The highly competitive presidential nomination races have been good for democracy, judging from an Associated Press survey of states’ voter registration: More than 3.5 million people have registered to vote this year, with new registrations up about 64 percent from the same three months in the 2004 campaign (in 21 states that could offer comparable data). The survey shows a surge of new voters among African-Americans and women. “This could change the face of American politics for decades to come,†Gov. Kathleen Sebelius told AP, predicting permanent gains for Democrats. In Kansas, more than 13,100 people registered as Democrats in the first two months of 2008, for a total 445,000, as the number of registered Republicans declined by more than 1,500 to 741,000.
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19 Comments
Democracy is “mob-rule”, we are a DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC. And now that the field has been leveled with three candidates who are three sides of the same triangle, things are indeed looking great for tyranny in 08.
The one thing that is a common thread between Obama and Ron Paul seems their ability to bring the young voters on board. Now the question is will the young stay active in the process or will they fall out if their candidate is not elected? That is possibility why the GOP is not crowing as loudly as the DNC about the gaining of younger voters.
“writerdog” says –
“The one thing that is a common thread between Obama and Ron Paul seems their ability to bring the young voters on board.”
Really?
Is there really a strong youth movement among the Paul-bearers? Most of them seen like standard libertarian cranks; middle-aged IT types who hate taxes and want to smoke dope.
They never seem to sound particularly young.
Now the question is will the young stay active in the process or will they fall out if their candidate is not elected? That is possibility why the GOP is not crowing as loudly as the DNC about the gaining of younger voters.
I meant to add:
The libertarians will always be around to grumble.
The Obama kids I’ve been in contact with seem to be level-headed (if I little idealistic). I think there will be a lot of good politically-active people in the future that got involved with politics thanks to Barrack’s appeal.
Monkeyhawk, just another idjit that can’t spel but can identify voter demographics with sharpshooter precision.
Go get em, Apeman.
Pleefer–
I’ve seen you post before, but you usually stay under the radar.
What’s up with ranting?
More people voting is good for our country, which last time I checked, is a participatory democracy.
It is however bad for RepubliCONs who cling to power with anti-democratic tricks like voter photo ID’s, gerrymandering, and too few voting machines in Democratic disticts (resulting in long lines).
One need only look at Bush’s 2000 loss in the popular vote to see that our so-called democracy is a byzantine maze to maintain the status quo, government of the powerful for the powerful.
Isn’t it funny that what is good for democracy is bad for RepubliCONs?
I agree Monkeyhawk! Today’s youth are more accepting of differences (race, sexual, cultural…) so a woman and a black candidate is less of an anomaly to them. bush’s occupation of Iraq and the bills the current administration is leaving to them and their children has gotten their attention too. This may be the year the issues affecting them holds their attention longer than in the past. I find it exciting!
There was a small mention in this morning’s paper that the state of Missouri will be considering legislation this week to require proof of citizenship for voting, and that it could be effective by August of this year.
I see where proof of citizenship to cast a vote is more warranted than the photo ID requirement recently upheld by the Supreme Court, but think a larger number of Americans won’t have that proof of citizenship than those who won’t have the photo ID. The poorer the American the less chance they will have that proof.
Nicely done Monkey. I especially liked the part about IT types who hate taxes and smoke pot.
But it is clear that neither Obama nor Paul cater to the base of either party. I see the younger voters equally turned off with both bases. After all, they came of age in the post Ross Perot politics where the buzz word was “bipartisan”
But you are right. The younger vote won’t go to Paul because he still has the Baby-Boomer’s Righteous Indignation that the younger voter sees as stupid.
We can only hope many reg. repubs. will stay home and not vote. Out of guilt for helping to screw up the country.
The claim that more people voting is good for democracy is unsubstantiated. Perhaps Rhonda or someone else will post something to explain.
Besides, what is meant by ‘good for democracy’? How would more people participating achieve what is called good?
What would be good for democracy is if democrats win!
“predicting permanent gains for Democrats. In Kansas, more than 13,100 people registered as Democrats”
Where do I come up in that count? I had to spray on 100% deet and take two showers afterward using Comet but I did register democrat the same night I stood in line to vote for Obama.
I hope Kathy isn’t holding her breath waiting for me to turn this state blue.
I was raised around a Dad and Grandfather who always let it be known, “if you’re from Kansas you are Republican”. I think it was our state motto at the time with midwestern values tacked at the end while singing “home on the range”. These same Kansas Republican values continue to serve me well.
Tell “Demo Kathy” my face will never change. I am from Kansas.
Shanghai–
You’ve been shanghai-ed.
By the way, you chose a funny name for yourself if you’re really from Kansas.
“Shang Hai” means “On” the “Sea.”
Shanghai - what is more important is how you vote. Do you always vote for Republicans? “Traditional” Kansas Republican values probably exemplified by your father and grandfather I doubt are the same values as possessed by the Mark Gietzens and Todd Tiahrts that have “shanghaied” the Kansas Republican Party.
My daddy always said “You don’t need to think, just vote Republican!”
MONKEYHAWK, I am not sure how you would have managed to not notice the youth involved in the Paul Campaign. Youtube is flooded with Paul videos most for him, none truly appear to be “ standard libertarian cranks; middle-aged IT types who hate taxes and want to smoke dope”
They are college students and unless by middle-aged you mean the life expectancy is back to 40.
The fact that so many of the younger voters would support Paul somewhat mystified me.
I thought they could not be getting his message and were simply supporting him because he was the anti-establishment candidate. But the more videos I watch the more I realized that they did get it and understood what it would take to correct the course this country has taken. His presidency would mean the loss of the nanny state and not just the freedom to smoke dope.
I knew I understood just what a Paul presidency would mean, at fifty I knew that it would take hard and real reversals of the over stepping of the Federal government that has occurred in the last hundred years. The fact that the young understood that is perhaps the great hope this country has.
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[...] Doug Mataconis wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt2008 already good for democracy The highly competitive presidential nomination races have been good for democracy, judging from an Associated Press survey of statesâ?? voter registration: More than 3.5 million people have registered to vote this year, with new registrations up about 64 percent from the same three months in the 200… Read the full post from WE Blog Tags: Presidential Race via Blogdigger blog search for politics. [...]
adderall…
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