Illinois Gop's Lost Turnout Opportunity
An Illinois Review post led me to a Washington Post analysis of the national Republican Party’s superior voter turnout operation in Minnesota blogger Dreckless.
But no one made the connection between the second sentence in the following Post paragraph about turnout in Ohio and its Protect Marriage Amendment:
Recent history underscores the importance of superior voter-mobilization plans. In 2004, Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) thought that if he received 190,000 votes it would be impossible for former congressman John Thune (R) to beat him. Daschle won 193,340 votes; Thune got 197,848. In Ohio -- the central battleground in the race between Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) -- Democrats met all of their projected vote totals but came up more than 100,000 short.The Washington Post reporters were not swift enough to figure out that it was probably those who supported the passage of a constitutional amendment who hyped the GOP vote totals in Ohio.
Illinois Republicans have, of course, missed their chance to follow Ohio’s example.
Indeed, its spokesman, too, seems not capable of making the connection the Washington Post writers missed.
Associated Press reports,“The Illinois Republican Party had limited resources," said its executive director, John Tsarpalas. "We chose to put our money and time into our candidates' campaigns."Just following his national example, I guess.
Posted first on McHenry County Blog.
5 comments:
Selling out rights of individuals is counter to true Republican principles. Shame on you Cal!
Illinois isn't Ohio. The opponents of the amendment in this state are much better organized and much more media savvy. Plus, there they have the experience of 2004's rash of these sorts of amendments and initiatives. Even if your assumption is true -- that the chance to vote against gay rights brought out a net 100,000 voters in Ohio in 2004 -- it doesn't follow that the same result would happen in Illinois in 2006. It's just as likely, given polling data and given the personalities involved, that the net additional voter turnout will be to defeat the amendment.
Remember, they couldn't even collect enough valid signatures to get it on the ballot!
Jack Roeser screws up again
Besides, your assumption isn't true. Anti-gay amendments did not increase Bush's vote share in 2004. And such an amendment would be disastrous in Illinois, where most everyone would oppose it.
Let it go, Cal, it's a terrible idea.
The amendment would of passed two to one in Illinois.
The gay political community was afraid of it.
The organizers were stupid though.
It passed in EVERY state it has been put up in including ones more liberal than Illinois (like Oregon)
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