A curious thing about Allen West and Democrats staying home...

[TreasonousBastard]

While looking up West's being cashiered out of the Army, I noticed something interesting (besides him being a scumbag)

2008 22nd Congressional District of Florida Elections

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Ron Klein (incumbent) 169,041 54.7
Republican Allen West 140,104 45.3

2010 22nd Congressional District of Florida Elections

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Allen West 115,411 54.3
Democratic Ron Klein (incumbent) 97,051 45.7

See that?

It was an off year election so turnout was low, but you'll remember the teabaggers were out in force last year. With the teabaggers out there there were around 24,000 fewer Republican votes.

But, there were almost 72,000 fewer Democratic votes! And Klein lost by a little over 18,000 votes.

(Those of you who stayed home-- how'd you do with that message? Was it really worth it?)

[Andy823]

1. Good question!

I think if you look up many of the races where republicans won, both state, and national, you will find that a vast majority of those republicans won by "small" margins, and in many cases the voter turnout was down, and if many of the democrats that stayed home had taken the time to vote, we would be seeing all the crap we are seeing now. Was it worth it? Hell no!

[TreasonousBastard]

7. But after we've proven we can't even keep one guy in office, we'll sit in a park...

eating free pizza dreaming about taking down the world's financial system.

(half the people here have me on ignore so they can't see how much I hate them.)

[frazzled]

2. Well, those statistics don't lie

And let's not blame Obama for idiots in Florida's 22nd district letting Allen West get elected because they were home pouting or bored.

Staying home is a CHOICE: it's a choice that elects Republicans like Allen West. And so we will hold you responsible for electing Republicans if you stay home in 2012.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. And the thing that bugs the shit out of me is that they stay home, Repukes get in,

and they continue to blame Obama/the Democrats for the way things are rather than realize that had people just voted, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

In Wisconsin, Russ Feingold lost. There simply was no excuse for that. NONE!!

[TreasonousBastard]

8. I guess Feingold didn't do enough to "earn" their votes...

but, hey, instead of voting, yak about Feingold, who you didn't vote for, primarying that other guy you're not voting for.

That'll work.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. And those who insist on making that choice will still claim...

it's not their fault.

It's never their fault-- it's your fault, my fault, Obama's fault, Congress' fault...

all because we didn't kneel down and "earn their votes"

(it has nothing to do with them being useless, lazy, self-important little shits)

[RockaFowler]

14. And Klein ran a horrible campaign

His entire campaign was about how bad West was not how good Klein was. It was rather pathetic

[maxrandb]

4. It's one thing to stay home...

that's stupid, but, staying home in an election year that end with a "zero" is Criminal Neglect!

The Repukes now have absolute power in several states just in time for the Census and Redistricting...and I don't blame them one bit for using that power to f#@k over their political enemies for a generation.

I would expect nothing less from them, but AT LEAST WE SENT A MESSAGE, EH?

[TreasonousBastard]

6. But we sent the one that tells the opposition we're...

annoying, spoiled, lazy little cowards who run off when Santa doesn't bring the whole damn list to us.

We blame our Congresscritters for having no spine, but the other guys know our guys are in the fight doing what they have to do while we don't have their backs when they need it.

[Union Scribe]

9. And those voters were "sending a message"? You polled them?

Maybe they stayed home due to the traditional excuses, rather than as a part of some nefarious left-wing plot you want to make them guilty of.

[chill_wind]

11. It never gets old, does it.

We can talk about the exit polls, the parties, and the bloc turnouts within the parties all day long. But no, it was a lefty plot.

[TreasonousBastard]

12. I make them guilty just of staying home. Some make themselves guilty of being fools enough..

by bragging about staying home "on principle."

[chill_wind]

10. You'll have to ask the people who stayed home

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2010/results/polls/#USH00p1

Every one should vote. Including at mid-terms.

[Supersedeas]

13. thanks for the link

[greenman3610]

15. we all know how the logic goes.

"....there's not a dime's worth of difference between al gore and george bush."



thanks to all those who bought that line of swill.

[last_texas_dem]

16. Where is the evidence that those staying home were trying to

"send a message"?

That may apply to a tiny percentage of voters who voted in '08 but stayed home in '10, but are most of the folks who drop off between presidential and mid-term elections really that tuned in to politics and the implications of their voting/not voting? Doubtful. Most of them were just the typical group that always drops off between presidential and mid-terms.

What hurt was that we had an energized faction of teabaggers that helped swing a bunch of House races into the Republicans' favor.

I'm not really trying to make excuses for those who didn't vote in the midterms. I'm in favor of voting in every election in which one is eligible, even if it's just for the purpose of keeping the more evil of two evils out. I'm just doubting the idea that the drop-off in the Democratic vote in that district had much of anything to do with liberal/Democratic voters trying to send a "message"- unless the message was being sent unintentionally and was,"I'm a typical apathetic American who only votes in presidential races and drops off during midterms- and, hey, at least I don't suck as badly as the 40% of registered American voters who don't even vote in presidential elections!"

[Supersedeas]

18. there's been lots of that sort of speculation lately

[Bluenorthwest]

17. Oregon's turnout in the Mid Term was 71%

Highest since the 80's. So a midterm does not always mean low turnout. Also, I think the 'moderates and conservatives' among Democrats stayed home in those states where people did not vote. Here we stay home and vote.