Trump’s Support Drops in Military Communities

Speaking as a military brat with lots of military family members, I wondered when this would happen. The Russian ties caught my attention, as did the cuts to funding for various veterans programs. As you can see from the Military Times article he's also called for a round of base closings.

This won't make him popular with communities that serve military bases (speaking from experience, here.)

Trump’s Support Drops in Military Communities
by DANTE CHINNI

In a politically unsettled nation, military communities have long been a rock for the Republican Party, solid and true. But new polling data suggest those places have developed some concerns about President Donald Trump.

An analysis of Gallup polling data comparing the first 100 days of Trump's presidency to the month of May shows that Trump's job approval in military counties dropped sharply in the last month — from an average 51 percent approval and 41 percent disapproval in the first 100 days to 43 percent approval and 52 percent disapproval for May.[
source

The Democrats are hoping to pick up traction in these communities, which typically have voted Conservative Republican... and in double digits at that.

a reply to: Byrd

No way the military communities swing to Democrats. There is a difference between disappointed and stupid.

a reply to: Byrd

Firstly Byrd ... you are through and through anti Trump. Every thread with the same utter BS.

An analysis of Gallup polling data

Now you wish to tell us about some made up numbers by the same sort of people that had The Wicked Witch leading in almost every poll ... right up until Trump won!

I did not believe those polls then and they have not improved one little bit.

This is just more of the same crap.

Frankly, I am sick and tired of these constant hit pieces.

P

a reply to: Byrd

President Obama didn't even lay a wreath at Arlington Cemetery, during his first Memorial Day in office. It's a safe bet that President Trump is held in much higher esteem by active military, and veterans, than the last President was.

a reply to: Byrd


From your Military Times newspaper link..

""But military leaders have pushed for another base realignment and closure (BRAC) process since 2013, arguing that their current domestic footprint is too large given reductions in force size and equipment modernization in recent years.""

President Trump is giving military brass what they're requesting. Bryd, you should read the articles you post here.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: Byrd


From your Military Times newspaper link..

""But military leaders have pushed for another base realignment and closure (BRAC) process since 2013, arguing that their current domestic footprint is too large given reductions in force size and equipment modernization in recent years.""

President Trump is giving military brass what they're requesting. Bryd, you should read the articles you post here.

I did. I said "communities."

The articles said "military communities" which have voted double digits. That's towns like Killeen (for Ft Hood) and so forth. Military brass wants some scale back but I can tell you from the closings of the Air Force bases in Ft. Worth that it was a REAL sore spot with the communities.

The military is quite a source of income and jobs for the local communities. Chopping bases meant chopping jobs and in areas that were heavily based around the military, it was a real disaster for the economy.

Don't know if you've ever gone through one of those base closings like we had here in Ft Worth but it was a real mess. You may not have remembered citizens getting up groups to go yell at their Congresscritters over this but I certainly do. Town Hall meetings were tense and often ugly.

I don't think this was true where we had bases overseas (Germany's the example I remember most) - I rather think they were for the most part glad to get rid of us.

But it's different here in the states. Military communities tend to be very patriotic and very conservative - these are the folks who sponsor parades and events for the military.

They're really rather different in flavor than other types of towns.

originally posted by: Metallicus
a reply to: Byrd

No way the military communities swing to Democrats. There is a difference between disappointed and stupid.

Well, the Republicans aren't offering them anything except cuts to social services. Again, I'm not sure how familiar you are with the situation in towns around larger military bases, but those social services helped a lot of folks. So cuts to things like Meals on Wheels has not helped Trump or the Republicans (which led to the 8+ point drop in approval.)

And add to that the potential closing of the base (see my previous answer for some small detail) and they'd get in a "vote them out" mood pretty quick.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: Byrd

President Obama didn't even lay a wreath at Arlington Cemetery, during his first Memorial Day in office. It's a safe bet that President Trump is held in much higher esteem by active military, and veterans, than the last President was.

I'm not so sure. He's made a lot of gaffes (including "always wanted a Purple Heart") - and his charitable contributions have been questioned. Obama's visits to the veterans' hospitals did earn him some respect.

In addition, the military is now almost 40% minority - quite a change from my childhood. I don't know anything about military voting numbers and polls but I suspect there's more Democrats in there than you might think.

Experience trumps (no pun intended) you being a "military brat", support hasn't fallen for him at all in Military communities.

Secondly, your OP is misleading and I request you change it, nowhere in the article does it even state that that, "trumps support drops in Military communities".

I suppose the most hilarious part about it was you seemed absolutely convinced of it as well, "I wondere d when this would happen". Nothing but the good'ole self pat on the back, lol.

Thirdly, you don't hsve to be "experienced" to see that any community being closed down would be warmly recieved, but as another poster cited and something I saw before hand,

"But military leaders have pushed for another base realignment and closure (BRAC) process since 2013, arguing that their current domestic footprint is too large given reductions in force size and equipment modernization in recent years" (Shane et al).

This kind of things happen.

Lived on post Schofield Barracks, Fort LeonardWood and Fort Hood, gotta love that soul food thursday.

This OP literally serves to take swipes at our President, what with the fake title and all, smh.

a reply to: Byrd

...and yet most Republican and some Democratic vets show unwavering support for the President according to a new Pew Research Poll published in the Washington Times.

www.washingtontimes.com...

President Trump has some unwavering support from a very unique demographic: Republican military veterans. An extensive new Pew Research Center reveals that 98 percent of these GOP vets approve of the job Mr. Trump is doing. He has some fans across the greater population of vets as well. The poll also found that 54 percent of them also approve of the president. Another 47 percent of independent vets and 10 percent of Democratic vets approve of the president.

a reply to: Byrd

Otherwise polls tell the exact opposite...
www.newsmax.com...

Polls are worthless. I thought we all learned this in November...

Wow! We finally find a "SOURCE"

Did you really say Trump and Russia?

you are severely mis-guided

Have a Nice Day

a reply to: Byrd

I know the the government has been closing and combining bases for years under the BRAC commission.
Our community base, quaint Fort Monroe was recombined with newer Ft Eustis in this area. Other bases have moved to other states. I'm not in the military but I was a store owner in this area and really depended on new families moving in to the neighborhood and that some of their stuff was broken on the transfer. God bless those movers lol. I sold furnishings.
I also have lots of veteran friends and there's a big VA hospital and campus in the area too.
These people have become my life. I sing karaoke at the VFW on Friday night's. God bless tequila.

Is this closure due to base realignment and closure procedures that were already on schedule?

a reply to: Arnie123

I have found that pressing the "Alert" icon at the bottom of the page, and telling the moderator(s) about a FAKE title, gets results. ATS has a good reputation. FAKE titles are frowned upon and the thread starter receives a "strike"..weighted by severity. Three strikes and action is taken. The degree depends on how serious the violations were, in aggregate.

a reply to: Byrd

Areas where there are bases also often support a retiring military community as well.
My city is catering to that with beautiful retirement communities for seniors and apartments for the over fifty crowd, lots of gulf courses, and a really good entertainment venue because us baby boomers like to be entertained. And major healthcare megaplexes like Sentera and Bon Secur to go with the territory.
Those communities in cities where retirement is a good choice will stay red. Southern Virginia is a warmer state but still has four seasons. Though some years it's summer, still summer, Christmas, and almost summer. The changing season with mild winters is really nice for the northerners who want to see leaves change but don't want to shovel a lot of snow.
My husband and I are the lone democrats amongst our friends which leads to some umm interesting conversations. But we still stay friends because they are great people.
I don't see this area changing.
We do have lots of dems in local and state government though.

a reply to: carewemust

That is what I was saying. Our community was affected by BRAC realignment.
Those closures are already on the calendar . But there has been a reduction in enlistment in all sectors of the military and keeping the bases open is costly. They recombined in and out of our area.
And you guys are correct none of my military friends are turning blue.

The only way these communities change is if the military moves away.
We also have a large African American community And these guys vote. I gave rides to seniors without transportation to the polls last November and ninety percent of the people I gave rides to were African-American. Of course I was working with the local DNC so....
If the military were completely gone this area would be blue. We are now solid purple.

Never missing a chance to throw out the teeniest, tiniest, bit of innuendo. Throw out some buzz words like "Trump", "Support drops", "Russia", ad nauseum. Anything, absolutely anything at all, to get the tiniest little dig in on Trump. It doesn't matter if it doesn't even have the slightest shred of credibility or proof, just throw it out there! It ceases to amaze me! Heck, even misstate the angle and intent of an article if this is what it takes, no matter. Flat out LIE about some article, that's okay too, in the absolutely DESPERATE hope someone will just take you at your word and not bother to actually "read" a link.

It's pathetic really. Pathetic, and I would say "sad" too, if it weren't so maddening wondering what productive uses people could put their time towards if not thinking about ways to manipulate and skew situations such as this for the purpose of some desperate agenda.

So here are some facts, based on my decades spent in the military living in different communities. While the "community" may not like base closures, they are in the best interest of both the taxpayer and the military. The military is concerned with mission accomplishment and all taxpayers should take an interest in their taxes being used properly. Communities don't like them closing because for many communities, that is their only lifeline...they never managed, or even tried, to bring in other industry. How the community treats the military mission and people goes a long way to which bases get closed. And military bases were never meant to be an off the books form of welfare...

a reply to: Lab4Us

But...but...let's not let actual "FACTS" get in the way of an otherwise perfectly constructed "agenda / hit" piece!!

Gawd forbid!