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Turnout in last week’s election increased from four years ago but fell far short of some forecasts largely because many Republican voters either stayed home or left blank the presidential section of their ballots.
In states won by President-elect Barack Obama, turnout was more than five percentage points higher than in states won by Republican John McCain, according to a Globe analysis of data compiled by a pair of researchers who study voting patterns in US elections.
Both Curtis Gans, director of American University’s Center for the Study of the American Electorate, and Michael McDonald, a professor at George Mason University, have conducted state-by-state reviews of unofficial returns, which are still being tabulated in many states. Each had predicted significantly higher turnout than materialized on Election Day.
“I looked at the significant increase in registration and the long lines at the early-voting polling places,” said Gans, who has been studying turnout rates for 36 years. “It turned out the intensity was one-sided; it was on the Democrats’ side.”
McDonald concurred, saying, “It became more evident to voters at the end that Barack Obama was going to win. That probably tamped down the turnout and disproportionately affected the Republicans.”
Why waste your energy backing a loser?
according to wikipedia election results going back to 1976, 2008 did have the highest voter turnout for a u.s. presidential election
Perhaps after EIGHT YEARS OF DUMBYA BUSH AND PRICK CHENEY STARTING TWO NO-WIN WARS, FAILING TO GET OBAMA, AND DRIVING THE ECONOMY INTO A DITCH, AND ***GIVING AMERICA THE FINGER***, Republicans were TOO EMBARASSED TO GO TO THE POLLS , realizing that AMERICA’S DESTRUCTION WAS ***ALL THEIR FAULT*** !!!
It wasn’t a matter of not going out because Obama was going to win. It was a matter of not going out to vote for such a poor candidate as McCain. If the RNC had actually put out a conservative candidate instead of a Democrat/liberal, Rebublicans would have come out to vote. If the choice is between 2 liberals and there is no one from your party on the ballot, why vote?
In my perfect world, there would be some changes.
First, voting would occur over a 24 hr. period.
Across the country the polls would all open and close at the same time.
Every citizen would be allowed to have a minimum of four hours to vote with minimal exceptions.
No polling place would be allowed to close if there are people waiting. The polling place could hand out numbers or receipts to those in line as a cut-off.
I would ban any opinion polling reporting their results within the last 72 hours of the polls opening.
No politicking within the last 24 hours. Any activity by the respective camps would be to only get out the vote.
While I don’t have any problem with polling voters of how they voted AFTER they voted, these numbers or results should not be revealed until after the polls close.
Eliminate the Electoral College and have the President elected by popular majority.
*
There is little reason those in later time zones should hear the results before they get a chance to vote.
The irony is that the increased turnout of blacks and latinos to support Obama is was passed Prop 8 in California. Had the turnout been more “traditional” (higher percentage of whites), chances are gay marriage would now be legal in California.
But do you see liberals protesting at black churches or in latino neighborhoods? Nope – why do that when you can vent your anger on the wrong people.
They were too busy buying guns that day to vote.
If Repubs went to the polls and didn’t vote for either McCain or Obama, what does that say about McCain/Palin?
Ouch!
#2:
I think the Democrats were overcharged for the election. Then again there is a trend to overcharge. Just look at the gas & oil party (GOP) and industry. We’re about down to $2.00 a gallon here. If you are on a fixed income, $4.00 a gallon does not work for you. They’re looking for ways to get it back up there. We could be looking at $40.00/ barrel soon which is great news with heating oil season heating up. Since the invention of gunpowder has armed the weak, it’s been easier to keep a good humor about things. Keep your muzzleloader handy and your powder dry if you have them. Happy hunting!
This actually makes some degree of sense. I can see that those on the far right would be too disappointed with the Repugnican choices. In addition, many small R republicans probably have been disillusioned with the party for quite some time. It ceased being for small government and fiscal responsibility sometime before Reagan took office and started the borrow-and-spend, gush-up-economics policy of the modern day Republicans. Further, the social aspects are repugnant to many who are now feeling far more in line with the Libertarian party than the Repugnicans. All of those groups would be unlikely to vote for Obama, but would certainly not cast votes for McPalin.
So, they got lower voter turnout.
I’m actually a bit surprised and disappointed that these groups didn’t at least cast their votes for Ron Paul. Though I disagreed with his policies personally, since I’m a liberal, I can respect him a lot more than many on the right. I had hoped for about the same number of Paul votes as Nader votes in 2000. It would have made a better statement than what did happen.
Nader might as well retire from running for president. He’s like the Groundhog Day guy to the point it’s laughable. Maybe he should run for congress.
Sheesh: America elects yet another white president. Maybe someday the US will have the fortitude to elect a black president.
Oh, I should mention that I use the term white president with the same authority some people refer to the half-white, half-black president-elect as the first African-American president.
****
2 jim d
Of course iraq invading usa strategic ally kuwait had nothing to do with war starting out there. besides, historians may have a different view:
“if you imagine that an iraq in 10,15 years is actually a vibrant, stable democracy and other countries neighboring it move in that direction … i think you’d have a strong bush revisionism,” (professor of history and public affairs at princeton university julian) zelizer said. “how things unfold in coming decades can help repair a battered presidency,” he added.
http://tinyurl.com/6cmjy7
so stand by, unless you know better than the historians.
and i guess in your world taking out two prominent buildings & 4 jets and the death of nearly 3,000 people isn’t reason enough to go to war with an unrepentant afghanistan.
try to rein in your American ego by noting that the whole world is going into a recession. Or at least that the american economic troubles began with fdr & clinton mandated home loans to indigents via freddie mac and fanny mae.
and you could have at least left some capital letters for the rest of us.
rbg
geez, I missed all my little buddies around here.
The art of war is simple. Locate your enemy, hit him as hard as you can and move on. Now it’s more complicated and much more costly. We’re in Iraq because if we leave it will be a civil war and we can’t have that. That was the argument at least. The other one was that they would follow us home and there would be fighting in the streets here. Washington is out of touch with reality. All of these stupid arguments formed the basis of the McCain effort. We got a surge and it blew the circuits on Wall Street. Then the lunacy and election hinged on a plumber, which reminded people of Watergate again. The McCain campaign had to be one of the worst run in U.S. history. Now it keeps going back and forth as one side attacks the other. The civil war ended up being here in the U.S. waged with election dollars. The politicians are ripping the country apart. Give billions more to the pirates on Wall Street and spend billions more on endless war until the entire country is bled dry. It seems to be the agenda in Washington. They set out to change Washington 8 years ago and have succeeded in wrecking the economy of the entire planet in the process. We get to vote and attack each other in on the bargain.
#12, RBG,
When you learn some grammar, you as a person might be taken a little more seriously.
“He [Bush] has been a quite unlucky president. Certain things happened on his watch that most people don’t have to deal with — a 9/11, a [Hurricane] Katrina, the financial crisis, being three obvious examples,” she said.
“And yet they happened on his watch. He is being blamed,”
The fact that they happened isn’t the problem. It was Bush’s response to them that soured people.
There were rumblings of the WTC attacks and they were dismissed by the President that promised to be a “uniter”.
He didn’t follow up and capture Bin Laden, he let him go.
Then he lied to the nation to involve us in a dirty war in Iraq.
For Katrina, he seemed oblivious to people’s suffering. While the FEMA Representative was begging for help while trapped in the Superdome, Bush was giving his “Good job Browny” speech. His Homeland Security Department spent tons of money on what locals were doing for a fraction the price. They actually kept civilian rescuers out of the area with trucks of food and water.
Returning veterans were met with being held in the forces, making multiple tours. Wounded men and women were housed in unsanitary, dangerous quarters. Bush even vetoed a raise for the troops as too expensive all the while giving no bid contracts to their friends.
The financial meltdown came as Bush and the Republicans had been neglecting oversight and regulating ALL the financial businesses.
Only Katrina could not have been prevented. The rest were partially if not fully Bush’s fault. All of them could have been handled much better.
#5″The irony is that the increased turnout of blacks and latinos to support Obama is was passed Prop 8 in California. Had the turnout been more “traditional” (higher percentage of whites), chances are gay marriage would now be legal in California.
But do you see liberals protesting at black churches or in latino neighborhoods? Nope – why do that when you can vent your anger on the wrong people.”
Debunked:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/11/prop-8-myths.html
Stop watching Bill O’Rielly
14 Mr. Fusion
And when you learn there is a difference between poor spelling and poor grammar, ditto.
Next time Bush will just have to tell Brownie on camera he is doing a crappy job and all the people of NO are about to die.
RBG
14. Actually Fusion, I apologize. For the correct response is that you have no idea what you are talking about as usual. And that’s the truth.
RBG
#12
His father was African, his mother was American. I don’t think you can get much more African-American than that. So, yes, I think that cleary makes him the first African-American president.
#17, RBG,
… you have no idea what you are talking about as usual.
And as usual, instead of arguing any point, you just blatantly claim I don’t know. Of course, my quote came from the same cite as you gave us. I didn’t point that out. My error and apology.
It must be rough on your butt worshiping Jimy Heel.
I was mainly referring to the wierd grammar crack, the rest seemed to naturally follow.
I read the article and quoted one of the historians on one of the points without agreement or disagreement re the others.
Just let me know who Jimy Heel is.
RBG
#20 RBG
>>Just let me know who Jimy Heel is.
Your worship of him has been widely acknowledged; how can you claim not to know who he is?
Yeah, why support a Republican if he’s just like the Democrat in supporting illegal immigration, higher taxes, and global warming?
#22 – MikeN,
Um … I just have to ask … isn’t it the Republicans who support global warming? I mean, they’re the ones who want to burn more coal and oil to further the cause. So …
Yes. I know that’s not what you meant. I just couldn’t resist. I’m a geek. I take things literally.
Don’t matter. Mission Accomplished!
I have to say, that the DEMs did a good job of;
throwing the election,
keeping it running EVEn after they decided NOT to take it,
Collecting MORE money for the next few elections, by keeping THIS running, even after it was decided NOT to get elected.
#14 – He didn’t follow up and capture Bin Laden, he let him go.
That would be Clinton. He blew it in the 90’s.
#14 – For Katrina, he seemed oblivious to people’s suffering.
That would be Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s fault. Did you notice that Louisiana was strongly in favor of McCain?
#14 The financial meltdown came as Bush and the Republicans had been neglecting oversight and regulating ALL the financial businesses.
Once again Clinton started this mess by not vetoing the ‘Enron loophole’. And Barney Frank was instrumental in disregarding oversight of Fannie Mae back in 2003. And for the past 2 years he has been in charge of the House Financial Services Committee. Looks like that canary was on vacay.
# 15 70% of all blacks in California voted for Prop 8. I’m sure the no on prop 8 crowd is too afraid to protest in front of a black church though. Pussys.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/11/70-of-african-a.html
#4 – you got it all right except the electoral college part. It should tilt even further. Each state gets 1 vote for POTUS. That way the candidates have to core working class that make this country strong, not just the city dwellers.
#10 – You are right about the Republican party losing it’s way on smaller gov’t. The problem with other parties is their foreign policy is either isolationist or America is just another country , which are both wrong. Proper foreign policy is that America is superior to all other nations and needs to conduct itself in that manner.
“Barack Obama has announced plans for a presidential YouTube channel, along with plans for thorough social network and blog screenings as part of potential staffers’ background checks. If you’ve so much as left a questionable comment on a blog somewhere, you might be disqualified. Think you could pass?” PC World
Anybody anywhere can post a blog comment using your name and now this is the basis for screening employees. Then there’s the corporate pandering, using YouTube (monetize barack) effort to Googlize the federal government. The Pentagon bans YouTube because it’s a security nightmare for military IT systems and these guys want to run the entire government on the same insecure networks. Moronic.
Nobama’s plurality in OH is about the same as the number of questionable voters that ACORN managed to get registered….
Tells me something….
Lord knows if my absentee ballot was counted, but I think you can guess who I voted for. (Or, more precisely, against….)
We need to go back to having a horse in the race to vote…. Landowners and other responsible citizens. Politically Correct? No, but sensible….
The good news is that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are out of a job….
There are plenty of African-Americans I’d at least consider, but not this guy. We just don’t need a Chicago “machine” politician, and can do without a messiah.
Well. When your choises are insane or hussain most reguler folks would not be caught voting for either.
Why waste your energy backing a loser?
The numbers I see are not that far apart. In most races ths third party vote would have made the difference.
The people crowing about this election should be not be so happy. You did not win, the other side lost. If any election in my life time should have been a blow out this should have been the one. It did not happen. It will be an interesting four years.