Bush Military Support Slumps

While it isn't a huge drop, this Military Times magazine poll is another straw in the wind. Widely reported elsewhere, for example, by AFP, but hard to find on MT's own site – I wonder why? It's more a trend tracking number than a scientific poll: note particularly the disclaimer cited in the article, respondents were "on average older, more experienced, more likely to be officers and more career-oriented than the military population." In other words, support for Bush among regular enlisted personnel would be lower.

What I wish they'd do, but of course they won't, is break responses down by religious affiliation. In particular I'd like to see how much difference exists, if any, between evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants, and Catholics (which covers probably 95% of military personnel).

In a related vein, for those who missed it, Grant Doty's Op-ed in the Post last Friday is worth taking a look at. For a young Lt. Col. in the Army to step up and say "I'm a soldier, not a spy," as in 'I'm not spying on my fellow Americans,' takes guts. We need more like him but my guess is he's going to be feeling the heat...

Thanks to the Propaganda Remix Project for the cool art!