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I keep hearing about turnout records being smashed in the 2018 midterms, but little explanation as to why. Overall turnout was 49.2, the highest since 1914, and about a 33% increase over 2014, when overall turnout was under 37%. This article says that it was due to President Trump. Donald Trump Drove Record 2018 Midterm Election Turnout | Time
This makes sense, and there doesn't seem to be much alternative reason. President Obama was somewhat of a turnout guru, having doubled turnout in Iowa in 2008, which was his launch-pad. Obama also once noted the Democrats generally did not normally turn out for mid-terms. Not this time!
Quote:
About 51.7 million Democrats voted in midterm House races this year versus 47.4 million Republicans, according to data from the Washington Post. In the 2014 midterms, when former President Barack Obama occupied the White House, 39.8 million Republicans voted, compared to 35.4 million Democrats.
With the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Donald Trump is the most polarizing figure ever elected POTUS. Whether you love him or hate him, he motivates turnout.
I keep hearing about turnout records being smashed in the 2018 midterms, but little explanation as to why. Overall turnout was 49.2, the highest since 1914, and about a 33% increase over 2014, when overall turnout was under 37%. This article says that it was due to President Trump. Donald Trump Drove Record 2018 Midterm Election Turnout | Time
This makes sense, and there doesn't seem to be much alternative reason. President Obama was somewhat of a turnout guru, having doubled turnout in Iowa in 2008, which was his launch-pad. Obama also once noted the Democrats generally did not normally turn out for mid-terms. Not this time!
Any opinions on why?
Donald Trump! He motivated Democrats to get out and VOTE!
I keep hearing about turnout records being smashed in the 2018 midterms, but little explanation as to why. Overall turnout was 49.2, the highest since 1914, and about a 33% increase over 2014, when overall turnout was under 37%. This article says that it was due to President Trump. Donald Trump Drove Record 2018 Midterm Election Turnout | Time
This makes sense, and there doesn't seem to be much alternative reason. President Obama was somewhat of a turnout guru, having doubled turnout in Iowa in 2008, which was his launch-pad. Obama also once noted the Democrats generally did not normally turn out for mid-terms. Not this time!
Any opinions on why?
I agree with the others, it was mostly about Trump. If Trump would somehow have learned to act halfway like a normal person, his party would have done much better. Same issues and policies but a much less polarizing figure almost certainly produced better results for the Republicans.
But you bring up a good point. Apparently it is the opposition to the President that seems to bring out voters, whether it is Trump or Obama. Meanwhile some of the President's own voters are too busy to come out during these midterm elections. Doing the important stuff, you know like watching TV or spending the night on Facebook, who has time to go out and vote?
Universal healthcare was a big one. Now that people have been using the ACA for a while, everyone who doesn't presently qualify for it wants in on it.
While the national party has dropped health care like a hot rock in Congress, some of the state GOP parties have not, and some of their candidates made repeal a big issue, much to their regret.
It seems that everyone wants the minimum wage raised too, and that was also an issue that brought a lot of GOP state candidates down to defeat. While there's still a lot of opposition to a universal $15.00 increase, it seems everyone wants a raise of some amount.
Most of the losers were on the wrong side of both of those issues.
if the vote goes the way it did in 18, meaning wisconsin, michigan, pa. trump is done.
Take a look at North Carolina as well. There were no marque state races and Dems failed to flip House Seats. Looking at the statehouse and the combined vote totals for Congressional districts across the state tells a different story- it was only a 51-49 advantage for Rs even though one of the Rs ran unopposed. Dems also won the two openings on the state's supreme court. With Presidential year turnout and two more years of changing demographics (meaning a lot of northerners and west coasters moving to Raleigh and Charlotte) that state will be as much of a battle ground as Florida.
BTW, I have to admit that I was one of those who predicted that the handling of Brett Kavanaugh by Senate Democrats would motivate GOP voters and independents, and hurt Dem candidates. Maybe it did in a few cases, such as Heitkamp and McCaskill, but overall it apparently didn't hurt Democrats.
I thought that with so many normally low-info people following the hearings, it would boost turnout and boost the GOP vote. Obviously that didn't happen.
BTW, I have to admit that I was one of those who predicted that the handling of Brett Kavanaugh by Senate Democrats would motivate GOP voters and independents, and hurt Dem candidates. Maybe it did in a few cases, such as Heitkamp and McCaskill, but overall it apparently didn't hurt Democrats.
I thought that with so many normally low-info people following the hearings, it would boost turnout and boost the GOP vote. Obviously that didn't happen.
It did in one America, but not in the other.
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