Obama Courts the Military/Veteran Vote

Most of my adult life was spent around the military, first as a civil service employee of the Air Force, and then as a spouse of a former Marine and civil service engineer for Air Force Materiel Command which took our family from coast to coast in various assignments.  When he retired, he became a Government contractor so you could say we know a lot of military and civil service with all the moves.   When I talk to military, civil service, and Government contractors, I am amazed that they are saying what I have been saying about Romney.  They don't like him or respect him.  

When Mitt Romney decided to demonstrate in favor of the draft, he had no intention of going in the military because of the strings his family pulled with the Mormon Church to send him on a mission to that 'dangerous' country of France for his 3-year mission.  They made sure he would never be drafted with a three-year mission.  None of his sons served in the military but he compared their missions and working on his campaign to the same as serving in the military.  He apologized later when it became an issue but it is still the fact he said it and probably what he believes.  Don't know a person who would equate public service to the military.  It is not even close.

Michelle Obama has taken a lot of hits from Republicans including from me but I have to say that I admire the work she has done with the military and their families.  You hear little about it but she has shown since she became First Lady how much she cares not just during the campaign season but all the time with her visits and outreach to the families of active military and veterans.  Have heard it discussed by different women whose husband's serve or have served about how much they admire what she has done and is not looking for publicity.  I thought her idea of a White House garden was a good one and she is right about obesity of children.  

She has grown in the position of First Lady -- I was wrong about Michelle Obama and the type of First Lady she would become.  We (including myself) should have given her a chance to find her way as it had to be overwhelming.  She has turned into someone I don't agree with philosophically on issues but she has brought her style and put her own imprint on the position of First Lady.  A lot of military families will attest she has been good for their cause and that is good enough for me.

Most people I know with military ties around the Country don't like Mitt Romney or Barack Obama and are looking at 3rd Party candidates Former Republican NM Governor Gary Johnson who has the Libertarian nomination, and toward the Reform Party who has not held their Convention but one of the strongest candidates is former Republican LA Governor Buddy Roemer who cleaned out the corrupt Democrat Governor of LA when he won his election after serving in the House.  Strike you odd that two former Republican Governors are looking at 3rd parties because of the way they were treated by the establishment Republicans starting with the RNC Chair.  

It says a lot about the Republican nominee when you have members of the military and veterans giving President Obama a bigger percentage of the vote in polling.  The reason the military and veterans went to Senator McCain is that he was one of them having been a POW during the Vietnam War.   Time will tell if Military and our Veterans will vote for Obama in larger numbers then Romney but don't be shocked if that happens.  

Obama Courts Veteran Vote Posted by: CNN White House Correspondent Dan Lothian May 25th, 2012 WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Obama rarely misses an opportunity to talk about the help his administration is offering to military veterans and their families. “We will care and serve our veterans the way they've served us,” Mr. Obama said at a recent campaign event out west. His message may be grounded in policy but in this election season it’s also about the politics. His re-election campaign is actively courting veterans who have traditionally supported Republicans. "It's door-to-door, person-to-person, grocery store-to-grocery store. Letting people know the president's record on his policies to veterans," said Beau Biden, an Iraq veteran and the vice president’s son, who is part of the campaign’s grassroots effort “Veterans and Military Families for Obama.” In 2008, President Obama lost the veteran vote to Senator John McCain 55% to 45%. But the demographics are shifting and Democrats sense an opportunity. In a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll Mr. Obama leads Romney among that group 44% to 37%. (snip) The killing of Osama Bin Laden has also won over some former critics. That’s part of the sales pitch Democrats are making, that President Obama has been tough on terrorists and that he ended one war and is winding down another. They’re also getting help from First Lady Michelle Obama, who has long promoted help for veterans and their families. While White House aides insist her work is not political, she did join the president in a web video promoting the new campaign. Excerpt:  Read More at CNN