For those who think that the Republicans are losing support.

[tallahasseedem]

Just take a look at these primary numbers that came in from Florida this past election.


United States Senator

LeRoy Collins Jr. 146,487
Katherine Harris 474,057
William "Will" McBride 287,288
Peter Monroe 51,253

Total votes: 959,085



Republican Governor

Charlie Crist 629,842
Tom Gallagher 329,582
Vernon Palmer 13,528
Michael W. St. Jean 11,429

Total votes: 984,381



Democrat Governor

Glenn Burkett 32,884
Carol Castagnero 45,065
John M. Crotty 20,569
Jim Davis 405,239
Rod Smith 352,617

Total votes: 856,374




There has been a lot of talk around here about what the polls say, you know where the Democrats are leading and it looks like we will pick up a few seats. I am not buying any of it. Quite frankly, I think it is just another way to rally the Republicans for a strong showing in the upcoming midterms.

I was inspired to write this because in another thread http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2091379 there is debate on how we should approach elections.

Wake up people! Katherine Harris has run one of the most miserable campaigns known and she still won the primary over her closest competitor by 186,769 votes! Not only that, look at the total number of Republican votes...they got more people out to vote...again!

We cannot afford to leave any stone unturned...even if it means following some of the advice given in the above thread. America as a whole simply cannot afford another minimum 2 year Republican majority.



data: http://election.dos.state.fl.us/Elections/ResultsArchive/Enight.asp

[BurtWorm]

1. The Republicans are losing support.

Just not among their insane and idiotic base who will vote for a dead fish with an R after its name.

[tallahasseedem]

2. That may be so...

however, will they show it by actually showing up to the booth and voting against them?

[BurtWorm]

9. What we have to fear more than Republican voters

is Republican commissioners controlling access to the vote. How well those assholes do their jobs will determine how well their robots will do at the polls. As ever.

[Tigress DEM]

40. Yeah, dienfranchisement and vote flipping too.

In short, cheating will be at an all time high if we can't bust these lies open and expose them and get some honest vote counting done.. of those that CAN get to the polls who haven't been unjustly denied thier right to vote.

[katinmn]

16. I hope the Repubs just sit this election out.

I do believe it might happen. However, the Disney fiasco has reminded me how devious and sneaky these bastards are.

Who knows what the fundie repub nutjobs will be told in church tomorrow morning?

[tallahasseedem]

18. Dont ever underestimate the power of the

Southern Baptist minister. That is what already scares me to death about the upcoming elections.

[katinmn]

21. Amen.

[BurtWorm]

22. You're absolutely right that Republican drones will do what they are told

and if that means vote for Jesus, they'll obey. Democrats can't be complacent and assume someone else will cover for them. They have to get out and vote Democratic, and get others to do the same.

[Maat]

37. And, to prove your point ..

THIS is what their pastor will be telling them:


http://www.bpnews.net/bpfeature.asp?ID=2379 .

[tenshi816]

43. Thanks for that link.

I just sent a blistering e-mail their way, challenging everything the columnist said and asking for examples of the "outright lies" he claims are in Fahrenheit 9/11. I don't really expect to hear back from him; he's probably never even seen the film. That's never stopped fundies from claiming to know all about it though.

[Maat]

53. Exactly (n/t)!

[Monkeyman]

23. Turn out will be key here. THATS WHY NO ONE STAY AT HOME THINKING WE WILL

[Jackpine Radical]

3. But how many votes in the Puggy primary were crossovers?

[tallahasseedem]

8. None.

In Florida primaries you are given separate ballots according to your affiliation. Democrats can only vote for Democrats etc.

[Jackpine Radical]

12. OK--So you're dealing only with the people with affiliations.

In the elections reported, total votes for the Dem & the Puggy were each under 1 mil. I assume primaries only draw the hard-core party faithful, & with Crazy Katie & all, more Puggies were interested in showing up. How many total votes will there be when the Independents roll in?

[iamjoy]

11. Florida Has Closed Primaries

in other words, you have to be registered as a member of the Republican party to vote in the Republican primary - so I'm not sure what you mean by crossover.

OF course, my Father-In-Law - a Liberal - registered as a Republican so he could vote for Harris (and Gallagher) because he thought they would be the weakest candidates in the general election.

[Jackpine Radical]

17. I imagine a number of people did like your FIL.

By "crossover I mean people voting in one party's primary who intend to vote for the other party's candidate in the General Election. The only way you can do that is by registering as a member of the opposition party in a closed-primary state. I understand that. Nevertheless, as yr FIL proved, it does happen.

The important thing to remember is that the Independents aren't out for this one, & they may go fairly heavily Dem, if polls in the rest of the country are any predictor.

[tallahasseedem]

20. I so hope your right.

But we must be prepared to mobilize our own.

[Mabus]

26. The other possibility is

what happens here in Kansas and how we got our Democratic governor. We have closed primaries and what generally happens is that the RRR candidates are pitted against the moderate GOP for the party nomination. The RRR gets their people out and win the nomination then those that voted for the moderate GOP'er vote Democratic in the general. There were a lot of them that jumped ship back in 2002 and voted in our Democratic Governor, Kathleen Sebelius.

The good news is that they've finally figured out that their party is dead here in Kansas and they are jumping ship completely. They say things like their party no longer represents them. They are also complaining about all the wedge issues but not enough concentration on the real issues that affect them everyday like funding education, environment (clean water and air) and the economy. The ex-chair of the Kansas GOP quit the party. He was a precinct committeeman in the KC area and he was asked to resign after he endorsed the Democratic AG candidate over the RRR AG we have now.

If it can happen in Kansas, it can happen elsewhere.

[tallahasseedem]

27. That is wonderful news!

Hopefully that will happen here as well.

[FUGW]

4. If we lose we deserve what we get.

[Ignacio Upton]

5. Don't take anything for granted!

But in this case, turnout was lower on our side because of a combination of fewer competitive races (Nelson didn't even have a primary challenger, and thus wasn't on the ballot for primary day) and because Democratic strongholds in southern Florida get drenched with heavy rain.
That doesn't mean that our GOTV doesn't need to be improved, because it clearly does.

[napi21]

6. I agree with you, butyou also have to remember that this was a

primary election. Do we know what % of the total Fl voters actually voted in this primary? I know unless it's areally importantelection, I have to threaten my husband to goto the polls! I've NEVEr missed a vote since I was eligible(a long time!), but there are many people who just don't bother with primaries.

I agree we can't leave any stone unturned though! It really is all about which party gets the most lazy a**esoff the couch on election day!

[patrice]

7. I agree with you about a lot of the talk about Democrats doing well

is one way Republicans rally their troops, especially on the internet where you don't know *who* is saying it.

And from what I can see, Democrats aren't exactly volunteering in droves to work on campaigns.

[a kennedy]

10. I know, got called today for the challenger in MN for our senate

race, and when I said I was voting all Democratic, they just said well ok and thanks. *shurg* must have wanted to tell me to vote the other way. I could hear in their voice they were ticked off I was voting Democratic.

[EFerrari]

13. You are using FL election results as evidence?!

:silly:

[tallahasseedem]

24. Actually, yes.

Especially with respect to the Senate race. I have seen far too many articles written about her "demise". People think this race is a lock for us. I dont find that to be true.

[Nikki Stone 1]

14. I agree enough with the OP to recommend

I too think this talk of a Democratic win in the House is a way of firing up the Pug base and getting them out there. Junior and his administration are acting as if they will easily win in November.

[Unbowed]

15. And to be certain, they are planning something.

Something that will happen just before election time.

[karlrschneider]

19. Primaries are meaningless to our purposes.

No significance.

[tallahasseedem]

25. That kind of complacency...

will most certainly lead to our downfall...again.

[karlrschneider]

28. What do Republican primaries have to do with our position?

Or, what exactly am I missing here?
:eyes:

Sure, it's "interesting" to know that Cruella won over McBride, but so what? Do you think we should
protest the results?

[tallahasseedem]

29. Yeah...protest the results.

The fact of the matter is that even in these "insignificant" primaries the Republicans still managed to mobilize more voters than the Democrats. Its a heads up. If you dont find that alarming, then ignore the thread and move on.

[karlrschneider]

30. You miss the salient point: it was NOT a race between GOP and DEM

the number of voters that turned out in the primaries is not statistically significant relating to a GENERAL election. And I will ignore threads *I* choose to ignore, thank you very much.

[susanna]

31. I completely agree with you regarding...

the push to get more of the GOP "base" out. That said, in my neck of the woods, primaries are actually very lightly voted, regardless of party. (I always vote, but then I'm a die-hard.)

Because Harris' race was deemed more publicity-worthy and thus heavily covered, it seems to reason for me that more of the GOP turned out. Were the Democratic races as contentious and media-covered? If so, then there is a lot more to worry about.

Just my humble opinion.

[tallahasseedem]

33. You are definately correct.

But we know how the GOP reacts when their back is up against the wall. I just want to make sure we have a fighting chance this year.

[susanna]

35. I am with you, tallahasseedem.

I do not mean to sound complacent AT ALL...we do need to get the vote out, absolutely. I hope people have begun to realize what is at stake; if they have not, this country is in a world of hurt...so I completely understand and agree with your original post.

Get Out the Vote!

on edit: personhood is good

[LostInAnomie]

32. Here is the best I can do.

1. The repukes had two state wide votes to the Democrats one. A lot of people probably turned out to vote for their person.

2. Those really are pretty big numbers for the R Senate race. It looks like a lot of people turned out to vote against Harris and her fundy base (who she paid A LOT for) turned out to get her on the ballot.

3. Like it or not FL is a repuke friendly state. There are a lot of religious nut jobs and old rich conservatives that live down there. But, that does not mean the rest of the country is anything like FL.

4. Nelson was not on the primary ticket because he's already nominated. The dems in FL will all vote for him. The repukes on the other hand will not turn out for Harris. She will get her slice of the base and that's about it.

[tallahasseedem]

34. Here is hoping our Dem base

will come out in droves and stick it to them.

[and-justice-for-all]

36. Go to your local DNC office and volunteer....

I have and I will be helping starting next Friday...

It would be a good idea of some people joined the local RNC to get inside and find out what they are up to and how they are operating...

[w4rma]

38. DemocratIC governor (nt)

[tallahasseedem]

47. Whatever.

Keep up the good fight. :eyes:

[w4rma]

48. If you want to be taken seriously don't insult the folks you are trying to

be taken seriously by.

[tallahasseedem]

49. Yeah, your right..

not adding -ic to democrat is downright insulting. Ignored.

[w4rma]

52. Well, now I know for sure that you should not be taken seriously. (nt)

[merh]

39. I know plenty of folks that don't bother to vote in the primaries.

It's like a dry run or dress rehersal, if you are involved in the production you care, if not, you'll wait until opening night when it matters.

[farmboxer]

41. It's the Republican manufactured & programmed voting machines

that the Republicans are counting on. Not even one Repub needs to vote with those damned machines counting votes that are not even there! That is my biggest worry. Democrats will win, but only if the votes are counted, at least most of them.

We must be on the defensive to the very end.

[Warren DeMontague]

42. Florida? Pah. I'm sorry, but I trust the electoral system in Uzbekistan

more than I trust the numbers that come out of Florida's machines. I hope that changes someday, but right now I fear that state's electoral system is beyond repair.

As for the thread you referenced, I can sum up the most worthwhile advice in one sentence: "Fight back, Be clear, and hit them HARD."

And -yup- it's good advice.

He's also right about the media; but I don't know anyone, here, who is still operating under the delusion that they're anything close to "even-handed", much less (kaff!) biased towards liberals. :crazy: The increasingly consolidated Corporate Media wants nothing more than perpetual right-wing rule. Duh.

Further good advice would be to figure out a way to split the socially libertarian members of the GOP off from the God Goons who have taken over that party.

(Do I need to say that again? Okay, here goes: figure out a way to split the socially libertarian members of the GOP off from the God Goons who have taken over that party.
Hell, certain members of the GOP see that as the real, obvious threat. I can't fucking fathom why so many in our party refuse to get it, and still insist that the way to win is to bend over backwards to prove to all 12 or so "heartland values voters" that we're almost as interested in micro-managing people's personal lives as the GOP is!)

My ideas in that regard? Briefly, I say we stand up strong for the rights of consenting adults to make their own decisions, and for individuals to control their own bodies. Point out that the GOP wants to criminalize the birth control pill: if you read their platform and the position papers of the "pro-life" crowd that writes it, the conclusion is inescapable. Stand up -unapologetically- for personal freedom, the Constitution, the right to privacy and the separation of Church and State.

Stop trying to be Republican Lite, stop pandering to the "left behind" creationist end times Fundy crowd (the same people, it would appear, who are right now behind this load of Clinton-blaming 9-11 tripe on ABC).

"Values"? How about we be CLEAR on the major MORAL issues of our day: That the War -based on lies- in Iraq is wrong and needs to end NOW, the fact that 45 million Americans with no health coverage is a travesty, the fact that it is inexcusable to let dangerous, violent criminals roam the streets to make room in prison for mandatory minimum nonviolent drug offenders. Tell the religious right to get the hell out of our bodies, our sex lives, and our kids' science class curriculum. Convince people that we're the REAL party of fiscal responsibility, because the funding for education, infrastructure and a SPHC system at least will generate a long-term return on the investment; whereas we're pissing away literally trillions on a war based on lies, a bloated M/I complex, a $40 Billion a year drug war aimed primarily at pot smokers, and no-bid giveaways to old-boy crony ponies. What is more enraging? A fictional welfare queen eating bon-bons, or a contractor hauling "reconstruction" cash out of Iraq in a duffel bag?

And we have to state- clearly and repeatedly- that the NUMBER ONE SECURITY ISSUE facing us ALL in this century is THE ENVIRONMENT.

The issues are there for us to take, and most Americans agree with our positions (Most Americans, for instance, are pro-choice). We just need leaders who are brave enough to fight for them.

[JNelson6563]

44. I'm sure no Dems voted in R primary

to make sure the very worst candidate won the nomination or anything.

Oy!

[quiet.american]

45. Good point -- repubs losing support, but are Dems *gaining* support

How anyone can vote Republican at this point still mystifies me, but you're absolutely right -- we cannot spend it till we got it -- and there's still a lot more to be done to get it.

[peacebaby3]

46. I remember reading about controversy with the two main candidates for the D

nomination for Governor. One had some potential corruption problems re: the steel corps. (Rod Smith?) and the other had some kind of problem with convicting and keeping some innocent African American men in jail for years (Jim Davis?).

In the article I read, many people were very dismayed and said they probably wouldn't go out and vote for either candidate because they were upset by both.

Since that was the only race in the Dem primary, I'm not sure that it is a good indicator of the general election.

Having said that, I completely understand where you are coming from tallahasseedem. I will never let myself be as disappointed as I was in 2004 because I felt sure that people had figured out the evilness of the current admin. and would remove them from office and they are still there.

[retread]

50. You are on to something. The turnout was dismal. Jim Davis needs a

bold pick for lieutenant governor to energize Democrats. It is a sad state of affairs when running against Cruella Harris and Sun-tan Charlie aren't motivations enough.

[tomreedtoon]

51. What? Are you expecting Democrats to FIGHT?

For the last ten years I've seen the Democrats that Florida put up against Republicans. They don't even qualify for the Pink Tutu Democrats picture that I've run so often...



"We got elected because we support Daddy Dubya!"

...because the Florida Democrats don't even try to win an election. They simply run, collect contributions from the people who are hoping for a change, then when they lose, they go back and write columsn for those "free" weekly newspapers to keep their name in the public eye.

I remember a time when Democrats believed in helping the common man, and when that belief drove them to actually try to win elections.