Military Times/Syracuse University: Biden +6 among military troops

[pppolitics]

The latest Military Times poll shows a continued decline in active-duty service members’ views of President Donald Trump and a slight but significant preference for former Vice President Joe Biden in the upcoming November election among troops surveyed.

The results, collected before the political conventions earlier this month, appear to undercut claims from the president that his support among military members is strong thanks to big defense budget increases in recent years and promised moves to draw down troops from overseas conflict zones.

But the Military Times Polls, surveying active-duty troops in partnership with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University, have seen a steady drop in troops’ opinion of the commander in chief since his election four years ago.

In the latest results — based on 1,018 active-duty troops surveyed in late July and early August — nearly half of respondents (49.9 percent) had an unfavorable view of the president, compared to about 38 percent who had a favorable view. Questions in the poll had a margin of error of up to 2 percent.

Among all survey participants, 42 percent said they “strongly” disapprove of Trump’s time in office.



[...]

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/08/31/as-trumps-popularity-slips-in-latest-military-times-poll-more-troops-say-theyll-vote-for-biden/

[GeorgiaModerate]

There's also a thread about this in the parent 2020 board: https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=391936.0

As I mentioned in that thread, this is much less favorable for Trump than in 2016.  In their October 2016 poll, the overall results were:

Trump 40.5
Johnson 27.0
Clinton 20.6

By rank, it was:

Officers:

Clinton 31.7
Johnson 31.3
Trump 26.2

Enlisted:

Trump 43.3
Johnson 26.2
Clinton 28.4

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2016/10/19/despite-scandals-trump-support-grows-stronger-in-latest-poll-of-troops/

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

Biden may have the Navy, but Trump has the boaters

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Biden may have the Navy, but Trump has the boaters

He has THE MEATS. 

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

There's also a thread about this in the parent 2020 board: https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=391936.0

As I mentioned in that thread, this is much less favorable for Trump than in 2016.  In their October 2016 poll, the overall results were:

Trump 40.5
Johnson 27.0
Clinton 20.6

By rank, it was:

Officers:

Clinton 31.7
Johnson 31.3
Trump 26.2

Enlisted:

Trump 43.3
Johnson 26.2
Clinton 28.4

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2016/10/19/despite-scandals-trump-support-grows-stronger-in-latest-poll-of-troops/

Why are military officers, of all people, so libertarian compared to the general population?

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

There's also a thread about this in the parent 2020 board: https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=391936.0

As I mentioned in that thread, this is much less favorable for Trump than in 2016.  In their October 2016 poll, the overall results were:

Trump 40.5
Johnson 27.0
Clinton 20.6

By rank, it was:

Officers:

Clinton 31.7
Johnson 31.3
Trump 26.2

Enlisted:

Trump 43.3
Johnson 26.2
Clinton 28.4

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2016/10/19/despite-scandals-trump-support-grows-stronger-in-latest-poll-of-troops/

Why are military officers, of all people, so libertarian compared to the general population?

Some of it has to do with viewing libertarianism as "the third way".  Purely conjecture, but a decent number of military officers seem uncomfortable painting themselves as partisan Democrats or partisan Republicans.

[TiltsAreUnderrated]

MoE: 2%

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

There's also a thread about this in the parent 2020 board: https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=391936.0

As I mentioned in that thread, this is much less favorable for Trump than in 2016.  In their October 2016 poll, the overall results were:

Trump 40.5
Johnson 27.0
Clinton 20.6

By rank, it was:

Officers:

Clinton 31.7
Johnson 31.3
Trump 26.2

Enlisted:

Trump 43.3
Johnson 26.2
Clinton 28.4

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2016/10/19/despite-scandals-trump-support-grows-stronger-in-latest-poll-of-troops/

Why are military officers, of all people, so libertarian compared to the general population?

General dissatisfaction with Trump being the Republican nominee.

[Rand]

Why are military officers, of all people, so libertarian compared to the general population?

1. They are more educated (possessing, at a minimum, a Bachelor's degree by age 23).

2. They are encouraged and, to some extent, required to remain non-partisan or apolitical while representing the military in-and-out of uniform--a habit that softens their political biases over time.

3. They serve in the center of a multicultural cyclone where they are exposed to levels of sociopolitical diversity most Americans will never experience. This promotes political enlightenment that allows them to support Second Amendment, BLM, and transgender rights at the same time while finding a political home only in third parties.

SOURCE: Currently serving with an MA in Military Studies.

[The Mikado]

FWIW, I'm pretty sure this poll is lumping "Undecided" and "Third Party" together.

[Person Man]

Why are military officers, of all people, so libertarian compared to the general population?

1. They are more educated (possessing, at a minimum, a Bachelor's degree by age 23).

2. They are encouraged and, to some extent, required to remain non-partisan or apolitical while representing the military in-and-out of uniform--a habit that softens their political biases over time.

3. They serve in the center of a multicultural cyclone where they are exposed to levels of sociopolitical diversity most Americans will never experience. This promotes political enlightenment that allows them to support Second Amendment, BLM, and transgender rights at the same time while finding a political home only in third parties.

SOURCE: Currently serving with an MA in Military Studies.

That was my experience while interning on an Army base that last summer of Law School. They eventually sent everyone home early but it was very enlightening.

Many military officers see themselves a public servants first and foremost.

[brucejoel99]

Gee, I wonder why service members aren't supporting Trump? Surely, Russia putting bounties on American troops & Trump's response being an attempt to reward Russia by inviting them back into the G7 has nothing to do with it.

[Orwell]

If anything, probably understates Sleepy Joe's support, considering only the tryhards subscribe to the "Military Times" (each branch has their respective version), since they are always laying about free in every post around the world. 

When I was active duty, I never knew anyone who was a paid subscriber to the Army Times.  I'd laugh at such nerds. 

Quiet Army man... what was your MOS?

[woodley park]

Gee, I wonder why service members aren't supporting Trump? Surely, Russia putting bounties on American troops & Trump's response being an attempt to reward Russia by inviting them back into the G7 has nothing to do with it.

Not to mention LTC Vindman's treatment, and the way COVID has disproportionally impacted service members.

[Orwell]

If anything, probably understates Sleepy Joe's support, considering only the tryhards subscribe to the "Military Times" (each branch has their respective version), since they are always laying about free in every post around the world.  

When I was active duty, I never knew anyone who was a paid subscriber to the Army Times.  I'd laugh at such nerds.  

Quiet Army man... what was your MOS?

31B.   I checked ID cards.  

But it was a fun few years.   Got to go to Germany. And deployed to some interesting places.  Mostly in the Balkans.  

"What did you do in the military"

"I was a cop"

[GeorgiaModerate]

If anything, probably understates Sleepy Joe's support, considering only the tryhards subscribe to the "Military Times" (each branch has their respective version), since they are always laying about free in every post around the world.  

When I was active duty, I never knew anyone who was a paid subscriber to the Army Times.  I'd laugh at such nerds.  

Quiet Army man... what was your MOS?

31B.   I checked ID cards.  

But it was a fun few years.   Got to go to Germany. And deployed to some interesting places.  Mostly in the Balkans.  

"What did you do in the military"

"I was a cop"

Far superior to a cop.  A gate guard.

Did the gates ever get up to mischief?

[Hammy]

Normally I'd say dump it because undecideds but this is a pretty big deal given this is normally such an easily strong pro-R demographic.

[Progressive Pessimist]

I wonder if the Russian bounty scandal is what's largely affected this demographic. Or maybe even Beau being a veteran.

[brucejoel99]

I wonder if the Russian bounty scandal is what's largely affected this demographic. Or maybe even Beau being a veteran.

The whole Mattis debacle may have played a role, too. Thou shalt not f**k with the Patron Saint of Chaos!

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

I wonder if the Russian bounty scandal is what's largely affected this demographic. Or maybe even Beau being a veteran.

Mattis's public rebukes of Trump and the Vindman debacle may also be playing roles.

[dead0man]

those things, yes, but also the fact that Trump is clearly a garbage leader and a horrible human being to boot.  As was said earlier (or in the other thread), subscribers to the Military Times are older and more educated than the military in general, which is already smarter than Americans in general.  These are smart people, smart people see through bull sh**t (normally, everybody has blind spots) better than non-smart people.  Trump is bull sh**t.

[Yoda]

Biden's lead among officers is MUCH higher, which is important b/c a lot of people seem to think the military would abide trump trying to stay in office. I believe those in command, despite what the general said this week, would not allow that to happen and on January 20th would rightly start following President Biden's command, as they swore an oath to do.

[Frodo]

Good news.  Also, the OP might want to adjust the title -'military' and 'troops' are redundant.  Pick one or the other. 

[vitoNova]

Trump's abandonment of the Kurds is also probably a huge factor.   I never deployed to Iraq and don't know many people who did (I was isolated in a "NATO bubble" in Europe), but I hear OIF combat veterans really took this issue to heart.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Is there an enlisted/officer split?