The reliable Democratic activist base came out and voted, but the new voters stayed home.....

[FrenchieCat]

New voters are being turned off on politics due to the overwhelming negativity they hear about day in, day out, in reference to this President and his administration. They hear it from the Left, and they hear it from the Right, and it is starting to wear on them. There is absolutely no where one can go to actually hear about the positive this President is doing, not even here at DU!

There is "holding his feet to the fire" and there is 24/7 bashing on everything this President does. Currently, we are dealing with the later, and that's too bad. Minorities and Young voters aren't stupid, and they still support this President......but unfortunately for us, they are sick of both parties, because the only news they hear about is negativity and the bad.

My theory above is supported with more evidence than those saying that somehow the reliable Base didn't show up cause they are pissed. They actually did show up, but they were alone, and therefore, their numbers weren't large enough.

[Historic NY]

1. with a majority & mandate to do something the Dems rest on their laurels...

a lot of lost local elections due to apathy not empathy. My local Democrat Party is a joke its the loony left.

[Double T]

2. Last night was a wake up call to the 'do nothings'.

The congress and wh have one year to get their friggin' act together before mid-terms. CONServatives and rethugs will elect anything; jeb and sarah are waiting in the wings and they have three years to CONvince their lemming followers. NO EXCUSES!!

[saracat]

3. Right here on DU, I was told the obama voters didn't feel "local " races were important

enough to vote for. And not once but several times.and in 2008 many of these "new" voters didn't bother to vote down ticket. The meme being perpetuated, even now, with the reaction to the loss of the governorships ,is so what? Only federal races count.

And blaming folks who exercise critical thinking for "causing" new voters to stay home is beyond absurd. Why the heck doesn't anyone take responsibility for their own actions? Obama campaigned for those governorships. He knew they were important. But the new voters didn't care enough to show up.

I spent all day working on one of those "meaningless local races" yesterday and few of the new Obama Dems were out either voting or working. But the older, committed dems were, and the anger growing in their ranks is significant. The union anger is palpable and anger the folks who will not be getting health care is rising.And to blame these losses on the folks who have worked local elections for years while here on DU the new voters and keyboard warriors are laughing about VA and NJ is just disgusting.

It is time for folks to understand there are a hell of a lot more important things than just the WH. Obviously, one can control both houses and the WH and locally, your lives won't "change" at all.As Tip O'Neill said, "All politics is local".

[Peacetrain]

4. Link please

[saracat]

5. I believe that would be "calling out"

But perhaps I can PM it.?

[Peacetrain]

7. PM works fine with me

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. Young voters are now part of the current "Democratic Base"

It is virtually by definition. Anytime an identifiable demographic with large numbers strongly tilts in favor of one Party over another, it becomes part of that Party's "base".

One of the memes used against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries was that it was time for a changing of the Guard, for leadership to be passed onto a new younger generation of Democrats. Some older Democrats, rightly or wrongly, felt marginalized in that process. Since winning the Democratic nomination and the Presidency, Obama to his credit has worked hard to heal any divisive wounds inside the Party, but he consciously oriented the Democratic Party and it's electoral fortunes toward younger voters during his climb up to the White House.

[bertman]

8. I disagree, Frenchie Cat. I'm part of the Democratic activist base and I have been sending

emails to President Obama, my Democratic Senator and Rep, and to the DNC and DLC telling them that I am VERY UNHAPPY with the way the President is letting supposed bi-partisanship rule the legislative process.

I spent a lot of time and a lot of money helping to get President Obama and other Democrats elected, but I am NOT sending any more money to the mainstream party leaders until they get into PROGRESSIVE MODE. The President and the Democratic leadership have brought this upon themselves. They are continually choosing to side with their corporate sponsors over the interests of the people who are the "activist base". We are ignored, but still get daily emails asking for our money and our time to push for things like this misbegotten giveaway to the health insurance giants that we are being told is reform.

I will continue to support PROGRESSIVE candidates through Act Blue other groups, plus donate to Firedoglake and other PROGRESSIVE advocacy groups, but I refuse to send my money to the corporatists.

It's the activist base who are the ones who man the phones and go door to door and who talk up the party on the local level.

The vaunted Obama get-out-the-vote juggernaut is dead in the water because the President is acting like a middle-of-the-roader when we need PROGRESSIVE leadership. If he wants us back and he wants us to get out and work for the party he's going to have to show some PROGRESSIVE FIRE.