This won’t get any play — or will be downplayed — in "conservative" blogs or outlets. As a former military officer, I think it’s an astounding number. 50% of political donations from military personnel went to the always-anti-war Ron Paul.

We used to have a saying I never doubted the truth of: a bitchy sailor’s a happy sailor. You have to understand the ethic involved. Going to sea for weeks and months on end; manning a three-section watch rotation; exercises and details like underway replenishment at all hours of the night and day — even if you just got off watch; and a host of other things is just plain a tough way to make a living. And that doesn’t even consider the aspect of getting shot at; or in our case, the subject of a torpedo, missile, or bomb attack. I imagine it’s perhaps a bit easier going in the Air Force and a bit more miserable in the Army and Marines.

And soldiers and sailors eat it up, and they eat it up every second of the time they’re bellyaching about it. It’s how it goes. When they’re not bitchin’, then they’ve lost the morale or the pride that goes along with the thing and that’s a woefully dangerous place to be.

I doubt that figure represents huge numbers of military personnel, but so much for a relatively unknown candidate, so early in the game is a real eyebrow raiser for me. It may be nothing but it’s sure something to watch.