For what it’s worth:
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The turnout engine continues to rattle unnervingly.
Perhaps it’s hard to measure turnout for nonbinding contests, and turnout in Colorado was complicated by bad weather. But Tuesday offered nothing to dispel a sinking fear that this crop of candidates cannot generate widespread excitement among Republicans.
One polling place in Missouri had about 10 percent of the normal turnout for a primary in the early hours.
Turnout in 2008’s binding Republican primary in Missouri was 588,720. Turnout last night was lower than 250,000. Binding or not, if Show-Me State Republicans felt passionate about their candidates, they would have turned out in greater numbers to give their man a little boost, even if only a symbolic one. (With more than 135,000 votes in Missouri last night, Santorum can argue he’s coming closest to catching fire, at least at this moment.)
Republican turnout increased slightly in Iowa and New Hampshire over 2008, but much of that appears to have been driven by Ron Paul supporters who may or may not be inclined to support the Republican nominee in November. GOP turnout surged in South Carolina, but then slipped below 2008’s level in Florida, and then plummeted in Nevada this weekend.
The Las Vegas Sun tallied up the depressing numbers: “More than 10,000 fewer Republican voters made it to Saturday morning’s much-trumpeted caucuses than turned out for the underpublicized caucuses of 2008. To put it differently: about 8 percent of the party’s active voter base participated this time, compared with about 11 percent four years ago.”
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Thanks deport!
I believe people may have lacked passion to vote because we are told Mitt has it sown up and Newt is our second choice. If you believe the spin, and you aren’t hard headed like me, you might just not care to vote thinking it won’t matter. But Rick’s supporters stayed the course and it paid off. I know a lot of people that like Rick A LOT but until now, it seems that he didn’t have a chance. Not crazy about the other choices at all. I may have to send Rick a donation today. GO RICK!