US troops donate more to Obama than McCain

[Wretched Excess]

I'm not sure that there isn't something behind these numbers skewing them in BHO's favor.  and even if
there isn't, the donations can be damned;  I'll bet my friday night bar tab that the military votes over-
whelmingly for mccain in november.

US troops donate more to Obama than McCain

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US troops, stationed both abroad and in the US, have donated more money to Democrat Barack Obama than to decorated war hero Republican John McCain, a study published Thursday showed.

The study by the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan research group, showed that by the end of June, Obama had received six times more from soldiers stationed abroad than Vietnam war veteran McCain, who comes from a prestigious military family.

Even McCain's former rival for the Republican nomination, Ron Paul, who opposed the Iraq war, had managed to garner more funds.

Obama had received some 60,642 dollars in donations from soldiers stationed abroad, while McCain had just 10,665 dollars, the study said.

Paul, who failed early in the Republican primaries to attract as much support as McCain, was given some 45,512 dollars for his campaign.

More

[Lord Undies]

But Jason Dempsey, a former professor at the West Point military academy, said that the number of individual donations, just 323, was too small to draw any conclusions.

I'll say! 

[DumbAss Tanker]

I expect it counts direct donations to the campaign, not issue groups, PACs, or 527s.  My sense is that military folks are not real big on donations to individual candidates but are more likely to respond to 527 or NRA-type interest group calls for donations, if so the information comes from a skewed sample.  Just a feeling, no data to back it up.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

I was actually surprised how much support Obama has among the baby-faced soldiers. Under cross-examination they couldn't justify their support ala knowing his policies and/or track record. I think they're stuck on all the sparklies. One poor privit I talked to was convinced that since Obama had been compared to JFK it was:

1) accurate
2) good (he had no real knowledge of JFK)
3) was unaware a Hamas operative had made the same comparison and might be the statement he was referencing

Our nation is about to be ruled by a bunch of paste-eaters that grew up on public ed and MTV.

 

[Wretched Excess]

they are intentionally wording it in such a way as to paint the largest possible picture
of troop disgruntlement.  here is the ACTUAL wording from the report:

"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," the report said.

when you look at ALL overseas deployed military personnel in general, it's much more
reasonable:

The analysis of campaign records found Obama has raised more than $60,000 from 134 military service men and women who are deployed overseas. McCain has raised $45,512 from 99 deployed military-donors.

Link to a WaPo (believbe it or not) story

[Wretched Excess]

here is the link to the actual report from opensecrets.org.

"One possibly mundane explanation (for the tilt in contributions from deployed soldiers) is that the Obama campaign has just been so much savvier with web-based donors. It may be a logistical question," Belkin pointed out.

it WOULD BE much easier to donate over the web when you are stationed in iraq, or course.

[Jim]

I expect it counts direct donations to the campaign, not issue groups, PACs, or 527s.  My sense is that military folks are not real big on donations to individual candidates but are more likely to respond to 527 or NRA-type interest group calls for donations, if so the information comes from a skewed sample.  Just a feeling, no data to back it up.

I doubt those guys have a lot of extra cash for this sort of crap as evidenced by the whopping 323 people the messiah has mesmerized into hocking up a few bucks.  This is a non-story that the BHO camp is hoping to fool people with.

[Lord Undies]

I expect it counts direct donations to the campaign, not issue groups, PACs, or 527s.  My sense is that military folks are not real big on donations to individual candidates but are more likely to respond to 527 or NRA-type interest group calls for donations, if so the information comes from a skewed sample.  Just a feeling, no data to back it up.

I doubt those guys have a lot of extra cash for this sort of crap as evidenced by the whopping 323 people the messiah has mesmerized into hocking up a few bucks.  This is a non-story that the BHO camp is hoping to fool people with.

I've started the rumor that most all military personal have direct payroll withholding for the McCain campaign, so of course it wouldn't show up in these sort of analysis.

[rich_t]

Our nation is about to be ruled by a bunch of paste-eaters that grew up on public ed and MTV.

Scary ain't it?

The analysis of campaign records found Obama has raised more than $60,000 from 134 military service men

I find that hard to believe.

[Chris]

The analysis of campaign records found Obama has raised more than $60,000 from 134 military service men and women who are deployed overseas. McCain has raised $45,512 from 99 deployed military-donors.

McCain: $459.71 per donor
Obama: $447.76 per donor

Silly.

[rich_t]

The analysis of campaign records found Obama has raised more than $60,000 from 134 military service men and women who are deployed overseas. McCain has raised $45,512 from 99 deployed military-donors.

McCain: $459.71 per donor
Obama: $447.76 per donor

Silly.

What I find hard to believe is that these soldiers are shelling out that kind of cash period.  I know I never had that much spare cash laying around when I was enlisted.  Officers maybe?

[miskie]

What I find hard to believe is that these soldiers are shelling out that kind of cash period.  I know I never had that much spare cash laying around when I was enlisted.  Officers maybe?

When you compare the number of donors to the number of troops deployed, its meaningless. This article is worded to inflate perceptions - that is all

[Schadenfreude]

What I find hard to believe is that these soldiers are shelling out that kind of cash period.  I know I never had that much spare cash laying around when I was enlisted.  Officers maybe?

When you compare the number of donors to the number of troops deployed, its meaningless. This article is worded to inflate perceptions - that is all

You got that right.

[rich_t]

What I find hard to believe is that these soldiers are shelling out that kind of cash period.  I know I never had that much spare cash laying around when I was enlisted.  Officers maybe?

When you compare the number of donors to the number of troops deployed, its meaningless. This article is worded to inflate perceptions - that is all

Exactly.

[rich_t]

FYI...  WaPo must have updated their online story.

It now states:

The analysis of campaign records found Obama has raised more than $60,000 from 134 military service men and women who are deployed overseas. McCain has raised $10,665 from 26 donors.

[Tess Anderson]

Yep, I saw these numbers *elsewhere* - they are skewed and distorted now, as they were/are with regards to Ron Paul:

Former West Point professor, Jason Dempsey, noted that the small set of contributions from deployed troops at this point in 2008 -- just 323 donations -- should not be extrapolated to form conclusions about military personnel overall. "If, on a bad day, a guy gets that letter that says [his tour has been extended] from 12 to 15 months, that could spur a quick donation and expression of anger," he said. "Donating helps members of the military express their political views privately."

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/08/troops-deployed-abroad-give-61.html

323 is a very very small number. There's no way in hell Barack Hussein Obama will win the majority of the military vote, active, retired, deployed, or other.

[franksolich]

I dunno.

That's way too small of a sample.

Much is made about how Barry "Goldwater" Obama has raised more money from Nebraskans, than John McCain.

What's not taken into consideration is that Nebraskans tend to give to causes, not candidates.

And I can tell you the National Rifle Association or Right-to-Life groups have no problem raising money in Nebraska; probably more than what Barry "Goldwater" Obama's raised here from a few hundred Nebraskans.

Also what's not taken into consideration is that Nebraskans tend to be late givers; only when some cause or candidate is in peril, do we open our wallets.  But not before then.

Barry "Goldwater" Obama can raise a billion dollars from Nebraska, but Nebraska's voting for John McCain anyway, the only question being, will Barry "Goldwater" Obama get at least as many votes here as George McGovern did in 1972, or will he plunge past the low totals amassed by the Incompetent One in both 1976 and 1980?

[NHSparky]

I'm not sure that there isn't something behind these numbers skewing them in BHO's favor. 

There is--they only count donations of greater than $200.  Now, I may have been a highly trained and (according to some) way overpaid nuke, but $200 buys a shitload of beer, not something I can easily give away.  Now consider your average E-5 or below and what they make.  Even in this day and age, to these folks, $200 is a LOT of money.

Oh, and for the record, I never donated to any political party or candidate while on AD.

I love how they claim that they're not partisan, yet look at where they get a large chunk of their money from:

LINK

Ford Foundation?  Last I checked they were anything but non-partisian.

[terry]

I think Obama supporters are more enthusiastic and passionate about their candidate than McCain supporters.   I think Obama supporters are also more desperate to see him win.  I'd willing to bet in general Obama supporters are more willing to donate money and more willing to work the campaign.

Fortunately, all that love, love, love in one vote for Obama is not worth any more than one 'hold your nose' vote for McCain.     

[Chris]

Sports owners fund McCain, shun Obama

Through the end of June, team owners in the four major sports and their families have given to or raised as much or more than $3.2 million for McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, compared with as much as $615,000 for his Democratic rival Obama, according to a Politico analysis of data from the Federal Election Commission, the campaigns and interviews.

Not only did McCain raise more than Obama from the owners in each of the four major professional sports leagues analyzed, but McCain even raised six times more from the owners of teams in Obama’s hometown of Chicago.

Sam Zell, the owner of baseball’s Chicago Cubs, gave more than $22,000 to McCain’s committees, though he also gave Obama $2,300, as did the owner of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls, Jerry Reinsdorf, who gave that much to both McCain and Obama.

Another fundraising story.

[Wretched Excess]

britt hume just covered this story on their "grapevine" segment, but they didn't rip it apart nearly
as well as we did

[TheSarge]

Saw this story last night on the way back from the Magic Kingdom.

My first thought when reading it and seeing the totals was that it looked like those donations and the $$$$ amount came from officers.

I bet if you polled the enlisted and NCO folks you'd get a different perspective.


I'm waiting for the Barakstar! to trot out the members of The Disgruntled Generals Club^TM to say how much better Barry is than McCain.

[Chris]

According to DU, Wesley Clark has been all over the place today. 

yawn.

[DixieBelle]

Pretty thin if you ask me.

[Chris_]

What I find hard to believe is that these soldiers are shelling out that kind of cash period.  I know I never had that much spare cash laying around when I was enlisted.  Officers maybe?

When you compare the number of donors to the number of troops deployed, its meaningless. This article is worded to inflate perceptions - that is all

Assuming 150K troops deployed, 300 is apx. .2 of 1%