Wary About Obama
When President-elect Barack Obama visited a Marine base in Hawaii a few days ago, observers described his reception as “polite, but cool.” ABC’s Sunlen Miller was among the reporters who covered the event:
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But the reception at that Marine dining facility underscores another reality for the incoming president. Many members of the armed forces remain wary of him and the policies he has vowed to implement. A new Military Times poll finds 60% of military personnel are “uncertain” or “pessimistic” about the president-elect. By comparison, only a third described themselves as “optimistic” about Mr. Obama.
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“Being that the Marine Corps can be sent anywhere in the world with the snap of his fingers, nobody has confidence in this guy as commander in chief,” said one lance corporal who asked not to be identified.
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He also suffers because of “brand identification.” Members of the armed forces are leery of Democrats, who cut defense programs the last time they controlled the White House. With many of the same, Clinton-era officials now poised to serve in an Obama Administration, they have every right to be suspicious.