Barack Obama finds support in the diplomatic corps, and in the military

Voters and the presidential candidates are focused on the economy. But at least some voters -- and campaign contributors -- remember the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Axis of Evil and all that.

And in the view of some of them, Barack Obama has the edge. He might be more open to negotiating with foreign governments than John McCain, at least as a select group of donors sees it.

Donors listing their employer as the U.S. State Department have given $274,595 to Obama since the campaign began, and $58,860 to McCain, a review by Times researcher Maloy Moore shows.

As a percentage, however, State Department employees accounted for only slightly more of Obama’s money than McCain’s -- about 0.47% of the money Obama raised from donors who listed an employer worked for the State Department, compared with 0.3% for McCain.

Obama also has his share of support within the military.

Donors listing their employer as the Defense Department or various military branches have given at least $806,558 to the Democratic nominee, compared with $512,926 for Republican McCain.

That amounts to roughly 2.5% of the money McCain received from donors who listed an identifiable employer. For Obama, men and women in uniform, plus the Defense Department employees, accounted for 1.4% of his money.

--Dan Morain

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Comments

[Archie haase]

The difference between myself and most Americans is most Americans believe we can force our will on the world by military force. Albeit, that figure is changing somewhat because of the Iraq war.

In the fall of 1967 on Vietnam’s DMZ nearly 2000 marines tried to prevent 35,000 North Vietnamese soldiers from coming across the DMZ.. Not only did they not prevent communist soldiers from coming across into South Vietnam, but the numbers of North Vietnamese soldiers increased to the point a few months later the 1968 Tet happened, and battles like Khe Sahn and Hue City killed and wounded many more US Marines.

I was at Con Thien with Echo Company 2nd Bn. 4th Marines. I was wounded in November, and spent the next 8 months reading the Stars and Stripes reading names from a hospital bed of my friends who died. My unit 2nd Bn 4th Marines won 4 Congressional Medals of Honor from September 67 to May 2nd 1968.

This is why I am voting for Obama. I am voting for Obama because he sees limits to American military power, and sees the full power of Americans at home. Obama sees we can change the world not only by military force but by the force of example. John McCain still after all these years does not understand military force should only be used after every other solution to an international problem does not exist, or is not available.

[mtweed]

Hold on there Einstein. I'll bet most of the donors are the clerical staff. Very misleading Blog Headline.

[beevee]

Not surprising that Obama has the support of the military and diplatic core personnel. McCain's bellicose attitude is not in tune with the current global situation. To be reckoned as leader one needs to be able negotiate, reconcile without losing dignity. Flexing muscle all the time does not get us anywhere. See What happened to our reputation with the war on Iraq. McCain is not smart enough to lead this country.

[Dan T]

Speaking from a military perspective, Obama is more intelligent, and level headed. He will be a more effective commander in chief. McCain is a hot head, and will get us in another war by not using diplomacy effectively, he will just rush in with his guns-a-blazin, ouch, we don't need or can't afford this sort of recklessness.

[Green Berets for Obama]

I'm not surprised. No one wants to serve under a CinC who seems not to see you as people but as the ultimate weapon. Soldiers don't mind fighting ,we'd just prefer to do it for the right reasons. McCain is too much of a hot head, too quick on the trigger. At least if Obama sends us to war we can trust that it's just.

[Pam]

I like what I'm hearing. We need a President who will be extremely careful regarding putting our brave soldiers in harms way. We need to talk first. Everyone knows that the USA has a very huge stick.

[Bill S.]

The 4th paragraph in the article makes little sense. Please fix the wording so that what you're saying is clear.

[BIll S.]

Whoops. I was misunderstanding the paragraph. I can understand it now. [blush]

[JoeTheManOnTheStreet]

It's amazing, Joe the plumber has a background more researched that Berry, Barrak, Obama.

Is Obama not a Manchurian Candidate? I still don't understand who this guy is. He has no Birth Certificate, at least not one he is willing to share with us.

He won't release any of his records from his educational experience, the most substantive experience he has, and his whole thing the other night was like a "get comfortable with me in the white house" propaganda piece.

It's like he has become a part of the American so called "branded" lexicon whereby it's not the product that matters but the marketing and the advertising.

Who is this guy? Where is he from? He's lived under three different names, he has not history- where are all of his Harvard, Columbia friends? Who knows this guy? The only people we know of are now Wright, Ayres and now Khaliki(?) and a guy named Rezko who we worked for in Chicago who got him started in politics who has connections to Syria and Iraqi terrorists and is a convicted federal prisoner. What is going on in This Country?

[Dmitriy]

Release the Khalidi tape and watch all the support dissipate. LATimes are treating freedom of speech just like communist China. Because that's the Change you've been Hoping for with Barack Hussein Obama.

LATimes' censorship is despicable.

[Bearcat]

Obama is the modern day Robinhood. He thinks you can make the poor rich by making the rich poor. He doesn't understand the "pass down" principle of business. If a product increases in cost via tax increases on big businesses, it will be passed down the the "poor" middle class consumers (You and I)

[JoeTheManOnTheStreet]

Ok I have just started watching the election 2 weeks ago. I just found out that Obama has been fighting for the last 20 months.

Dmitriy, I suggest we dont bring up Khalidi, seeing that McCain donated a half a million dollars to Khalidi's cause! oops!

[ob08]

beevee - we donated to Obama and my husband is a Naval Officer. I know a lot of Naval Officers who donated to Obama too. Don't be so ignorant.

[Walter]

This is an endorsement for Barack Obama; it is one voice of a citizen. As a 100% disabled veteran I look back at a time when people were proud of our country. There were always a band of veterans marching in the various community parades, flags waving and due respect. People stood tall to honor them, holding their hands on their hearts, while some saluted. When Memorial Day meant more than a Monday off of work, it was a day to pay respect to those who gave their lives! As a young boy I can still remember; it was awhile after the end of the war; there were still stars hanging in the windows of those whose family members had served, learning that the gold ones were for the men who had died in the war. That was a time that our country was one, everyone worked for the greater good of the country, as Tom Brokaw has stated The Greatest Generation. Many amazing feats were accomplished by the citizens and the veterans during WWII. As that young boy I learned a lot about our country and their service, but now we seem to have lost that respect and honor! Now we have had it taken away by our government, we are fed only what they want us to hear. Even the bodies of our heroes who have died are hidden from us and Arlington burials are segregated not allowing media etc. It took an embarrassment at Walter Reed Hospital and actually across the VA system for improvements to veterans care. Our government has decided that we are not good enough to know the truth of what is going on, in truth they are afraid. A lesson learned from Nixon I suppose. It is a disgrace to dishonor these veterans by hiding their sacrifices that they so bluntly spout about; they just don’t want you to see it. Even our president and presidential race appearances are mostly by invitation only, so that there is no dissention or asking of the wrong question that they may not know the answer to or worse yet an answer they don’t want to say, in some instances don’t even know what to say or worse yet I’ll get back to ya. Candidates laying the blame of their response on those hard to answer questions upon those of whom are asking them; limiting access to only select individual reporters; a prelist of questions to be asked or no access at all. Whatever happened to freedom of the press, its all about spin these days; counter measures to hide the reality; political CIA’s and insurgents, no one takes responsibility. I have always thought that we lived in the United States, but I now realize we live in the Blue and Red States and the value in the Electoral College is what makes you the most important. Low numbered states probably won’t see or hear from the candidates much; if at all, while those so called battle states are inundated with a barrage of all sorts. And getting right down to it; the election of our president isn’t an election at all; it’s a contest of money, lies (i.e., BS), one liners, bias, bigotry and who looks more stupid in the end. At least that’s the case this year and the last two elections anyway. We the people really don’t matter, yes we get to vote, but as in the last two elections we were subjugated by technicalities, manipulation, intimidation and the courts. So, technically we have been run by a dictatorship and our Bill of Privileges (Rights) has been hijacked. We have what are called debates, yet they are an opportunity for who can make the other look more stupid or have done more rights/wrongs or the worse person the candidate has ever associated; worked with or even met for dinner. Seldom if ever we do not hear what is their reasoning to want the position or what they plan to do. It is all vague, to keep you wondering, don’t commit yourself, duck and run. Our system is so biased that no matter who wins they will lose anyway, because most of the politicians of today are in for the money, granted there are some who are altruistic. I’ll bet if you look at all the times they have sought raises for themselves there is very few if any nay votes. While the poor get poorer! I understand that in the course of dealing there are compromises to be made and that is what our system is based upon, a truly bad example is the recent economic bill for 700 billion which was voted down, only to be passed later for about 850 billion dollars. I don’t consider that a compromise. It was political piracy, stupidity and an embarrassment. I am ashamed to be a citizen and not the only one. Our country is based on the principle of: by the people and for the people. I don’t believe that it is true anymore. It was our generation, the Boomers: who questioned things; it is time for us to do so again. We need to hold our elected officials responsible and accountable for what they do, I believe they should have a regular report on what they are doing and have accomplished or failed to do that is accessible to all the citizens. As citizens we need to take back our country. Back in 1973 we had a fuel crisis, all the politicians were claiming to support alternative ways to support our economy, hmmm, seems they were lying to us then, because here we are literally back to the same place, actually worse for it will cost even more to do what should have been done then; 35 years ago. It doesn’t matter who did or did not do their job because it is that compromise system that was set up for our system to work, it is both the Democrats and Republicans responsibility to work as a unit, not across a chasm of bitterness and subterfuge. The Constitution has worked for over 200 years when it is followed. We cannot deny that we are also a part of this whole planet and cannot look at just who we are, we have led the world in many ways and accomplished many great deeds and sadly have made many stupid errors as well. We need to have and be leaders and work throughout our world to make peace and compromises with all nations, because in reality we are in this world together. There was a time when we thought we were alone but that is far from the truth. We are all connected, we are all one and we need to realize that, what we do effects all else around us and likewise for others, the whole world needs to realize it. We are a great country that can accomplish great things when we have had to, but we cannot help others if we don’t take care of our country first, so whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Independent or any other; we need to work as a country not as a political party; make our government become responsible again, to make our whole world a better place. We need to act, not react! Walter, Delray Beach, FL

[Marcos El Malo]

What is going to happen to the GOP after this election? Will we Republicans be able to return the party to conservative principles or will it continue to morph into an extremist religious cult?

It is not surprising that many in the military no longer trust McCain. His leadership on the campaign battlefield has shown that he is not really fit to be the CinC. We also understand disinformation as a weapon, and we wonder why we are being targeted as if we were enemies. I still respect McCain's service to our country, but the campaign he has waged has damaged much of my regard for him. I really hope he is able to return to some semblance of sanity after the election.

[abby0802]

My husband is retired army and an Obama supporter. He is not alone.

My husband was angry at McCain's ideas of keeping the troops in Iraq for ?? years and McCain's support for the war in Iraq, a war based on lies and for Bush's ego and the oil buddies of both Bush and Cheney..

My husband was furious that McCain did not support an improved GI bill, something my nephews (who are 4th generation enlisted men serving in the military) needed.

Unlike McCain, no one in my husband's family and no one in my family had an admiral father and admiral grandfather which automatically gave McCain entry into Annapolis where he ended up at the bottom of his class.

The members of our families paid their own way through college and university. Like Obama, our families have pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps. Something McCain does not understand and never will.

[A_Good_Chinese_Spy]

You still have some hope, as I can see from some of the comments. Let me share some of our Confucianism with you. A strong country starts with a strong people. You can not be a strong people when the rich is against the poor, the Dems against the Republican, black against white, religious against agnostic... You are not a strong people if the widows of your fallen soldiers do not have health care, or their children cannot afford higher education. You are not a strong people when your brothers or neighbors are weak and sick and you don't lend them a helping hand. It is time to realize that you cannot dominate the world with firepower alone. Sometimes you just have to swallow the pride. Take care of the economical mess! Otherwise, China will one day own this country. Think it over!

[serious voter]

Why we should not vote for Obama:
By spreading wealth Mr. Obama will discourage investors and invite more people to depend on the government. Socialism did not work in China, Russia, Cuba, Vietnam and North Korea, I don't see how it works in America. On the war, Biden and Obama will withdraw troops and cut off funding for Iraq and Afghanistan immediately. This will solve problems in the region in a short time and eventually put countries like Israel, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq in a vunerable situation. Al Qaeda and Iran eventually will become the power in the region .

[Phil]

I have been reading articles in many different publications, from the Washington Post to the Air Force Times which say that the active duty personal and the troops stationed in Iraq support Obama overwhelmingly. There was the na older article from AP which revealed that Obama had raised 6 times as many contributions from troops stationed in Iraq. That disparity is much larger now.

[Masi]

Walter, you have put into words what 75% of the people in this nation are feeling. It was just beautiful. The fact that the upper 1% control all that we hear and read from the news is why we don't feel the connection. Two years running there has been huge numbers of protests against this administration but the corp. owned media will not report it. I have been to two of the demonstrations at D.C. with over 500,000 people each but nothing was mentioned on the news. They refuse to let the people know millions upon millions are thinking and feeling the same contempt for these criminals in Washington. They have not told us the truth since Regan. Thank You for putting it so eloquently. Paul, W.P.B. Fl.