Q: is high turnout good or bad for our side in Wisconsin?

[bluestateguy]

What say you? That is, if the turnout is even high at all.

[RandySF]

1. Depends on who shows up and where

Considering that most districts are historically Republican, I would say that a 2010 level turnout is not good news for us.

[Drale]

2. Big turnout is historically good for our side

Most of the Repukes campaign strategies revolve around keeping people from voting.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. From some political studies I've read,

liberals tend to do better when you have high turnouts. That is why conservatives try so hard to suppress the vote.

[DJ13]

4. I would say good, as that would mean people are angry enough to vote

I think that in a special election people who are satisfied with the way things are tend to stay home.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. High turnout is good for democracy, no?

:shrug:

[beyurslf]

7. If "our side" was a pure democracy, then yes. But "our side" is the Democrats winning

control of the Senate. In this instance, it probably still means yes.

[HereSince1628]

6. It's really impossible to say...

the recalls have very much polarized the districts where they are occurring, both sides are motivated to turn out.
And this sort of recall is unprecedented in Wisconsin, and for that matter the United States so there aren't any historical reference points.

The turnout in some districts is very high. We just gotta wait.

[MrScorpio]

8. If it were up to me, voting would be compulsory

Didn't vote? Better have a good excuse or face a small fine.

[Motown_Johnny]

9. then someone would run on repealing that law and win.....

[MrScorpio]

13. And were it to happen...

Would be proof positive that America's belief in democracy is utter bullshit.

But I knew that anyway.

[ehrnst]

15. So people go and write in Mickey Mouse. How does that help?

I want motivated, EDUCATED voters, not reluctant ignorant ones.

[MrScorpio]

18. You got it backwards

Compulsory voting should be impetus enough to raise a motivated and informed electorate out of everyone. Your way and the other side's argument that we're all "elitists" who get off on telling everyone what to do becomes quite valid.

We need to create a society where everyone benefits from being informed and motivated. Otherwise democracy is nothing more than a joke.

[Le Taz Hot]

10. I'm wondering if the Debt Ceiling debacle, the S & P

downgrading and Wall Street's freefall yesterday will have an impact. Most polls show people are placing the blame more on the Republicans than the Democrats.

[BigDemVoter]

11. Generally Good

The Dem Part usually does quite well with high turnout. It's the Repigs who hate high voter turnout!

[spanone]

12. good. people don't show up to keep the status quo.

it's 'presidential' high

[Unvanguard]

14. Probably good. High turnout is generally good for Democrats.

Probably good for anyone running against incumbents, too.

[dorkulon]

16. If everybody turned out to vote, the Dems would always win.

Walker wouldn't be pushing Voter ID if high turnout was good for Republicans.

[DCBob]

17. There will be big wins for the Democrats tonight..

the Teabagger/GOPers have seriously over-reached and are rightly being blamed by most people for the mess this nation is in.