Poll: Seriously, who are you voting for???

[Flynbyu]

As long as the check isn't from AIG......

~Brian

[Gunz]

Solidiers sailors Airman and Marines are also suffering becuase of the rotation cycle.  The US military was not large enough to handle a two front war thanks to Clintons cuts.  And now, trying to recruit during an unpopular war to increase it's size  

I think about these things sometimes like "If I would have stayed in, would someone be able to be home with their family now?", or "would someone still be alive to raise his kids if I would have been there"

Very frustrating to me personally  

Clinton cuts? Why did we need a huge military when he was in office, we were not at war.

Recruiting now is at an all time low due to the fact "You're going to the sand box." There's no way I would sign up straight out of high school without going to college first and enlisting as an officer with all of the negatives we hear. These recruits need more assurance the conflict will end. The shouldn't have to be concerned they'll be stuck in a hell hole with no date to pull out.

~Brian

Clinton didnt cut the troops, he cut what supported the troops......MONEY. War or not, can't cut the support.

"Recruiting is at an all time low." Are you sure? I really don't know, but I personally know around 20 people that have signed up, including one of my very best friends. He signed up last year out of the damn blue. 32yr old electrician with a family is now over there on a 22 month tour WTF. When I was in High school(1200 students) Clinton was prez and I dont remember a single person say "I'm signing up", even the ROTC nerds. Give me some stats.

[Flynbyu]

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON – The Army began its recruiting year Oct. 1 with fewer signed up for basic training than in any year since it became an all-volunteer service in 1973, a top general said today.

Gen. William S. Wallace, whose duties as commander of Army Training and Doctrine Command include management of recruiting, told reporters at the Pentagon that the historic dip will make it harder to achieve the full-year recruiting goal – after just barely reaching it in the year ended Sept. 30.

Achieving the Army's recruiting goals – a challenge in the best of times – is not only more difficult now but also of more consequence. That is because the Army has decided that it must grow its active-duty force by several thousand soldiers a year in order to relieve strain on war-weary troops.

Wallace said he expects to reach the goal of 80,000 recruits, with extra effort by his recruiters.

"It's going to be another tough recruiting year," the four-star general said.

Making it even tougher is the decline in what the Army calls its delayed entry pool, which is the group of enlistees who have signed contracts to join the Army but want to wait before shipping off to basic training. Normally the Army tries to start its recruiting year with a delayed entry pool equal to about 25 percent of its full-year goal, which in this case would equate to 20,000 recruits.

Instead, the Army began with 7,392 recruits, or about 9 percent of its full-year goal.

Last year at this time the Army was beginning its recruiting year with 12,062, or about 15 percent.

Wallace attributed the decline in the number of pre-signed recruits to the Army's decision last summer to begin offering a ``quick ship" bonus of $20,000 to recruits willing to leave for basic training by the end of September. For some recruits that bonus is the equivalent of a year's pay.

The bonus program, which began July 25, was part of a last-minute push by the Army to meet its year-end recruiting goal, after having fallen short on recruiting numbers in May and June. It had the effect of getting many of the recruits who signed up after July 25 into basic training sooner than they would have otherwise, thus reducing the number with entry dates after Oct. 1.

"That is of concern for us because the delayed entry program gives us guaranteed enlistees to meter out across the year,'' Wallace said. Without that cushion to begin the recruiting year, recruiters are going to have to sign up enough people to meet the existing goal as well as replenish the pool for next year.

Wallace said he feels confident that the recruiters will succeed.

Last week, in remarks at a conference of Army recruiters, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he thinks they may have one of the toughest jobs in the Army right now.

Mullen saluted them for reaching their target this past year.

"I give them a lot of credit, it's a tough environment,'' Mullen said. "It wasn't that long ago that people were certainly questioning, or even predicting, that they may not hit it and they did.''

On a separate subject, Wallace said that while he applauds the Army's effort to field a fleet of new mine-resistant vehicles to improve protection against roadside bombs in Iraq, he worries that the multibillion-dollar investment will become a substitute for other high-priority modernization programs.

"If we invest a huge amount in (those vehicles) it could become a de facto" Army modernization program, he said. "That bothers me a bit," he added, because it is not the right vehicle for the kinds of roles and missions foreseen for the Army in coming decades. It is not highly maneuverable in cities, for example, but for financial reasons might squeeze out other new vehicle programs.

~Brian

[Gunz]

Here FlyNby, I found some stats for you.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/07recruiting.htm

2007 recruitment==========> 319,229  Bush

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=1495

1997 recruitment==========> 197,081  Clinton

[Gunz]

I wonder why our poll is 57/43 when on the other sites its more like 75/25 M/O?

[Gunz]

Yep, same here, got my Home loan in 05' and was shocked then at how easy it was, whereas when my wife and I had started looking in 98', it was much more difficult, and we could not get financing....so we waited and saved. Then, I watched as people around me started buying homes way out of their price range. People that work for me as well, I worry about them. I bought a home 30% under what we could afford and I still worry about mine. It worked out for me as well, but I would have still bought a home, just waited a few more years. I was more than happy renting knowing I was saving for a home I could afford....some did not see it that way, and banks were too happy to allow them to make the mistake. hence, our problem....

I pretty much could have wrote the same statement. I couldn't believe all the people that was get'n financed for houses more then mine and at wages a tenth of mine. It was crazy.  Hi my name is bob, my credit is a 500 and I make $8/hr, can I have that $250k house? Yes? Fantastic were do I sign?

[Gunz]

It's been that way since Clinton ran the first time. He was smart for getting on MTV and getting young people involved. He reached out to a widescale market and people (including stars) responded.

~Brian

Good for getting votes?  Yes


Bad for people using there own judgement on the issues that matter to them?  Yes



This crap about Obama buying like 6 minutes of airtime right before the world series!!  WTF!! 

Leave Baseball alone 

Well he did raise $150 million last month.



~Brian

I hope the checks bounce 

+1

[RaptorRandy]

While I respect Powell and would have voted for him in a heart beat if he ran for POTUS, I think he has made the wrong choice in supporting Obama, just my personal opinion.

Shit, throw 3/4's of hollywood on that list 

I really dislike Actors throwing there star power behind any politcal party.  But this year has been just stupid, influence should be based on fact not popularity or a fad imo

I agree 100%

[Flynbyu]

Here's a shocker....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20081022/pl_ynews/ynews_pl106

~Brian

[socalrappy700]

Here's a shocker....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20081022/pl_ynews/ynews_pl106

~Brian

Just more blog shit, I ignore all that crap from both sides.

[Flynbyu]

Sounds like a great place to work.

Does it come with two weeks vacation?



~Brian

[socalrappy700]

No soup for you!

[BRAD]

good one GIR

[Flynbyu]

~Brian

[Gunz]

Notice to All Employees

As of November 5, 2008, when President Obama is officially elected into office, our company will instill a few new policies which are in keeping with his new, inspiring issues of change and fairness:

1. All salespeople will be pooling their sales and bonuses into a common pool that will be divided equally between all of you. This will serve to give those of you who are underachieving a "fair shake."

2. All low level workers will be pooling their wages, including overtime, into a common pool, dividing it equally amongst yourselves. This will help those who are "too busy for overtime" to reap the rewards from those who have more spare time and can work extra hours.

3. All top management will now be referred to as "the government." We will not participate in this "pooling" experience because the law doesn't apply to us.

4. The "government" will give eloquent speeches to all employees every week, encouraging it's workers to continue to work hard "for the good of all."

5. The employees will be thrilled with these new policies because it's "good to spread the wealth." Those of you who have underachieved will finally get an opportunity; those of you who have worked hard and had success will feel more "patriotic."

6. The last few people who were hired should clean out their desks. Don't feel bad, though, because President Obama will give you free healthcare, free handouts, free oil for heating your home, free foodstamps, and he'll let you stay in your home for as long as you want even if you can't pay your mortgage. If you appeal directly to our democratic congress, you might even get a free flatscreen TV and a coupon for free haircuts (shouldn't all Americans be entitled to nice looking hair?) !!!

If for any reason you are not happy with the new policies, you may want to rethink your vote on November 4th.