Posted on 10/24/2012 11:47:41 PM PDT by JustaCowgirl
Pennsylvania is approaching the Nov. 6 presidential election with 3 percent fewer registered voters than in fall 2008, an unusual slip that political analysts blame on a drop in voter enthusiasm across the country.
Democrats especially experienced a slump, bleeding 229,396 registered voters in Pennsylvania since the last presidential race, state data show. Republicans are down 112,796 registrants, but voters unconnected to either major party grew by 7 percent, or 73,043, according to Pennsylvania Department of State figures. As of Monday the state had 8,487,093 voters, down from 8,755,588 in November 2008, despite a 2 percent population gain. Democrats still hold a 50-37 percentage registration edge over Republicans, down one point from 2008.
The registration deadline for the election was Oct. 9.
“This year, we don’t have such a sense that this election is going to make history the way we did in 2008,” said Pat Dunham, chairwoman of the political science department at Duquesne University. “Enthusiasm in general may have dampened a little. Three-and-a-half years after electing Barack Obama, we see it’s not that easy to change things. ”
For Democrats in particular, “there’s not the same excitement” as four years ago, when the party tallied thousands of registrations, said political analyst Geoffrey Skelley of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
...snip....
Yet even Ohio, the most contested swing state, reported a voter-registration dip of about 490,000 as of September, a nearly 6 percent decrease from 2008. Election officials may remove names from voter rolls when people move, die or go inactive for extended periods.
Another barometer of voter interest — Election Day turnout — is projected to slide. The Center for Politics expects 60 percent of the voting-eligible population will vote, down from about 62 percent in 2008.
The 60 percent figure is about on par with 2004, Skelley said. He said that’s still relatively high, considering turnout rates for presidential elections hovered between 50 percent and 60 percent in the 1990s. ....snip..... Washington County Democratic Chairman George Vitteck said the party registered legions of college students in 2008.
“I think probably a lot of them have left the state with different ventures,” Vitteck said. “I don’t see the college people being as enthused now as they were four years ago. But the core Democrats – they’re still there.”
The state will complete voter-registration counts after an Oct. 29 certification deadline, spokesman Ron Ruman said.
Yeah, especially if you're stupid enough to elect a snake.
Democrats enthusiastic for Romney. Feelin’ it?
Actually, active registrations are 50-38, which is down 2 points for Dems since 2008. The Trib needs to drill down further in the PA Dept of State spreadsheet.
Thanks for the info. Mo’ better even.
The author got that right! In '08 I used to say that I'd vote for a cardboard box before I'd vote for Obama. To humor that sentiment I kind of wished we'd nominated a cardboard box this time. But I guess a cardboard box wouldn't have done as well in the debates.
And they will go overwhelmingly for Romney.
When the poly sci prof talks about making history in 2008—so biased it sounds like satire from the Onion.
Guess the Neanderthal voters will “unmake” some history this time.
:-)
-490K total
-113K GOP
+ 73K Ind
Maybe they removed all those dead voters from the rolls, the ones who always vote Democrat.
with 3 percent fewer registered voters than in fall 2008the steady decline puzzles analysts.
And they will go overwhelmingly for Romney.
Guess the Neanderthal voters will “unmake” some history this time.
Isn't it though? She might as well have said 'Sigh, I guess it just wasn't possible for dear, lovable Barack to make the changes he wanted to. All the ignorant dummies will probably go vote for Romney now.'
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‘“This year, we don’t have such a sense that this election is going to make history the way we did in 2008,” said Pat Dunham’
Of course it’s going to make history: the first half-black President of the United States gets voted out of office after a single term with even BIGGER EV and voter margins than his original election.
I think that is history making, every bit as his election. Clearly, the historic defeat of the first half-black President by a white man is a blatantly racist act by a blatantly racist country, whereas his election in the first place in which he defeated a white man is clearly NOT a racist act by a blatantly racist country. There, I’ve set the stage for the Progressive meme on college campuses across the U.S. for the next 50 years, and I’m not even going to seek official publication and the consequent fame and fortune attendant there upon.
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