A Forum for Grinches and Ho-Ho-Hoes

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by bilmore
There's a change. What's the cause?

I'm guessing, after some thought, that my earlier meanderings might be it - if one could track Dem v. Repub enlistments, there would be a change equal to this "drop in black enlistment". This ain't a Dem's war, it belongs to Repubs. Since blacks are overwhelmingly Dem, and blacks are measured while party affiliation ain't, this is just the only available indicator of that.

I would think that a war would affect military recruitment by discouraging enlistment by those who fear death or dismemberment but increasing enlistment among those who feel called to service. Whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, I suspect that latter impulse is far outweighed by the former by now. This is surely more true among Democrats, but I don't think Republicans are flocking to the recruitment office to sign up to go man roadblocks between Baghdad and the airport.