the WH, the right would be pissing and moaning about tossing those traitors in prison.

Also, I thought it was illegal for a soldier to bad mouth his superiors.

Then again, Obama is black.

 

[KRCummings]

My experience is that they skew Republican overall but like any other large organization you'll find support for just about everyone.

 

[KRCummings]

I was not a Navy SEAL but I saw GI Jane a couple times.

 

[Sean]

It's the same in Britain. The army votes overwhelmingly Conservative even though, historically, the biggest cuts have come from Conservative governments.

 

[TexasWife25]

Most of the active duty military I know, are moderates, and neither very for or very against Obama.

 

[oggbashan]

Most military and ex-military people I know dislike politicians of any party because the politicians do not give clear directions to the forces.

What military people want is a clear objective - go and kill the buggers.

What they usually get is 'Don't fire until you are under attack and then respond with minimum force while building relationships with the community that supports your attackers'.

Margaret Thatcher's directive to the military during the Falklands War was the closest to an ideal instruction to them - 'Kick them off the Falklands'. But even she put constraints - don't attack mainland Argentina, don't attack except within 200 miles of The Falklands.

What the military want from any politician is backing to do what is necessary, using all possible weaponry and damn the enemies' casualty list.

If the Vietnam War had been fought with all the weapons at the US's disposal, North Vietnam would still be a smoking ruin.

 

[Wrong Element]

In my experience, which comes from having spent a lot of time around military people and being the son of one rather than from having served myself, most in the military don't have strong political views one way or the other. But among those who do, the overwhelming majority are conservative; I don't think anyone would dispute that. (Which explains why I don't mind toying with the wingnuts on the GB; I've been listening to their drivel at various dinner tables my whole life.)

There's no doubt some socialization that goes on within the military, but I assume that most of this gap occurs because those who join are already pretty conservative to begin with. Aside from the greater willingness of Republicans to open the piggybank to the Pentagon regardless of what our real defense needs are, and of course, the party differences when it comes to hating gay people, it's hard to point to anything in the way Republicans and Democrats have governed of late with respect to the military that would have caused the troops to become more GOP-oriented.

Take the example of the SEALs who are supposedly upset that killing bin Laden would help Obama politically -- what has Obama done in office that's anti-SEAL in any way? If you scratch the surface, the ones who don't like him probably feel that way because of matters that don't have anything to do with defense policy.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Bush was pretty clear with what he wanted. Go fuck up rag heads. Lucky for the Ragheads they stayed away from me. I can swallow nails and shit bullets.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

I know everyone on Lit is a former Navy SEAL. I'm hoping there are one or two actual current or recent military members who can answer a question for me.

In the "anonymous" book about to come out by the former SEAL, the author makes reference to antipathy against Obama from the SEAL members. One expresses disappointment that killing OBL will get Obama reelected, and the general sense, according to the author, is respect but dislike.

I have heard the frequently--that our military dislikes our current president. I am curious if that dislike has to do with any direct actions against (or lack of action for) the military, or if it's simply the case that military members tend to skew Republican. Or perhaps you felt the same way about the previous OO occupant--that it's the office, not the man...?

Your thoughts, please. I'd be grateful for your input.

Also: incest and pedophelia!!

I dunno, I served in the 70s, but right before we voted, the COs made sure we knew that Republicans would give us pat raises and Democrats wanted to cut our benefits...



I think it might have something to do with the way he tried to take credit for being the Somali Pirate shooter. Many of us have worked for that snake of a boss who would do as little as possible while taking credit for your hard work.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Military pay has gone up every year for the past decade. So much so that the bottom bitches almost as much now as I did as an NCO getting out. I think it's safe to say that nobody cuts military pay ever for any reason.

 

[blobfish]

Well, as a member of the elite Special Counter-Terrorist Unit Delta, I can say that we all have the utmost respect for the office, but most of us don't care for the man. We all have different reasons, but most of us feel that way because Obama seems softer on Cobra (our archenemy) than his predecessors.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Military pay has gone up every year for the past decade. So much so that the bottom bitches almost as much now as I did as an NCO getting out. I think it's safe to say that nobody cuts military pay ever for any reason.

If you're talking to me, I said benefits.

Remember they took away our GI Bill and gave us the Montgomery Plan, or whatever the hell you call it, but they're the "Education Party..."



URRAH!

 

[Sean Renaud]

Cobra is still around?! Crap. I thought we'd finished them off after that time they united with the Decepticons. I apologize it's time I came out of retirement spit out my gum and started whoopin ass.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Romney is polling zero with black voters, and there are a lot of blacks in the military.

 

[blobfish]

Cobra is still around?! Crap. I thought we'd finished them off after that time they united with the Decepticons. I apologize it's time I came out of retirement spit out my gum and started whoopin ass.

Unfortunately, Cobra is still around. I think you've gotten your facts mixed up, though, as the "Decepticons" are fictional.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Romney is polling zero with black voters, and there are a lot of blacks in the military.

They let blacks in the military now? I mean for reasons other than medical experimentation?