[Rhodes22-list] Politics: A View From The Ground & polls

[Robert Skinner]

Steve wrote:
> The lastest polls I saw confirmed that the vast
> miltary (all branches) supports Bush and that the war
> is going quite well despite how the media is reporting
> it.
> Steve
--------------------------------------------------

Steve, 

I have to temper my belief in such polls for a 
number of reasons:

1.  As stated by someone else, the troops are 
generally discouraged from making political 
statements -- specially those counter to the 
positions held by the commander in chief.

2.  While a lot of the military is in Iraq, it 
is far from the majority, and many have never 
seen combat, specially those not in the infantry 
or Marine Corps.  Flying bullets and hostile 
faces can affect your enthusiasm.

3.  Given the difficulty and danger of travel on 
the ground in Iraq, I have to suspect that many 
polls are conducted in hotel rooms with small 
samples.  Also, issuing adverse reports is a sure 
way to jeopardize your security cover if you are 
able to get to the field.

4.  Private communications from family members 
and children of friends are almost universally 
negative, which casts doubt on the positive 
reports from government sources.

I wish we were doing better, but don't see a lot
of evidence to support such a hope.

/Bob Skinner