Why was turnout so low ?

[kentuck]

The last numbers I saw for Kentucky was under 40%. Why? They are apathetic? They don't understand people that get all worked up over "politics"? They are ignorant? They are too busy to get involved?

Whatever the reason, it is the reason. Unless turnout is increased, the Democratic Party is relegated to be the minority party in this nation. Why do people not want to vote for Democrats? How can we get them to the polls? Until we can face the reality that the message and strategy that we presently have is not working, then we continue to swim against the current.

At the present time, we are the minority Party. By that, I do not mean we are the Party of minorities. Our message is flat. It is not appealing to enough voters to make us competitive with the Repubs.

And considering that the Repubs aren't exactly tearing down the doors to get to the polls, makes it even more discouraging. Nobody is crazy about the Repubs or George W Bush's policies. They are just "less crazy" about the Democratic alternatives.

[jeter]

1. It's a midterm, they are always low

It's just the nature of the beast.

[kentuck]

3. That's why we got Arnold Schwartzenegger...

and the first Repub Governor in KY in 32 years. I think we may be kidding ourselves.

[quispquake]

6. But not always!!!

If the voters feel they have a reason to come out they do (i.e. in Maine yesterday, in a state with 1 million people...over 450,000 voted on the Casino question).

I guess most Kentuckians don't care...I'm sorry, but there's no other reason not to vote on something as important as your governor...

pp23

[vi5]

2. Its the voting machines!!!

its always the voting machines!!

[kentuck]

5. People refuse to believe that...

There might be 3% that would agree with you. That doesn't mean you're wrong. It just means that the majority of people think you are a conspiracy nut.

[vi5]

8. I was being sarcastic....

I don't believe it is the machines. I believe it is voter apathy.

[SoCalDem]

4. People are busy.. they are uninformed..and yes.. they are apathetic

Most people do not make the connection between voting and their own daily lives..

They think it does not matter, and in a way it doesn't.. They do not miss what they never had.. If they have never had an interest in politics and governance,they see no connection to their lives and futures..

Some day when they think they are ready to retire, and they find out about all the laws that were passed to ruin their retirement and their ability to have health insurance, they will wonder what happened..

[snippy]

7. It is always an RNC goal to depress turnout.

For nearly 20 years the RNC has deliberately used wedge issues and false claims about the democratic party to depress turnout. The theory is that if only the most committed people vote, republicans will win more elections.

[el_gato]

9. and the fact that politicians are phoney liars

people are turning away

[Philostopher]

10. I don't have a solution, kentuck, but ...

Is it possible my gut feeling on this is correct? It seems to me when campaigns turn viciously negative, like Fletcher apparently did, it increases voter (and potential voter) apathy and depresses turnout. Republicans win when people don't get up off their asses and vote. Is it possible they do this as part of their strategy? Turn off as many voters as possible, since low turnouts have traditionally benefited Republicans?

I don't know -- I have nothing to back this up, but years of observations of such elections in the North-Central region have raised this blip in my head. I can't completely discount it, but I don't know if it's legitimate or what to do if it is. Just a thought.