04 November 2010

A "tsunami" of low turnout

Has the electorate shifted far to the right since 2008? Actually, no. It wasn't the same electorate. Politics Plus has the figures. Only 38.2% of eligible voters voted Tuesday -- less than two-thirds as many as the 62.2% who voted in 2008. The American people didn't change their minds en masse -- rather, a much smaller and less representative segment of them voted. Some "tsunami".

8 Comments:

Blogger Ahab said...

Aye. Hyperbolic language about a "tsunami" wasn't an accurate reflection of reality.

04 November, 2010 06:25  
Anonymous Tim said...

But the reason they didn't vote is the disturbing thing. People won't come out for a dead horse.

04 November, 2010 07:58  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

In Texas ... my main man Rick Perry (R)won (barely) as Governor ... even though I didnt vote for him, but alway's loved him, because he is about the laziest inactive guy I have ever seen as far as political responsibilities. :) And of course as you know ... Governor's in Texas unlike many state's dont have that power they do in other state's. Republican's done well statewide in Texas and yes ... turnout was kind of low statewide. Now the odd thing here was ... that voter turnout in Dallas County was higher than usual, and oddly ... Dallas County seen democrat landslide victories across the board ... and is basically almost totally democratic ran now. The great thing about that is ... since Texas does everything district by district and people's vote has trump over say the Governor's individual power's, as in every other county ... what Austin sez or does really wont have much impact on the City of Dallas at all. Dalls has become a blue dot in the middle of a red sea it look's like. :)

04 November, 2010 08:08  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

Also in Dallas County ... 2 out of 3 of all gay/ lesbian candidate's won.

04 November, 2010 08:13  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

RC: Texas is a particularly interesting case. See my comment (#2) at the Politics Plus posting linked here.

04 November, 2010 11:21  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

Thanx for the tip to your comment you posted on the link, because I didnt read any of the comment's (I have read so many posting's since yesterday on this, so many that I felt it to be pointless to even make a posting on it at all). But it seem's to me that you have a fairly accurate understanding of Texas, considering you as an outsider of the state. This can be one Hell of a strange place! :)

But yes ... I reckon I was a tad suprised in Dallas of turnout and result's. Even though I know you didnt intend humor, in your comment where you wrote about Texas having a "high level in income inequality" I couldnt help laughing ...heh, heh, heh, heh, heh ... that's putting it eloquently, yet extremely accurate. Put it this way ... you sure as Hell dont want to be poor "AND" dumb here! On the flip side of that ... if your clever and smart here ... you can get away with shit you never dream of in other state's. :)

But yes ... there is no doubt in my mind, that if most Texan's actually voted, and first of all "informed" more ... I have no doubt that this state would be a blue powerhouse ... I would bet my paycheck on it. What the GOP and Teabag type's do is nothing special ... actually ... they dont even have a goddamn thing to sell come to think of it. What do they do? Simple ... they organize, stick together, are great at propaganda BS to their follower's, and somehow get people to do what is so easy ... utilizing the power of the basic "vote". They organize heavy through talk radio, internet, and especially their churches and comunity group's bringing in the whole familia on the activities, they do fairly well in this area and secure solidarity, considering they havent actually a damn thing to sell.

04 November, 2010 11:55  
Blogger B.J. said...

There wasn’t the great anti-establishment turnout expected, was there?

Briefly, here’s the story of two non-voters, both young:

On Election Day, my friend Jenny helped me vote, then helped me shop for groceries. At the grocery, as we came into the checkout lane, the young female cashier said to the young bagboy, “I didn’t vote.” He said, “I didn’t, either.” I said, “You didn’t vote. Shame, shame! Many a bad politician has been elected by people who didn’t vote.”

The young woman said, “I don’t vote, because when I did vote they called me for juy duty, and I can’t afford to miss work.” (I didn’t tell her that wasn’t the result of voting but rather was the result of registering to vote.)

The young man said, “I voted for Obama, then he took away the jobs.”

Because he helped Jenny and me take the grocery carts out to her car, I had a chance to talk with him for a few minutes and attempted to clarify that Obama did NOT take away the jobs. I advised him to fact-check data online. I learned the young man was four years out of high school, spent two years getting a AA degree in computer science, then two years serving his country in Afghanistan. While he didn’t say this, I assumed the only job he can get is bagging groceries.

Had I been in these kids’ shoes, I’m not sure I would have voted, either.

BJ

06 November, 2010 05:30  
Blogger Christine Vyrnon said...

yep - i don't get it - so many people don't vote. Only those with a fire in their belly seem to come out for the elections outside of presidential elections. So - we swing back and forth between liberal fire-bellied and conservative fire-bellied. As a conservative Christian I was taught that it was very important to vote. Voting was next to godliness. Don't think many kids are taught that.

09 November, 2010 14:48  

Post a Comment

<< Home