Overseas troops give Obama 6 times as much as McCain

By William Bardenwerper - New York Times News Service

WASHINGTON — Republicans might not be able to count on the military vote in 2008, according to a report issued by the Center for Responsive Politics, which shows that troops overseas have donated more than six times as much to Sen. Barack Obama as to Sen. John McCain.

Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has raised $60,642 to McCain's $10,665 among this group, said the non-partisan center, which examined information required by the Federal Election Commission for contributions over $200.

This gap represents a shift from recent history. President Bush beat Vice President Al Gore in military contributions by a ratio of almost two to one in 2000, and he collected more than $1.50 for every dollar raised by Sen. John Kerry in 2004. Bucking these trends, Obama has so far raised a total of $335,536 among all military personnel, compared with $280,513 for McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.

While the slightly fewer than 3,000 donors represent a fraction of the entire military, the news is nonetheless revealing, said Larry J. Sabato, a professor at the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

”If it's a close election like in 2000 or 2004, the military vote could make a big difference in toss-up states,“ Sabato said, even though the military is a small percentage of registered voters.