tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10635442.post4788554035497152039..comments2023-10-21T03:07:18.017-05:00Comments on Enclave: Loose leaves from yesterday's local electionS-townMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05948307051485318061noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10635442.post-34078002086947879812010-08-06T11:02:41.254-05:002010-08-06T11:02:41.254-05:00Sean: In a race where where 200 votes separate the...Sean: In a race where where 200 votes separate the incumbent from the challenger, I believe handling nuanced issues more diplomatically could make a difference. A wide margin and I would agree with you about nuance.S-townMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05948307051485318061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10635442.post-90509081057621404962010-08-06T10:49:56.192-05:002010-08-06T10:49:56.192-05:00In that Turner's GOTV efforts weren't enou...In that Turner's GOTV efforts weren't enough, you are right, that is obvious given the results. The rest of this is projection on your part. Its pretty simple really, look at the numbers across the county, those precincts in the 21st had high Dem turnout due to a highly publicized race for State Senate. Those precincts in the 19th or 20th had low Dem turnout because there was no real media coverage or TV for the House races...the same dynamic played out in the 60th which had even lower turnout than 58.<br /><br />Its a common fallacy that the electorate is highly informed or that nuanced issues carry the day. I know that might have been the case for you, and do your last dying breath you are gonna be convinced this was true for everyone else who doesn't vote, but it simply didn't work that way.<br /><br />If there had been media coverage, if Turner had the money to go on local TV and run ads, if there had been a more exciting Gubernatorial or Senate race to drive voters to the poll, maybe things would've been different. But getting people to go out and vote simply for a State House primary race is damn hard and you have to contend with habitual voters who love incumbents. <br /><br />Am I "blaming voters"? Yes, in that people shouldn't have to be begged and cajoled to participate in a representative democracy. But that's me, I'll vote no matter what. Could be nothing contested and I'll vote because that is just what I do, and will always do, regardless of how many times the people around me disappoint.Sean Braistedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14848560907756278959noreply@blogger.com