Posted on 04/28/2002 9:17:09 AM PDT by CounterCounterCulture
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:40:12 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
What gives me hope for Simon, though, is that I think a lot of the Democratic base isn't going to bother to vote because they don't like Davis any more than we do.
You can see Davis is worried about this, since otherwise you wouldn't see issues like reparations taking centre stage. Most likely he wants interest groups to remember this come election day, while everyone else has had time to forget. In the mean time, you'll see Jesse Jackson and the black preachers shout from their pulpits that you'd better vote for Davis because he will get us the bucks. (Of course all the bucks will flow into Jackson's pocket, but ... never mind).
Far as I can tell, he's delivered the pork to interest groups like teachers and (most notoriously) prison guards, so they're going to turn out for him in large numbers. But I think a lot of Democratic true believers are going to stay home.
D
You're right. Turnout decides it. The effective organization that finds their side's voters and gets them to the polls wins.
In Illinois, precinct captains historically did that. Recently Dems have had success with phone calls that scare their voters into getting to the polls. They have identified which scare message and which celebrity phone call is best with each demographic group. Some get Ed Asner, or Jesse Jackson, or Paul Simon (the retired senator, not the singer for you on the left coast).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.