Military Times Poll: Romney bests Obama, 2-1 - Military News ...

Military Times Poll: Romney bests Obama, 2-1 - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times

Military Times Poll: Romney bests Obama, 2-1

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The professional core of the U.S. military overwhelmingly favors Mitt Romney over President Obama in the upcoming election ? but not because of any particular military issues, according to a new poll of more than 3,100 active and reserve troops.


Respondents rated the economy and the candidates? character as their most important considerations and all but ignored the war in Afghanistan as an issue of concern.


The Military Times Poll is a secure email survey of active-duty, National Guard and reserve members who are subscribers to the Military Times newspapers (see How We Did It, below).


This population is older and more senior than the military population at large, but it is representative of the professional core of the all-volunteer force.


The 3,100 respondents ? roughly two-thirds active-duty and one-third reserve component members ? are about 80 percent white and 91 percent male.


Forty percent are in paygrades E-5 through E-8, while more than 35 percent are in paygrades O-3 through O-5.


Almost 80 percent of respondents have a college degree ? including 27 percent with a graduate degree and more than 11 percent with a post-graduate degree ? while an additional 18.5 percent have some college under their belts.


And they are battle-hardened; almost 29 percent have spent more than two cumulative years deployed since 9/11, while a similar percentage has spent one to two cumulative years deployed.


The Military Times poll shows that Republicans continue to enjoy overwhelming support among the military?s professional ranks.


?There is really an affinity for Republican candidates, even though [troops] say that what counts is character and handling the economy,? said Richard Kohn, who teaches military history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.


Poll results indicate that about 66 percent of those surveyed support Romney, compared with about 26 percent who say they will vote to re-elect President Obama.


When asked about the most important issue guiding their vote this year, about 66 percent of respondents cited either ?the economy? or ?the character of the candidate.? Less than 16 percent of troops surveyed cited ?national security.?


And the war in Afghanistan is barely a blip on the radar: Just more than 1 percent put that conflict at the top of their list of concerns. That?s in stark contrast to troops? feelings about the war in Iraq in the Military Times 2008 election poll, when 16 percent cited that conflict as their top concern.

Pocketbook issues


?When I talk to my soldiers, it?s not social issues. It?s almost not even military issues. What it comes down to is pocketbook issues,? said one 28-year-old Army captain who took the survey in late September. ?They currently see Mitt Romney as being stronger for their pocketbook.


?It comes down to taxes ? how much are they going to have to pay ? and are they going to be able to find jobs if they leave the military,? said the captain, who, like most troops interviewed by Military Times, requested anonymity before discussing personal political views.


But some Obama supporters said they don?t believe a vote for him will necessarily hit them in the wallet.


A Navy fire controlman first class noted that Obama proposed to increase taxes on upper-income earners, specifically those making more than $200,000 a year, or $250,000 for a family.


?How many people in the military make more than $200,000 a year?? the sailor said.


Although service members have their health care needs covered by the military, the state of national health care is important to an Air Force technical sergeant at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.


?I grew up in a low-income family that never had health care,? the airman said. ?You waited until you were extremely sick, and then my mother would take us to an emergency room.


?I?m in favor of everyone having health care,? he said, adding that the Obama administration?s health care plan may not be ?the best one out there, but it?s better than nothing.?


The airman also is disappointed in Romney?s continued lack of details on his plans.


?He seems to tell you what you want to hear but doesn?t back it up with specifics,? he said.


Many Romney supporters cite their candidate?s business experience as an asset, especially in times of national fiscal trouble.


Capt. John Bowe, a Marine military policeman stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., said he?s voting for Romney because it?s clear Obama is doing a poor job with the nation?s finances.


?You cannot add $6 trillion to the [national] debt in 3? years and not expect massive repercussions,? he said.


Yet some in the Obama camp say Romney?s career as a chief executive for an investment company does not necessarily prepare him well for the White House.


?The guy is all about making money, which is great, but government doesn?t work like a business,? the sailor said. ?It just doesn?t work that way. It?s not a for-profit industry.?


A Navy commander and helicopter pilot who is a registered Republican said he plans to vote for Romney, but added, ?I don?t have much faith in either? candidate.


Obama ?has proven that he can?t fulfill his campaign promises. And I don?t have much faith in Romney to be able to fulfill his,? the commander said.


UNC Chapel Hill?s Kohn, who reviewed the poll results at the request of Military Times, said this year?s responses ?really track with traditional views of the military, regardless of President Obama?s reaching out to military families.?

Obama edges upward

While Obama supporters in uniform are clearly a minority, the president?s standing among Military Times readers has improved 3 percentage points since the 2008 poll, when he was a first-term senator facing off against Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona. In 2008, 23 percent of respondents supported Obama, while 68 percent backed McCain.


That may suggest that the GOP?s dominance on military issues is ebbing, if very slowly, said Peter Feaver, an expert on civil-military relations who teaches at Duke University.


?[For] several decades, the Republicans had what is known as ?issue ownership? on national security,? said Feaver, who served as a special adviser to the National Security Council under President George W. Bush. ?The last five to six years has produced a little bit of a swing of the pendulum.?


He cited several reasons for the potential shift, including a perception that the Bush administration mishandled the Iraq War.


The death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of U.S. special operations troops also was a boost to Obama?s national security image, and Democrats have courted military voters by emphasizing veterans? benefits and trying to recast the traditional view of which party supports the military.


?If the national security issue can be re-imagined as an entitlement program, then that fits the Democratic narrative pretty well,? Feaver said. ?It?s clearly the way Obama most naturally feels comfortable talking about the military. He?s quite eloquent when he talks about honoring the commitments made to those who serve.?


Still, most respondents to the Military Times poll were highly critical of Obama?s performance as commander in chief, especially his handling of the defense budget and national security strategy.


Sixty-two percent rated his handling of the defense budget as only fair or poor, while 57 percent applied the same rating to his handling of the war in Afghanistan.


But troops were less critical of Obama?s decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq last year, with 47 percent giving him a fair or poor rating on that issue.
Kohn said the troops? views on Iraq are driven by firsthand experience.


?They are the ones on the ground. They are pretty well-informed people, and they see that there was not a great deal more they could do [in Iraq] ? with a reasonable amount of time and a reasonable amount of resources,? Kohn said.

Bowe, the Marine military police captain, added that the Obama administration?s handling of Libya after Moammar Gadhafi was deposed amounted to ?colossal mismanagement? and ultimately cost the life of a U.S. ambassador.

?If you?re not an effective manager ? you can?t run anything else,? Bowe said.

The strong views expressed by Bowe and the other poll respondents were not uncommon in this year?s election survey. Although the military strives to stay apolitical as an institution, it?s clear that many troops are highly engaged in what some experts have called the most potentially significant presidential election in years.

?You kind of expect your soldiers to go home at night and play Xbox and drink beer ? which they do ? but I?ve heard them talk about [the election] quite a bit,? the Army captain said. ?They?re more dialed in than some might think.?

Staff writer George Altman contributed to this story.

Source: http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2012/10/military-times-poll-romney-bests-obama.html

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The Unemployment Rate Dropped, So What? - Gather Politics News ...

The unemployment rate dropped below 8 percent for the first time since January, 2009. Good news for Obama. Romney says the number is closer to 11 percent if you count those who have quit looking for work. Who do you believe? Who can back up their words with facts?

Well, facts are hard to come by in this election. The fact is, the official government jobs report says unemployment is now 7.8 percent. Romney can throw all the unsubstantiated numbers out there he wants, but 7.8 is the official number.

How is it calculated?

The government conducts a survey. Surveys are always reliable, right? Labor Secretary Hilda Solis explains that this is the same formula used for the past 70 years. The numbers geeks at the Bureau of Labor Statistics review all the data from the surveys and calculate a number. They all come up with different numbers that are compiled into one national percentage.

The Census Bureau phones 60,000 people and asks them if they have a job. If the answer is no, they ask if they are looking for a job. If they are not looking, they are not counted. So, the survey only counts yes's and no's and the no's that are looking. Is this reliable? Could some wise-ass say, "I've given up until we get a new President?" And if someone says "I'm looking but there's no use. There is nothing," how is that counted?

They also phone 140,000 businesses gathering information about jobs. Wells Fargo chief economist John Silvia says the jobs number went up because there were more part-time jobs filled.

So, the jobs report is not exactly scientific fact. Romney may be right. The rate may be closer to 11 percent. It might be 15 percent. Don't the American voters deserve to see the real numbers, including those not looking?!

The unemployment rate was on the rise from September 2008 and continued climbing to its highpoint in February 2010. Since then it's been steadily going down. It goes up and down but one of the sharpest jumps in history was 2008-2009. It is usually followed by a sharp correct, based on information shown below over the past 40-50 years.

The rate went down a bit. Is it enough? Based on the chart below, no. But is it enough to put your faith in President Obama to keep it going? Or risk another upward spike with a new President?

The next report comes out the Friday before election day.

Unemployment Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

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Source: http://politics.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981682707

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Game recap: New Mexico 35, Texas State 15

The New Mexico Lobos finish their non-conference slate with a dominating homecoming win over visiting Texas State by rushing the ball. Over and over and over again. 54 consecutive times to be precise, rolling over the Bobcats for their third win of the season - prompting questions of how well the once-downtrodden UNM team can rise this season.

The Texas State Bobcats had but one job to do Saturday night ? stop the New Mexico Lobos from running the ball. But TSU proved not to be up to the task surrendering 361 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns as UNM crushed their way to a 35-14 loss before 22,135 at Branch Field at University Stadium in Albuquerque, N.M.

As has been their pattern so far this season, the Lobos rarely engaged their passing game, preferring to pound the ball on the ground. How rarely? Try three passing attempts for the game. UNM would attempt three passes and complete one in the first quarter then ran the ball 54 consecutive times after their lass pass attempt in the first quarter.

"We rushed for 200 yards in the first half and I think they had 21 plays in the first half," said UNM head coach Bob Davie. "We gave up two big plays in the first half. This was something that we hadn't work on but that was a great play call, a really good scheme.

"But again it was all about the turnovers and the kicking game and no self-inflicted wounds - win upfront.," Davie continued. "It's pretty impressive when you can rush for 200 yards on mostly dives in the first half."

Junior Kasey Carrier finished with 191 yards on 23 carries and four touchdowns while freshmen Jhurell Pressley and Cole Gautsche added 80 and 82 yards respectively. Presley also ran for a touchdown in the game for New Mexico, which closed the non-conference part of its schedule 3-3.

Conversely, Texas State (2-3) abandoned the run to try to pass on the supposedly weak Lobo secondary. Quarterbacks Shaun Rutherford managed 186 yards on 16-of-21 passing with two touchdown passes and the Bobcat offense got 216 of its 248 total offense yards from the pass. But three interceptions and a pair of fumbles doomed TSU.

UNM?s Dallas Bollema forced a fumble by Andy Erickson of Texas State on a kickoff following New Mexico?s first touchdown in the first quarter to set up a second touchdown drive for UNM, giving the Lobos an early 14-0 lead.

Then the Lobos? Destry Berry intercepted Rutherford?s first pass of the second half to set up UNM?s final touchdown drive. The drive was caped by a 43-yard touchdown run by Carrier on 4th-and-1 early in the third to put the Lobos up for good at 35-14.

"To be able to shut this team out in the second half is pretty impressive," said Davie. "I do think our defense in the second half starting to feel good about themselves and got better as the game went on."

A critical fourth down call by the Bobcats set up New Mexico?s third touchdown in the first quarter. On 4th-and-1 on their own 40-yard line, Texas State tried a fake punt, but punter Zach Robinson?s pass to Blake McCulloch was knocked down by UNM?s Jacon Greer.

New Mexico scored nine plays later on a 1-yard run by Pressley to put the Lobos up 21-7.

The Lobos, who are 0-1 in Mountain West Conference play, now travel to the islands to play the Hawaii Warriors, who are 0-2 in the MWC after a 52-14 loss last night to the San Diego State Aztecs. The three wins this season equal the win total for the past three years.

"It means a lot (to be 3-3)," said Carrier, who averaged 8.3 yards per carry Saturday. "It's never really happened for me since I've been here. A lot of the guys here, it's been tough, and now things are starting to turn around."

The 3-3 start has some talking about a bowl game, which Davie tried to downplay.

"Please, please," said Davie. "Let's not get carried away. We're scratching and clawing for everything we can get. We really are.

"But for us to have three wins right now in early October, I couldn't be more proud of this coaching staff and this football team," he said. "Those guys deserve all the credit in the world. That (win) was pretty good. I could not be more proud of the toughness, the buying in. It's exciting to watch and I appreciate the effort of these guys."

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Source: http://www.mwcconnection.com/football-5/2012/10/7/3469058/game-recap-new-mexico-35-texas-state-15

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Samsung Galaxy S III 4G Review: Better Late Than Never ? Gizmodo Australia

Samsung Galaxy S III 4G Review: Better Late Than Never
Gizmodo Australia
When Samsung announced the Galaxy S III way back when, the first question that was asked was ?SAMSUNG Y U NO 4G?!?. Samsung went out and worked with Telstra, Optus and Virgin to remedy the problem and now, months later, we have a 4G-version of ?

Source: http://samsung-galaxy-siii.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-reviews/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-4g-review-better-late-than-never-gizmodo-australia-818

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Finding An SEO Agency | Content for Reprint

Author: Jeremy Yeomann | Total views: 85 Comments: 0
Word Count: 871 Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2012 6:55 AM

Whatever we may do in life, we have always been taught to proceed with caution; to take care in our decisions and step lightly to avoid any nasty surprises or hiccups and believe it or not, the same theory applies with online marketing. As a business, as in fact any business; success is the natural aim and securing the longevity of our company for ourselves and employees is a given; after all why would we go into business if we did not wish for it to succeed? in today's advanced, internet obsessed world everyone, everywhere is now arguing that the only route to such desired success is via online marketing but is that true? Well, to put it bluntly, yes.

In a world where those without social media profiles are seen as 'weird' and children as young as the age of nine are glued to the latest smartphone; technology now dictates our every move and Google is now the ultimate power that provides the answers to everything. In the UK alone, over 80 per cent of households now have access to the internet which means that for any need, desire or urgent want; we now log onto Google and inadvertently ask for help with those all-important keywords. If we want a 'red dress', a 'chocolate fountain for hire' or even a 'cheap divorce lawyer' we now go directly into Google and put 100 per cent trust in the first two pages of results; if Google deems them to be good enough for page one and two then they must surely have the answers we seek.

As a result of the rising trust we, as users, have placed into Google's search results; SEO, otherwise referred to as search engine optimisation, is now one of the must haves for a business. In today's internet savvy society a search engine optimised website can now be the difference between success and failure but how, as a business do we deem the right path to take? With online marketing rapidly growing in popularity; SEO consultants, PPC specialists and anyone else in between is now trying to grab your attention and promise your business ultimate results but there are a few things you will need to be wary off before you jump into bed with an SEO agency. First of all, SEO is no magic fix and anyone worth their salt will know that the optimisation of a website and an overall online presence will take time, effort and a lot of patience; with the first glimmer of results sometimes taking months to appear on Google; thus for any agency to offer you ultimate success and that number one top spot in a matter of days is lying. Well, perhaps we are being a little too redundant, do not get us wrong there is actually a possibility to get ones website those dream rankings in an instant but rest assured; the methods are highly illegal in the world of online marketing and Google will find out before you can blink, and your business will end up lost in a big black hole and unable to get out.

No agency, truly interested in your success will offer such promises, in fact there are no guarantees within SEO and the right agency will make you aware of this, but will never refrain from doing everything in their power to help. When budgets must be crucially watched it is wise to invest in an SEO agency that is results based. Any agency can boast skill, innovation and determination but do they have the results to back it up? Successful agencies will have years of experience and will have helped many companies achieve success; success that they will never be afraid to show off. As previously mentioned, time and money is of the essence in today's struggling economy which is why it may be a wise move to take time and ask for a trial service or test. No body wishes to sign on the dotted line and hand over a years' worth of advertising budget without really knowing what they are getting in for and thus it would be wise to take in discussions, think things through, get to really know the agency and agree to a test, site audit or anything else that is being offered; it won't cost you a penny and could be a fantastic help in making the right decision.

Above all else, when seeking to find the right SEO agency it is of great importance to ask around and never be afraid to seek recommendations. The move you will make and the decision you take can have a phenomenal impact on your business success so talk to previous clients about their dealings with certain SEO companies and you shall soon find the answers you seek. Whatever your business may be; there is no doubt that online marketing and it's components are an essential element to success but be careful of the underhanded companies that seem happy to help but do quite the opposite. Research, take time and be careful in your dealings but do not be too afraid as the right SEO agency is out there.

An avid SEO and PPC specialist; Jeremy has years of experience in search engine marketing. Jeremy possesses years of experience and can advise on anything and everything from the latest tips to crucial brand growth factors. Please visit www.carocomarketing.com

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1: What is Cyber Marketing And Why It Is So Important For The Success Of Your Website

Cyber marketing has now become an indispensable segment of e-commerce as well as the internet and World Wide Web related topics. Cyber marketing simply refers to a technique of attracting potential customers by advertising your products or services through such means as websites, emails, and banners.

2: SEO Copywriting: How To Choose Article Marketing Topics To Achieve Maximum Exposure

Distributing articles online can be an effective way to build backlinks to your website -- when done correctly. This article explores how to choose the right topics for your article marketing campaign so that they will be widely accepted and distributed online.

3: Article Marketing Strategy: Putting Together a "Class Schedule" For Your Article Topics

Businesses go to so much trouble when there is one sure-fire, simple, very inexpensive way to attract new clients to a business: Teach a free class. That is what article marketing is like. Your articles are just like free classes. You teach your target readers something helpful in your article. Your resource box then says, "If you enjoyed this article you can visit my website and apply what you have learned."

4: Stumped For What to Write About? 15 Article Topic Ideas...

Do you ever dread sitting down to write because you're just not sure what to write about? When you're doing article marketing, you need to create a steady flow of articles. Even if you feel stumped, I assure you--you have more creative writing ideas in you. You just need a little help in looking at your topic in a new way to come up with new writing ideas. Use these 15 article ideas to start your next brainstorming session.

5: Article Marketing Or Guest Blog Posting : Which Do I Favor?

An analysis of Article Marketing in comparison to Guest Blog Posting as a strategy towards achieving the twin objectives of gaining backlinks and getting massive traffic

Source: http://www.content4reprint.com/internet-marketing/finding-an-seo-agency.htm

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PostHeaderIcon The Great Importance of Doing Business with Ethics

For most people, money makes the world go round and business bears that money. Businessmen will perhaps do anything just to achieve the ultimate goal of having a business, and that is to earn income. Net profit or income financially means a surplus of sales or revenues after deducting costs and expenses. Whether you are engage in profession, occupation, work or trade, you are in business and you speak income. When you earn an income you suffer taxes, the worst nightmare for every income earners. Income tax is your punishment of doing well in business. This sounds ridiculous but this is the reality, you pay when you earn. Because tax is legislative, noncompliance to this would results to crimes. This thing called income tax had already made billions of liars around the world. Some governments imposed taxes which are already too much to burden the flow of business. Others make tax laws that are already beyond the ability of taxpayers. However these facts must not result in the existence of enormous number of dishonest people in the world.

Ethics in business rarely exists nowadays. Perhaps it is because for most people, profit will come without the need of business ethics. This, I don?t agree. The word ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos, which means ?character,? and from the Latin word mores, which means ?customs.? According to the encyclopedia ethics is the branch of philosophy that defines what is good for the individual and for society and establishes the nature of obligations, or duties, that people owe themselves and one another. Maybe ethics is not needed to earn profit if you define profit or income as money. But deeply speaking, business is not just for money. Yes it is definitely for profit, but profit is not just financial profit. We need profit that will not just sustain our pocket or our stomach. Significantly, we also need profits that will feed our hearts and soul. Considering that we are great businessmen, we should extend our minds to this principle. We need business ethics to earn these high valued profits. We must be concerned to the virtue of our character and to the common good.

Your business is not just for the survival of your life on Earth but it can also be your road to the survival of your soul. If you?re in business and had a company, you can help your employees by providing them enough salaries and other benefits that will make their lives better. You can be honest and pay your exact tax for the government who will eventually use it for your country?s development. (Assuming your government is straight and not corrupt) But don?t mind them, be honest even others are not. We are talking here your soul survival and not theirs. You can also serve your customers by providing them their needs and giving them convenience. Customer care is so important for your customers as also important for your business to earn public trust and loyalty. If you build infrastructures for your company you contribute to the development of your place in terms of buildings and infrastructures. When you got ethics in business you practice fair business competition. Fair business competition is a challenge for every business to improve the qualities of their products and services, and the end benefits are to the consumers.

Doing business with clean conscience is doing business with good night sleeps. It is also doing business with gladness of your heart and soul. Gratitude will come to you and you will become a stress free businessman if you do business with ethics. These and other spiritual profits will straightly come to you and the good thing on this is you are not taxed on this kind of profits. As an extraordinary businessman, you do not only set your long-term goals for 10 years or for a life time. You must also consider eternity and set goals to achieve profits that will benefit your soul. You need profits that last forever, profits that will give us everlasting life and happiness, and profits that will earn us the key to heaven. These profits will benefits us in the short run, midterm run, long run and eternal run, as God is great from the beginning and unto the never-ending.

Do business and believe in God. Building our business in God?s place is like building it in rocks which are in great foundations. Let us be kind and grateful to our employees as they are our best assets. Let?s give them bread and they will give us a ham sandwich. Let us have huge care to our customers as they are our best revenue generators. Let?s give them good price, high quality products and best services and they will give us their respect and loyalty. Let us be fair to our competitors as they are our great motivators. Let us give them fair game and they will give us the true meaning of winning. Let us be thankful to our Father Almighty God as He is our greatest business partner. Let?s serve Him and He will give us joy and peace of mind.

Source: http://www.cider-stassen.com/the-great-importance-of-doing-business-with-ethics.html

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Lakers vs. Warriors NBA preseason: A first glimpse at the new look Lakers

I?m honored and excited to be doing some writing on the Los Angeles Lakers for SB Nation Los Angeles this season. This is my first piece, a look a what we might see (and not see) as the Lakers play their first preseason game Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors in Fresno.

Source: http://hermitology.com/post/33087949956

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I am J.j. I love churros, bright lights, and clean colors. And also, robots and popsicle sticks. There is hardly anything ironic about my love for Ke$ha. In case you were wondering.

Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Tree Lighting Nights, grape-flavored assortments, or society at large.

For easy access: team japan, Daisuke, Davis/White, 90s ice dancers, non-figure skating

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