New poll: Democrats more enthusiastic to vote in November than Republicans
Robert Sobel, February 11, 2012
One of the many things that the 2010 mid-term elections showed us was that the conservative base was fired up with passion and ready to go. Historically, Democrats don't show up to mid-term elections as often and that was never more evident than in November 2010 when the Republicans took back the House of Representatives and gained seats in the Senate.
With the rise of the Tea Party in 2008, the 2010 elections were a clear reflection of the anger from the far right of the political spectrum. As conservatives flocked to the polls to cast their vote, Democrats were underwhelmed. The Democratic voters who came out to vote for President Obama in 2008 decided to stay home during the mid-terms. Whether they were upset at President Obama for not doing things fast enough or just not excited enough in general, the Democrats paid the price. With the presidential election less than a year away, the tide of excitement is starting to shift again. With constant Republican debates and attacks ads taking up the time on the television, radio and the internet, Americans are overwhelmed with conservative rhetoric. As Republicans throw mud at each other and the president, President Obama has stood on the side of the American people. With an economy on the right track, Democrats are starting to get excited once again.
According to a new poll by pollposition.com, registered Democrats are more enthusiastic to get out and vote than their Republican counter parts as well as independent voters. Democrats hold a near 10 point advantage over Republicans when asked if they were excited to vote in the upcoming 2012 election. Nearly two-thirds of Democrats said they were excited to vote, 74%, compared to 65% of Republicans who say they were excited. Only 17% of Democrats said they weren't excited while 21% of Republicans said the same. Independent voters were even less excited to vote as only 58% said they were ready to vote in November. The most surprising statistic comes when you break down the numbers and look at the racial breakdown. African-American voters were polled at 78% when asked if they were excited to vote as well 74% of Hispanics. Only 63% of white voters said they were enthusiastic, which is not a good sign for the Republican party.
While the Republicans gained ground in 2010, it looks like they might have a problem in the 2012 presidential election. Recently, the Republican party has focused on social issues because they can no longer win on the economy. Republicans have said that President Obama needs to "own" the economy at some point and if things continue in the direction they are, I don't think the president will mind.
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