Snapshots of turnout in Michigan

[ProSense]

U.S. Rep. John Dingell earned his 29th term on Tuesday when he defeated cariologist Rob Steele by around 35,000 votes in Michigan's 15th Congressional District. The Dearborn Democrat's 17-point margin of victory was the slimmest of his 55-year career, according to analysis published Wednesday on The University of Minnesota's Smart Politics blog.

Dingell, the longest-serving member of the House, has enjoyed an average 47.3-point margin of victory since winning his first election in 1955. He won by 45.7 percent in 2008 and 88 percent in 2006, when the Republican party didn't even bother fielding an opponent.

Prior to Tuesday, Dingell's slimmest victory came in 1994, when he defeated Republican Ken Larkin by a 19.3-point margin. Like 2010, Dingell survived a massive swing of more than 50 seats that year as Republicans wrestled control of the House two years into a Democratic presidency.

Unlike many of his peers who lost this election cycle, Dingell proudly touted his role in passing controversial health care reform legislation, a career-long mission he referenced during his victory speech Tuesday night.

more

Despite a gain in registered voters, the number of those who cast ballots in Tuesday’s election in Jackson County fell by almost 10 percentage points from four years ago.
Of the county’s 113,524 registered voters — almost 3,000 more than 2006 — 42.5 percent cast ballots.

In 2006, almost 52 percent of the county’s 110,594 voters cast ballots in the gubernatorial election that gave Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm a second term in office.

link

A nearly 10 percent drop is a lot.

[Skinner]

1. I must admit that the GOP surge in Michigan pisses me off more than other states.

The government ALONE saved the auto industry, thanks to strong support from Democrats.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll690.xml
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00215

This just goes to show that no good deed goes unpunished.

[Peacetrain]

2. Amen to that statement

[Libby2]

3. Same here, as that is my home state..

[blue_onyx]

4. No

Obama, "ALONE saved the auto industry." If you recall, the auto industry was told to go to hell by congress, which included many Dems. President Bush then gave GM/Chrysler small loans so they could survive until Obama was in office. Additionally, many on Democratic sites like DU were gleeful about the possibility of GM/Chrysler going under.

Saving the auto industry had very little to do with MI. If the auto industry only effected Michigan, I think the industry would've been allowed to fail. The decision to assist the auto industry was made because it is such a large industry that effects every state. It was done to save the country's economy.

[ProSense]

5. The point is that

despite a noticeable positive by Democrats, turnout dropped from 2006.

[blue_onyx]

8. Yes, turnout dropped

I did the numbers myself and about 566,000 fewer people voted for governor this year compared to 2006. About 123,000 fewer votes came from Wayne county. The Dems stayed home.

The auto bailout prevented a disaster but things are still bad, particularly in Detroit. The auto bailout required the elimination of more jobs. The corporation received assistance but there wasn't much help for those without jobs. How would you feel if helping a corporation still meant your job was eliminated? I think a lot of people have lost hope and thought voting wouldn't make a difference.

The Democrats also ran a bad campaign and I think Bernero was a fairly weak gubernatorial candidate. For example, the Dems should have moved beyond the "shipped jobs to China" criticism after it became clear that argument wasn't connecting with voters. I think the fact that Snyder wants to eliminate film jobs from Michigan would have been a strong argument.

I support Obama and voted for all Dems. I'm just trying to point out why people who think they can take MI for guaranteed are wrong. Many seem to think MI doesn't matter until election time. Some of the comments I've read about MI/Detroit on progressive sites like DU are so disappointing. Hopefully after MI gets a reminder of how Republicans govern, we can reverse the damage of 2010 in 2012/2014.

[LiberalFighter]

10. Is migration out of the state part of the problem?

[blue_onyx]

13. No

It just as likely that Republican moved as Democrats.

[WI_DEM]

7. too many democratic accomplishments got overlooked in this election.

[DevonRex]

9. Posts about Dem accomplishments are met with ridicule here, on a Dem site.

Some "Democrats" told the rest of the Democrats to stay home because this administration did absolutely nothing for them. Some people here have announced proudly that they stayed home. Articles and links are posted regularly here that say Obama is a failure. Some posters here encouraged everyone NOT to give to the DSCC because for some reason they think it's corrupt.

I'm NOT saying DU is responsible for voters staying home. But if DU is an example of what's happening all over the internet, it's no wonder that even voters in Michigan have the strange idea that this administration has done nothing for them.

[FrenchieCat]

12. That's what happens when all media, left, right or/and center

trash Democrats relentlessly, without pause, while citing good reasons
and an innocent purpose.

This site, DU, is known to big and small media,
and this is one of the places they come to discern the overall mood,
and/or cherry pick whatever talking points on the issues that might
help keep Democrats from supporting their own....
which is then amplified all over the airwaves and in Ink.

That's why most Democrats uniting to support Democrats running
only one short week before the election looked like a joke to most.

It is the repetitious relentless messaging against Pres. Obama pretty much throughout
his 20 month term as we witnessed just about everywhere uninterrupted
that won out this election season for the GOP, not facts and evidence.

[Dawson Leery]

15. I would have let GM go out of business.

I would have let the too big to fail banks go out of business.
When a business fails, they should go to bankruptcy court.

[laughingliberal]

18. OTOH, workers in the auto industry were forced into massive concessions while the Banksters got...

bailed out without giving up a damned dime. Record bonuses, in fact.

[WI_DEM]

6. I hope Dingell will retire and let another Dem take over in '12

We have a problem with too many people holding on for too long. This is generally a dem seat the fact that he won fairly handily in a GOP year proves that, but he is getting up there and it may be time to start preparing for another dem to take over.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mstinamotorcity]

14. I don't give a damn!!!!!

I am mad at the turnout. Michigan has 13.5% unemployment. Detroit has 26.5% unemployment. The hope of the people is dim. But it doesn't excuse the inability to advocate for your self. Yes you may be unemployed at this time,yes you may be getting food stamps,and you may lack education, so who is it that needs those programs to try to sustain themselves until they can get to a position where they won't need it? Someone who lives in a State with 13.5% unemployment and someone who lives in a city with 26.5% unemployment.

Somebody in a State with unemployment that high is getting an unemployment check or some Food Stamp benefits!!!!!! They like to had a fit when Sen. Bunning put a halt to those unemployment checks.What the HELL do they think they will do now. And I don't see why they are not seeing the systematic lowering of wages in this State. Governor Two-Face Engler wasn't enough for their ass. I was so mad the day after election day I had a Republican Meltdown Day. I wouldn't talk on the phone, couldn't eat,just felt wiped out after handing out literature,sending e-mails,going to rally parties in places you don't want to know,going to some you do,talking to friends,family, I was just exhausted. And to see they won't walk ten minutes to the nearest polling place to save their supplements to society,.....priceless!!!!! Hey I can't say it. I promised I wouldn't. :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Pathwalker]

16. Michigan was never really blue - it's purple. Now, for at least the next 2 years,

it will be red. I tried to warn people, but was ignored or laughed at as being ridiculous. The whole damn country is now a lot redder than before - sad.
Oh, my whole family voted, and everyone we voted for - lost. I hope Lansing will get to keep Virg for now, at least it's doing better than the rest of the state, thanks to his efforts.

[Milo_Bloom]

17. This is what happens when people don't have something to vote for.

[maryellen99]

19. Do you live here?

Unemployment is 13%. It would not have mattered what the Dems would have done here- a LOT of people blamed Granholm for the economy tanking here.

Synder is going to be a disaster.