Should Women Serve In Combat? Blaze Poll Results

Note: Tonight on TheBlaze TV's Glenn Beck Program, (5pm ET or on-demand) "Women In Combat"

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Earlier this week, TheBlaze conducted a poll asking how you felt about the Defense Department's recent decision to allow women in the front lines of combat. The poll questions also included some discussion of requiring women to register with the Selective Service System.

The poll had more than 150,000 responses to 40 questions on the two topics. Participants  were:

• 65% male and 35% female
• Of those required to register for the draft (men), 65% did so within one month of their 18th birthday - as required by law.

The results showed a broad range of opinions.

The basic question was a simple one: Should women be allowed to fight on the front lines?

81% of people answering our poll said "no" to that question.

Despite the majority opinion being against women in combat, the U.S. military is going to allow women to fight on the front lines. So, we asked about standards for qualifying to fight in battle. On that issue, 97% of our respondents believe that men and women should have to meet the same standards for combat certification.

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough seems to agree with our readers that standards need to be the same for both men and women, or our military is weakened. The "Morning Joe" host vehemently stated his position on making certain that no standards are lowered:

"I'll be damned. If we find out that the Pentagon is lowering standards for politically-correct reasons, then you know what? Then the blood of dead Americans in future battles will be on their hands."

While an overwhelming majority of TheBlaze audience wants the same standards for men and women in combat, 62% said that they would not endorse their own daughter's decision to enlist for combat, even if that child passed the same tests as a man.

For combat positions that don't require strength, more than 2/3rds (67%) approve of women in those roles.

The strong majority of people who answered our questions also seemed to think bringing women into combat roles would diminish the U.S. military.

85% believe that the military will be weakened by women in combat.

A full 70% expressed their concern that women in combat would threaten the global #1 standing of the U.S. military.

We moved from the topic of women in combat to a question about registering for the draft.

71% agreed that if women are allowed in combat, they should also be required (like men) to register with Selective Service.

Without the combat requirement, women get a little more of a break. Speaking in general terms, should women have to register?  Only 45% said "yes."

The overall feeling about any 18-year-old being forced to register for the draft has 56% saying yes.

If the country ever has to restart its military draft program, should women with children be given an exemption? That issue was split right down the middle.

Single parent females in the military were given a pass on combat -- 77% say they should not be in that situation.

Our friends at the Media Research Center also did some polling on a college campus.

See the full poll with results HERE.