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PETRUS

(3,678 posts) Wed Apr 10, 2013, 01:56 PM Apr 2013

Apathy/no confidence has "won" every Presidential election since 1904

36.8% of eligible voters cast ballots for Teddy Roosevelt year, a larger number than the 34.8% who cast no ballot at all.

LBJ had a photo finish vs. "none of the above" in 1964, securing 37.8%, with 38.1% of eligible voters abstaining.

Reagan's famous 1980 "landslide" was won with 26.7% - scarcely more than 1 out of 4 possible votes; around 47% (!) of those who could have voted didn't.

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Apathy/no confidence has "won" every Presidential election since 1904 (Original Post) PETRUS Apr 2013 OP

This message was self-deleted by its author TimberValley Apr 2013 #1

But it probably goes roughly equally both ways. TimberValley Apr 2013 #2

Response to PETRUS (Original post)

TimberValley This message was self-deleted by its author.

TimberValley

(318 posts)

2. But it probably goes roughly equally both ways.

Reply to PETRUS (Original post)

Wed Apr 10, 2013, 02:02 PM

Apr 2013

Let's take the Reagan analogy. Those 47% that didn't vote, probably were roughly equally liberal/conservative, right? (at least not a drastic difference.)

Let's say voter turnout is 100% - everyone votes. So what if, say, those 47% of votes ended up being divided 25%-22% in favor of Reagan. Reagan still wins.

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