Where are all the numbers now?
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Joe Angsten
Published: July 10, 2008
Remember all the media hype about record numbers of democratic voter turnout for the primaries? Approximately 36 million voted in the Democratic primaries. In 2004, the Democratic Party had
approximately 72 million voters (42.6 percent of the 169 million registered voters).
By all media accounts, the Democratic Party during the recent primary was being overwhelmed by new and transfer voters. However, to keep the discussion based on recorded numbers, 36 million is 50
percent of 72 million registered Democratic voters. In this history-making primary only 50 percent voted.
Why? There are many reasons for not voting in a primary, just as there are reasons for Republican voters and independents to vote in the Democratic primary where permitted.
What did come from the results is the clear surfacing of the different voting ethnic and gender blocks, such as African-American, women and Hispanic Democratic voter blocks.
Competence was dropped early in the Democratic contender dialogue and replaced with “change.” There should be no doubt that the idea of “change” strongly resonates with the above three voting
categories. However, this simple word requires a lot more than slogans, placards and rousing rhetoric.
It requires a realistic capability to effect needed changes in a dynamic world environment far different from 2004, and in some respects, different from the 2006 elections. Our president wears three hats
24/7 — Head of State, Chief Executive, and Commander-in-Chief. None of these roles is for on-the-job training and dismissed with just a slogan of “change.”
JOE ANGSTEN
Manassas
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( RonCharest ) on July 11, 2008 at 10:47 am
Thanks, Ray,
Reading:
“Our current president does indeed wear three hats - and all have Mouse Ears on them”
caused me to spew coffee all over my keyboard… best line so far today. But I disagree with you on numbers. The only number that matters is the one after all votes are counted on November 4th. Polls historically show a bias either way, depending on which firm is doing the polling.
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Posted by ( cobra ) on July 11, 2008 at 10:24 am
Good Article Joe,
Same old cycle every 4 years from Libs. Put up a doom and gloom candidate and tell us how bad our lives are. Every Presidential Candidate for the past 50 years has promised to go to Washington and change the way business is done. As we have seen, they never keep their promise. BHO or McCain will be no different. But at least McCain has a resume. BHO has nothing but the word CHANGE to fall back on. You guys are willing to vote for a guy that associates with known terrorists, racist ministers and is married to a bitter Harvard Grad. Wow!! I just love it when a Black Man in a $5k suite stands up and talks about racial inequality. What a joke.
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Posted by ( jVA ) on July 11, 2008 at 10:07 am
I don’t get the point of this letter either. 50% of democrats voted in the primary in 2008. Wasn’t the Republican turnout something like 27%?
That turnout may or may not mean anything. But it was noteworthy because it signalled more excitement on the Democratic side than the Republican. We’ll have to wait and see if it makes a difference in November.
Angsten should pick a point for his letter and try to make it.
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Posted by ( RonCharest ) on July 11, 2008 at 6:48 am
So what is your point, Mr. Angsten?
Sen. Obama will be giving his acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination for President of the United Staes in a 75,000 seat stadium, already expected to be packed. Sen. McCain will be giving his in a relativley small ballroom, nowhere near as packed as the stadium is expected to be.
I’d say that’s a lot of Democrats excited about Sen. Obama’s campaign, and chances of being our next President.
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Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 11, 2008 at 6:40 am
There are no reasons for an “independent” to vote in a primary, Democrat or Republican. I have never done so in my 50 years as a registered independent.
Voting in a primary, for any reason, is an admission of partisanship.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 11, 2008 at 6:03 am
Oh, back to the numbers: Senator Obama is leading in the polls by 6%. That and November 4th are the only two numbers that matter.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 11, 2008 at 6:01 am
Our current president does indeed wear three hats - and all have Mouse Ears on them. Not sure where serving as governor is training grounds for being president, but serving as a senator is once removed from that. So Obama and McCain become a coin toss on experience.
Now we go to their platforms. Obama’s is one of change. McCain’s is one of continuing the failed Bush policies. John’s people think our financial crisis is just “poor media coverage” and everything is really rosey. Yea, time for a change alright.
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