The primaries don't count, turnout is "notoriously low" and what rules?

ProSense

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Mon Feb-25-08 08:33 PM
Original message

The primaries don't count, turnout is "notoriously low" and what rules?

Edited on Mon Feb-25-08 08:37 PM by ProSense

Welcome to bizarre:

Besides, the delegate totals from primaries and caucuses do not necessarily reflect the will of rank-and-file Democrats. Most Democrats have not been heard from at the polls. We have all been impressed by the turnout for this year�s primaries � clearly both candidates have excited and engaged the party�s membership � but, even so, turnout for primaries and caucuses is notoriously low. It would be shocking if 30 percent of registered Democrats have participated.

If that is the case, we could end up with a nominee who has been actively supported by, at most, 15 percent of registered Democrats. That�s hardly a grassroots mandate.

More important, although many states like New York have closed primaries in which only enrolled Democrats are allowed to vote, in many other states Republicans and independents can make the difference by voting in Democratic primaries or caucuses.

In the Democratic primary in South Carolina, tens of thousands of Republicans and independents no doubt voted, many of them for Mr. Obama. The same rules prevail at the Iowa caucuses, in which Mr. Obama also triumphed.

He won his delegates fair and square, but those delegates represent the wishes not only of grassroots Democrats, but also Republicans and independents. If rank-and-file Democrats should decide who the party�s nominee is, each state should pass a rule allowing only people who have been registered in the Democratic Party for a given time � not nonmembers or day-of registrants � to vote for the party�s nominee.

-- Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary endorser

"We have not, are not, and will not pursue the pledged delegates of Barack Obama." -- Howard Wolfson, Clinton communications director

Paid for by Hillary Clinton for President

Voters are showing up at Democratic primaries and caucuses in record numbers, doubling, tripling or even quadrupling the turnout totals recorded in the last fully contested two-party election in 2000. Overall, Democrats have so far outnumbered Republicans at primary polling places by a rate of about 7 to 5.

So far four states have held primaries or caucuses that both parties actively contested, and in each, Democratic turnout is outrunning participation by Republicans:

� In Iowa, some 239,000 Democrats turned out at the caucuses, almost twice the all-time record. Republicans doubled their turnout in Iowa, as well, but still only reached 114,000.

� In New Hampshire, some 287,000 Democrats turned out to vote, up from 156,862 in 2000, while Republican turnout decreased slightly to 238,000.

� In Nevada, more than 116,000 voters attended Democratic party caucuses in a state where, eight years ago, the gatherings attracted only about 1,000 votes. Republicans, too, broke turnout records. But their total of 44,315 votes was about a third the size of the Democrats'.

� In South Carolina, a predominantly Republican state, a record of 532,227 voters showed up to help give Barack Obama a resounding win in the Democratic primary Saturday. By contrast, G.O.P. turnout in the South Carolina primary the week before fell from 573,101 in 2000 to about 431,000 - a drop of nearly 25%.

In total, in the four states where there have been two-party contests � Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina � 1,174,227 Democrats have turned out to vote compared to 827,315 Republicans, a ratio of 7 to 5. As of now, the level of primary participation is nearing the levels seen in general elections.

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Maybe Media Matter can inform Ferraro that she's wrong about turnout.

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The primaries don't count, turnout is "notoriously low" and what rules?

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