Did Republicans take the military vote for granted?

[Alben Barkley]

For all the talk about Democrats taking the Latino and to a lesser extent black vote for granted, seems people are overlooking the fact that the military vote at the very least swung heavily against Republicans, and quite possibly voted outright for a Democrat for the first time in decades. Indeed, one of the laughably circumstantial affidavits cited as evidence of suspicious “irregularities” comes from a Trump poll watcher who simply could not believe the military would vote for Biden:

https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1326396394891079681?s=21

But let’s go over just a FEW reasons why it’s not so unbelievable that the GOP might have lost the military’s confidence and vote:

1. Trump called those who serve “suckers and losers,” mocked and denigrated them repeatedly.
2. Trump is a draft dodger who got out of Vietnam with a BS excuse.
3. Trump mocked and insulted John McCain, a military hero who actually did serve in Vietnam, for his service.
4. Trump likewise mocked George H.W. Bush for being shot down, again this coming from a man who has never put his life on the line at all or proven he’s capable of any sort of heroism.
5. Trump insulted Gold Star families.
6. Trump insulted the service of Biden’s sons.
7. Trump has had incoherent and unstable foreign policy that alienated, among others, military hero James Mattis and prompted sharp rebukes from him and other top military officials and generals.
8. Trump used the military as a prop/political tool during the riots over the summer.
9. Trump likewise used the military as a political tool when he used them and their funds to build his wall.
10. Trump didn’t want to visit an American KIA cemetery overseas because it was raining and he didn’t want to mess up his hair.
11. Trump showed himself to be impulsive and dangerous as a Commander-in-Chief, someone who would put your life on the line without warning or good cause; see his near attack on Iran for example.
12. Trump did nothing about Russia putting bounties on US troops' heads in Afghanistan.
13. Trump reportedly threatened to disown any of his children if they served.

On this Veteran’s Day, just worth reflecting on all this I thought as I saw a dejected LOSER standing out in the rain at Arlington.

[It’s so Joever]

For all the talk about Democrats taking the Latino and to a lesser extent black vote for granted, seems people are overlooking the fact that the military vote at the very least swung heavily against Republicans, and quite possibly voted outright for a Democrat for the first time in decades. Indeed, one of the laughably circumstantial affidavits cited as evidence of suspicious “irregularities” comes from a Trump poll watcher who simply could not believe the military would vote for Biden:

https://twitter.com/bradheath/status/1326396394891079681?s=21

But let’s go over just a FEW reasons why it’s not so unbelievable that the GOP might have lost the military’s confidence and vote:

1. Trump called those who serve “suckers and losers,” mocked and denigrated them repeatedly.
2. Trump is a draft dodger who got out of Vietnam with a BS excuse.
3. Trump mocked and insulted John McCain, a military hero who actually did serve in Vietnam, for his service.
4. Trump likewise mocked George H.W. Bush for being shot down, again this coming from a man who has never put his life on the line at all or proven he’s capable of any sort of heroism.
5. Trump insulted Gold Star families.
6. Trump insulted the service of Biden’s sons.
7. Trump has had incoherent and unstable foreign policy that alienated, among others, military hero John Mattis and prompted sharp rebukes from him and other top military officials and generals.
8. Trump used the military as a prop/political tool during the riots over the summer.
9. Trump likewise used the military as a political tool when he used them and their funds to build his wall.
10. Trump didn’t want to visit an American KIA cemetery overseas because it was raining and he didn’t want to mess up his hair.
11. Trump showed himself to be impulsive and dangerous as a Commander-in-Chief, someone who would put your life on the line without warning or good cause; see his near attack on Iran for example.
12. Trump did nothing about Russia putting bounties on Afghanistan troop’s heads.
13. Trump reportedly threatened to disown any of his children if they served.

On this Veteran’s Day, just worth reflecting on all this I thought as I saw a dejected LOSER standing out in the rain at Arlington.

Don’t forget Trump’s attacks on James Mattis.

[Alben Barkley]

I alluded to that but accidentally wrote “John Mattis” LOL.

[Rand]

The mood among my brothers and sisters-in-arms at the moment is “Donald, get the f**k over it and move on.”

[BaldEagle1991]

I’m already convinced the “losers and suckers” story was the death kneel in Trump ever gaining ground among servicemen/women and their families and friends. Plus the communities with large military presence swung against Trump.

[Progressive Pessimist]

They always do. How many times have Republicans who lost narrowly to Democratic apparent winners assumed that military ballots would save them only for them to not to?

[LtNOWIS]

The guy writing the affadavit is an idiot. Even if most military members were as conservative as ever, most military members voting in Detroit are going to be Democrats.

Which points to the larger issue about the military vote being a significant electoral bloc. Military members have diverse perspectives, they don't vote that much, and their votes are spread across a huge swath of states where they are stationed or where they are originally from. As much as I wish that appealing to members of the military is electorally important, I don't think it is. Pro-military, pro-soldier, pro-veteran talk is primarily aimed at the broader electorate, not the troops themselves.

It would be great if military votes cost Trump the election. Maybe it flipped Virginia Beach, which voted Dem for the first time since it annexed Princess Anne County in the 1960s. But it probably is not an important electoral demographic.

[Alben Barkley]

The guy writing the affadavit is an idiot. Even if most military members were as conservative as ever, most military members voting in Detroit are going to be Democrats.

Which points to the larger issue about the military vote being a significant electoral bloc. Military members have diverse perspectives, they don't vote that much, and their votes are spread across a huge swath of states where they are stationed or where they are originally from. As much as I wish that appealing to members of the military is electorally important, I don't think it is. Pro-military, pro-soldier, pro-veteran talk is primarily aimed at the broader electorate, not the troops themselves.

It would be great if military votes cost Trump the election. Maybe it flipped Virginia Beach, which voted Dem for the first time since it annexed Princess Anne County in the 1960s. But it probably is not an important electoral demographic.

[Suburbia]

yes

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

It's similar to Evangelicals. Trump gave them what they wanted and the means was their to protect it, so a number of them voted for Biden bc Trump "has New York values"

I was reminded earlier today randomly of Trump on the Howard Stern show comparing his sexcapades in the HIV crisis to soldiers fighting in Vietnam. This isn't something that is fake or exaggerated, it is just his words.

Trump always presumed that his transactional relationship would shield him from voter fatigue with his antics. Trump ran out of tangible clinchers and left voters free to vote based on their Trump weariness.

It's again why I don't buy this line that no one could match Trump, if anything he suppressed further levels of support because people were just tired of listening to his mouth, hearing about him 24/7, and in the end worrying about his competence in a crisis.