Free Republic

There is a widespread assumption that President Obama has expanded the electorate and inspired booming voter turnout. One could make a case for that based on the 2008 election. But since then, not so much. Looking back over the past 15 years, the biggest surge in voter turnout came during George W. Bush's presidency. In the Obama years, turnout actually declined in both the 2012 presidential and the 2014 congressional elections. In 2000, about 105 million Americans voted for president. In 2004, 122 million did. That's a 16 percent rise, the largest between two presidential elections since 1948 and 1952....

In an interview with The Hill Illinois Republican Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) said that possible presidential runs by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)93% and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) would hurt the Illinois Republican Party. “We definitely have our isolationist wing, which I completely disagree with,” he said, pointing to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), before promising to back a GOP candidate in the presidential primary that he thought would do well in Illinois. He criticized Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) bombastic style as well.

...In the midst of the summit, Clinton touched briefly on US-Cuba relations, telling CBS4’s news partner the Miami Herald, he believes the embargo could be lifted if Cuba released USAID subcontractor Alan Gross, who’s serving out a 15 year sentence on the island. Following the daylong meeting, Clinton and his wife Hillary were the guests of honor at a fundraiser at the Star Island home of Gloria and Emilio Estefan. “President Clinton, when he left office in 2001, still thought he hadn’t done enough, and thought as a private citizen he would like to do what he can,” Gloria Estefan...

The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) released a poll from On Message on Monday which gives a good indication of how Gov. Rick Scott was able to defeat former Gov. Charlie Crist in last month’s Florida general election. The poll of Floridians who voted in November shows Scott did better than expected with Hispanic voters while also taking a majority of male voters and seniors. Scott won the election 48 percent to 47 percent and did well with Hispanics, running almost dead even with Crist. The poll shows 49 percent of Hispanic voters backed the Democrat while 47 percent supported...

A political crisis erupted in Sweden Tuesday when the extreme-right Sweden Democrats, the country's third largest party, vowed to block the new leftist-green government's budget, a move that could trigger new elections. "The Sweden Democrats will work towards taking down every government and every budget proposal that supports increased immigration at today's levels," the populist party's acting leader Mattias Karlsson said in a press conference. The party -- which holds the balance of power in parliament -- said its decision was in reaction to the minority government's pro-immigration policies. It pledged instead to support a rival budget proposal from the...

Many like to claim that voter fraud is a myth. However, after watching this video, you’ll understand why people might be a little concerned about it happening. The Black Conservatives Fund released a video today showing a leading Louisiana Democrat encouraging people at a private Democrat party event to vote twice. According to the BCF press release, Opelousas Mayor Don Cravins Sr. spoke at a rally at the Charcoal Lounge in Opelousas on November 3, 2014 – the day before Louisiana’s primary election. His son, Don Cravins Jr., is the chief of staff for Louisiana’s embattled Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu....

About a week after the Republican midterm romp, nearly 20 soon-to-be House GOP freshmen huddled for a private lunch on the third floor of the Capitol Hill Club. The mood was jubilant: Each had prevailed in a swing district, exploiting deep unhappiness with President Barack Obama and angst over the country’s future. But as they dug into platters of lasagna, salad and chicken, the newbies were given some sobering news. GOP officials explained that they would be among Democrats’ top 2016 targets — when they’d be up against a more diverse electorate — and they needed to start preparing now....

...Ruth Bader Ginsburg left the hospital yesterday after having a heart stent implanted and expects to be back at work Monday. Despite various health issues over the years, Ginsburg insists that she is still of sound body at age 81 (her mind isn’t in question) and has no plans to retire before the end of President Obama’s term to ensure a Democratic replacement. If she keeps to that pledge, and presuming there are no other retirements in the next two years, the makeup of the Supreme Court could be a bigger campaign issue in 2016 than ever before.

Are these governors the GOP’s antidote to the party of the 1 percent? Gov. Scott Walker, a rabid Wisconsin Badgers fan, likes to razz Gov. John Kasich about his Ohio State Buckeyes. “We’re hoping to be against each other in the Big 10 championship in a couple weeks,” he said during a panel discussion at the Republican Governors Association meeting here this week.

The biggest mystery that never unraveled in Florida Election 2014 has to be super-uber trial attorney Steve Mostyn. Why would a Houston multimillionaire with no current business in the Sunshine State out-donate billionaire George Soros, giving it to Democrat Charlie Crist's Florida gubernatorial campaign and the Florida Democratic Party? We never did get to the bottom of it. Crist and Mostyn didn't really know each other before the campaign. What did Mostyn want? Soros, founder of the far-left Open Society Institute, who advocates bringing European social democracy to the United States, only gave Crist a smidgen over $1 million. But...

Harry Reid personally voted against Landrieu and screwed his own party. Checking the Roll Call this morning, Harry Reid's vote is Nay. Why did he allow the vote (since he rules the Senate with an iron fist) and then vote against her and ruin her chances in Louisiana? Nothing short of the Bills passage would have saved her down there. She's too little to late now and the union jobs are being pooched. And Obama stands above it all to pooch the Union jobs with a veto promise. This might have been the last chance for the Democrat Party (notice...

Will it or won't it pass? Stay tuned..

1 Texas 2 Florida 3 Tennessee 4 North Carolina 5 South Carolina 6 Indiana 7 Arizona 8 Nevada 9 Louisiana 10 Georgia

Remember when it was concerning that Joe Salazar’s representative basically gave her blessing for an undercover James O’Keefe and his friends to commit voter fraud? This is why. Today, our sources tell us that allegedly a Denver Police Officer ballot with a signature cure turned up in Adams County. The only problem? The officer is saying he did not vote. Our source up north is further saying that many showing up on the cured list have moved away. What is going on in Adams County? Developing….

In local TV, nobody likes a landslide. Close races are more intriguing to cover for the newsroom, and they are far, far more lucrative for the sales department. An analysis by the Cincinnati Business Courier concludes the runaway win on Election Night by Ohio Governor John Kasich cost two Scripps stations, Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS and Cincinnati ABC affiliate WCPO $10 million in lost revenue: “Political spending is about the footprint and the competitiveness of each individual race,” Scripps CFO Tim Wesolowski said during a conference call for Scripps executives to talk to investors and analysts about the company’s third-quarter...

Clinton's appearances on the campaign trail gave discernable bumps in female support to various Democrats, according to an analysis by Correct the Record, a pro-Hillary group.... ....The group, linked to Democratic Super PAC American Bridge, compiled polling data that shows Clinton delivered discernible bumps in female support to most of the candidates for whom she appeared or stumped, according to an analysis obtained exclusively by TIME.....

The first estimate of the costs of bringing in the Clintons to campaign. The final total will likely top $1 million by the time more filings become available.... ....Supporters estimate that, together, the Clintons headlined 75 rallies and fundraisers — and logged roughly 50,000 miles jetting from state to state.....

Like millions of other Americans, I voted last Tuesday. I did not face long lines and there were no barriers to my entry to the polling station. Everyone was quite friendly, and it was a pleasant experience. They were so friendly, in fact, that they even offered a service to voters, advertised by a sign on the wall: Voters, presumably those who would have difficulty walking into the polling station due to disability, could wait in their idling cars, honk their horns and have someone aid them in voting curbside. At the time, I did not think much of this....

Maine officials will conduct recounts in three races for the state Senate. In District 11, Democrat Jonathan Fulford challenged the outcome in his campaign against Senate Republican Leader Michael Thibodeau. Unofficial results show Thibodeau winning by 115 votes. A recount will also be done for District 21, where unofficial results show Democrat Nathan Libby defeating Republican Patricia Gagne by 64 votes. The third race is in District 25, where Democrat Catherine Breen beat Republican Cathleen Manchester by seven votes. If the results remain the same, Republicans will control the Senate with 20 members, compared with 15 Democrats.

**SNIP** While Cannon dodged jail for now, his appearance in court continued a 366-day free-fall for one of the city’s longest-serving officials, who first joined the City Council in 1993. On Nov. 6, 2013, Cannon was elected mayor, jubilantly thanking voters for helping him realize a “life goal.” He was arrested in March, charged with accepting more than $50,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents. He pleaded guilty in June to a corruption charge and was sentenced by Whitney on Oct. 14. At the time, Cannon’s attorneys asked that their client be admitted to a prison alcohol-treatment program.