When it comes to voting...

[xmas74]

aren't the primaries about gaining the party vote and the nomination, while the general election is about garnering the independent vote?

In the primaries you have multiple candidates in a party running for one office. Each is trying to get the attention of the voters of their party in order to win the nomination. The general election isn't really about party voters. It's about trying to get those who do not view themselves as a member of a party to vote for a party candidate.

After reading a couple of comments on here today I am beginning to wonder if suddenly that all changed overnight.

[unblock]

1. this has been changing though several election cycles and corresponds with the rise of

hyper-partisanship.

more and more, general elections are about party turnout.

first, fewer voters are actually undecided.
second, it's less and less cost-effective to change their minds.
third, party members are more responsive to "red meat" rhetoric.

in short, going after the middle costs a lot of time and money and yields only a few extra percentage points relative to the general election. meanwhile, appealing to the middle dulls the enthusiasm of your own party members. so even when you pick up some independents, you might lose much of it back from your own party.

instead, politicians now often rely heavily on goosing turnout in their own party, hoping to overwhelm the opposition. with so many eligible voters possibly staying at home on election day, this turns out to be a very effective tactic nowadays.

certainly republicans have embraced this whole-heartedly. democrats, as usual, are a bit behind the electoral curve.

[xmas74]

2. That's still more common during the midterm elections.

Voter turnout is much lower during that time and you don't see as many independents at the polls. That's when parties are most likely to "preach to the choir."

Independent voters still turn out to presidential elections. A party candidate still cannot win the GE without them.