Americans Like Veterans
Jeffrey M. Jones at Gallup:Americans view prior military service more positively than prior government or business experience when considering political candidates’ credentials.
Fifty-five percent of U.S. adults say that military service on a candidate’s resume makes it much (16%) or somewhat (39%) more likely they’ll vote for that person, compared with 7% who say it discourages them from doing so. Thirty-eight percent say it makes no difference to their vote.
Americans are about as likely to value prior government experience (52%, including 16% much more likely). However, significantly more view government experience negatively (15%) when assessing candidates, giving military service a clear edge when considering the net benefit (percentage more likely minus percentage less likely).
