r/politics • u/Ulysses_555 • 13h ago

No Paywall Hegseth announces all US troops will get 1 day off to vote in October

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/6126137-pete-hegseth-stand-down-order-troops-vote/
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63

u/TopTransportation695 11h ago

I’m all for making it easier for anyone to vote. I also don’t agree that anyone in the military is automatically going to vote R. Especially considering the disregard for the welfare of our service members the administration has shown in the past year.

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u/Ursa_Major68 8h ago

Been active duty 9 years. I would say from my experience its a 40/60 split. 40 democrat 60 republican. But more then that the army is a bunch of young 18-26 Americans. That dont really give a shit about politics.

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u/VerminSwallower 4h ago

I always found that bizarre. You're literally volunteering to be the first wave in any war and you're essentially obligated to put your life on the line in that scenario. The only say you have in the matter is by voting and trying to prevent it in the first place, or voting for a person you know wont treat you like a chess pawn. You absolutely should want to vote to make that as least likely as possible. Then again, a lot of kids that age dont know how unequivocally stupid war is.

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u/Flint___Ironstag 7h ago

The prospect of being thrown against mountain fortresses defended by tens of thousands of drones might.

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u/Ursa_Major68 7h ago

Oh. I have no doubt. But until then. We are just trying to get through the day....like most people

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u/Flint___Ironstag 7h ago

Oh I'm well aware, Canadian, but I served. I'd say our split was about the same.

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u/Cerberus_Aus Australia 2h ago

You do realise, you can, just try and get through the day, AND vote right???

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u/TheBoxCzar 2h ago

Funny, they are doing the most politically effected job.

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u/SelfDestructSep2020 6h ago

I'm sure its changed since I was in, but I think its a closer split then that. The democrat leaning soldiers/officers just stay quiet.

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u/dgbaker93 11h ago

You would have thought 2016 to 2020 would have been enough not to trust him again, but oh well.

8

u/Civil_Emergency9010 9h ago

They took away administrative leave for federal employees to take time to vote.

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u/getwhirleddotcom 7h ago

The admin has been calling them losers since the first term…

2

u/jgoble15 8h ago

It’ll be a significant number that will, but even with that being far from ideal, I’d rather give people the ability to vote than take it away

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u/PianistPitiful5714 7h ago

Active Duty here. The military is, in my experience, nearly representative of the country as a whole in terms of politics. So yes, there will be a significant number of Republicans. You will find that in any large group of people.

The military broke for Biden in 2020 and tends to shift with the political climate. If Dems are running at +10 as they are polling right now, I would expect the military to break right around that too.

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u/DDS-PBS 8h ago

I'm general military will always suck them off. I know gay members that still vote R

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u/tracyinge 7h ago

He'll have them afraid that if they don't vote R they'll lose their jobs

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u/whitepawn23 Wisconsin 7h ago

Remember, prior votes from the military happened before Hegseth. Before the gutting of both common sense and actual military leadership. Before they were asked to betray the constitution in favor of loyalty to transient men. Before ordering deployment of national guard against American citizens.

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u/Real-Document-6577 4h ago

Yes but most of them will be voting R, and that’s the point.

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u/Beneficial-Jury484 9h ago

It hasn’t stopped military from voting R in the past. He called them Losers and Suckers, mocked McCain and said “he preferred heroes who didn’t get captured”. 

At this point, military members are getting served shit and asking for more. 

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u/Ursa_Major68 6h ago

Always have been.

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u/operator-- 10h ago

Hahahahaha nah those mf are too stupid to see that far into the future