Poll:GOP more excited than Democrats about voting.....

[a kennedy]

Republicans are more jazzed than Democrats about voting in the 2014 midterm elections, but the enthusiasm gap between the parties isn’t as wide as it was at this point before the 2006 and 2010 “waves” that led to power changing hands.

A new Pew Research Center poll found 45% of voters who planned to support a GOP candidate for Congress were more enthusiastic about casting a ballot than they were in previous elections. By comparison, 37% of Democrats have greater enthusiasm about voting in November.

In the 2010 midterms, when the Tea Party helped sweep John Boehner’s party into power in the House, Republicans had a 13-point advantage in enthusiasm. In 2006, when Democrats took control of the House, Nancy Pelosi’s party had a 17-point enthusiasm advantage four months ahead of Election Day.

So what’s the cause of excitement?

The Pew poll found 62% of Republicans and Democrats are motivated to go to the polls because control of Congress is at stake. That’s a 5-point jump for Democrats compared to four years ago — and a 4-point drop for Republicans.

http://onpolitics.usatoday.com/2014/07/24/voter-enthusiasm-republicans-2014-midterms/

BUT THEN AGAIN: here was the headline on DU on Feb 8, 2012 "Democrats are now more excited about voting this fall than Republicans are"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/125110068

[onehandle]

1. The kids who voted for Obama twice will once again, fail to vote.

Cranky old racist gun nuts will be there with bells on.

[Cosmocat]

5. Pretty much sums it up

nm

[vi5]

2. What do people (mainly Dems) expect....

When the biggest selling point for most Democratic candidates is "Not batshit crazy like the other guys" why would anyone be enthused about that? Nobody is enthused about any obligation, and for too many people that's what it is.

"Well, I guess I HAVE to vote for this Dem because of the supreme court." isn't anything that anyone is going to be excited about. We'll do it, sure but there's a hell of a lot of low information votes who aren't going to fall for that line of thinking.

[napi21]

3. There are 2 reasons Dems SHOULD get to the polls this year...

The Supreme Court
Control of the House of Reps.

No matter how uninformed you are about Government, you HAVE to be aware of the lac of accomplishment by the current congress, AND the insane rulings by the current SCOTUS justices. There are still millions of Americans who are unemployed/under employed, which include those who's unemployment benefits have run out (and NOT EXTENDED) the students who have graduated from HS or College and cannot find a job. All of them have a good reason to VOTE to change the House to Blue and remove the chance of the SCOTUS becoming RW PUB for the next 40+ years!

One problem I've found when talking to people is that they don't realize ALL LAWS must originate in Congress, and be passed by both houses. I personally have had to explain to over one dozen people the reason why Congressional elections of MORE IMPORTANT than the Presidency!

We ALL need to get that drummed into the heads of everyone we know or meet.

[Cosmocat]

7. Here is the problem

this is enough to get YOU AND ME to vote.

Not good enough for the majority of voters ...

Sadly, you need something that drives more emotion than using your head.

[napi21]

11. You're somewhat right, but the people I referred to in my original post

did vote once in a while, but as one actually said to me "I never knew that almost everything happens in Congress! I'm going to pay more attention to who's running and for sure vote!" I really am amazed that there are so many people who don't really understand how their gov't works.

I also agree with you that we have to find something to get our Dems MAD! The "Mad" emotion is MUCH more effective than the happy one. I think at least some are already energized by Boner's law suit against the President, but that's likely not enough. I don't knpow that WE can push this until lots of the Dem candidates begin making campaign promises like:

I will vote FOR extending unemployment. (Because there are XX million unemployed in desperation due to the Pubs refusing to do so.)

I will get our State to adopt the Medicare Expansion. (Because XX thousand people who are very poor but still not able to get any health care coverage because the Pub Governor refuses to do so, even though it would cost the State NOTHING!)

I will vote for funding a BIG infrastructure program that will put Millions of people to work PLUS fix our current aging roads and bridges that are desprately in need of repair. (America has fallen behind in quality of our infrastructure, and incorporating modern technology BECAUSE the Pubs refuse to spend any money..UNLESS it for tax cuts for the rich!)

I'm sure all of you can add a lot to that list, but I intend to send this info to all the Dems who are running in our State, and hope you do the same. Once they start to talk about these items THEN it will be easy to push for votes to get them elected.

[Cosmocat]

15. Yep

Dems are no where to be found.

That is why it is so bad right now.

The Rs are going to be raging jackasses and the media is going to be their merry lapdogs.

Dems HAVE to both fire back at Rs AND propose something worthwhile and fight for it.

[vi5]

14. And a lot will get out for those reasons...

The point is that you need to overshoot the enthusiasm gap and Democrats have not really given people a reason beyond the ones I gave to be enthusiastic.

Even a lot of liberal leaning people aren't informed, and Democrats have been content to just sit back quietly, let the Republican candidates do or say something stupid and then come out and go "See! That guys crazy! Vote for me!!!". That lets them off the hook for being held to any standard beyond "Not a crazy shit head" with which to govern.

[Cosmocat]

6. YEP!

nm

[WI_DEM]

4. Wasn't the GOP, according to some polls, more enthused about voting for Mitt in '12?

Gallup certainly showed an enthusiasm gap. Until about their final poll they almost consistently had Romney ahead.

[blkmusclmachine]

8. Massive failure on the DC DEMS. Beginning to wonder if losing the Senate is the game plan this year.

[bigdarryl]

9. Stop with all this gloom and doom folks

The election is four months away I'm not relying on some damn poll that's out in July.Plus my question who did they poll I think more African Americans are going.to vote than they think.Its all about voter turnout and all these pundits and pollsters are relying on.past history and what about the independents

[a kennedy]

10. I'm hoping and working to show you're right...

[davidpdx]

12. Not if the Republicans see to it that those that don't look like them get to vote

We all know they will be up to their old bag of tricks. Actually the election is just over three months away.

[RBInMaine]

17. Exactly. THIS IS NOT 2010. Also, if someone JUST has to be "excited" to vote, then SHAME on THEM!

Is this really where we are? Some people are not "excited" enough to vote so are going to stay home like a kindergartener staying home because the playground isn't "exciting" enough?

These people need to grow the hell up, get into reality, and get out of needing some silly Disneyland level of "excitement" before they will vote.

If they don't vote and TeaPUKES get in office, they get just exactly what they deserve. NO EXCUSES ! NO bitching, whining, and complaining.

What should be said to these "unexcited children" is "STOP ACTING LIKE SPOILED BABIES AND GET YOUR LAZY ASSES TO THE POLLS. If you don't vote, then DO NOT BITCH ABOUT ONE SINGLE GOD DAMNED THING! "

(PS: Please, don't anyone tell me that "Democrats are like Republicans, bla bla bla..." That is the largest heap of steaming bullshit there is. There are VAST differences. The TeaPUKES are largely INSANE. There's one difference. There are hundreds more.)

[4dsc]

13. Until our candidates get pissed about republicans

I'm afraid they are not worth voting for if they don't want to get in a dirty fight with republicans.

Until most of our candidate get in a fighting mood they'll fail this fall.

[Matrosov]

16. I wouldn't worry

Much of the excitement on the Republican side comes from Tea Party supporters wanting to exact retribution against what they perceive to be treasonous behavior from establishment Republicans. There is a great deal of anger toward Thad Cochran for his use of Democratic voters in the fight against Chris McDaniel, as well as toward Congressional Republicans who are not doing more to embrace issues important to the Tea Party.