Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Find Those Votes!
It's all become about winning. There was a time in this country when people ran for political office because they want to make a difference. Never mind having a real chance to win, it was important to get your message out there. That still exists with "third party" candidates. I really respect guys like Ralph Nader. Nader knew he had no chance, he wasn't even on the ballot in every state, but he ran the race to the end because he had something to say. By the way, I didn't really like or agree with what he had to say, but I respect what how he went about his campaign.
With the two major parties, though, it's all about winning. Karl Rove (correct spelling here, I found both spellings when I made the cartoon during the campaign) isn't so much a political genius as he is an election genius. The electorate is divided, for the most part has made up its mind before any campaign begins. It's gotten to the point where the message isn't the important thing, it's about getting your people to the polls. It's not about convincing people you're right, it's about finding enough votes to win.
The Dems were counting on the young vote, the under 25's. They concentrated on them, knowing if they could get the youngsters out, they could win the election.
Rove's team found their votes somewhere else, in evangelical christians. I don't point this out because I have any problem with evangelicals, in fact since that's where Bush resides in the religious spectrum, it's honest. But Bush talked to evangelicals in a different way than he did to the rest of the country, a way that would have turned off a good portion of the electorate.
Evangelicals turned out in November and voted for Bush as a block. They voted Bush because he assured them he was for "family values." For these folks, primary "family values" issues are gay marriage and banning abortion. That's all they needed to hear, they turned out.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not accusing the republicans of any wrong doing. If the Dems had won the election based on a huge turnout of young voters I would be making the same arguements. Yes, Kerry talked to the youth differently than he talked to the rest of the country.
At some point we're going to have to get back to trying to fix things in this country. Politicians need a plan, not a plan on how to win the next election, but a plan of how to make things better. And until they do plan to make things better, they won't get better.
It does make me wonder where the next block of "found" voters is going to come from. Gays comprise, if you believe the studies, aproximately 10% of the population. It stands to reason that they comprise 10% of the electorate as well. I'm almost certain they would vote democrat, but how politically active are they? Evangelicals normally vote republican, but Rove strategized to get them to the polls and it made the difference. Are there enough gays not voting that getting them to the polls could make the difference next time?
Or will it be some other group? Macintosh users? Carnival workers? The homeless? Sorority members? The list could go on forever.
BOJ
With the two major parties, though, it's all about winning. Karl Rove (correct spelling here, I found both spellings when I made the cartoon during the campaign) isn't so much a political genius as he is an election genius. The electorate is divided, for the most part has made up its mind before any campaign begins. It's gotten to the point where the message isn't the important thing, it's about getting your people to the polls. It's not about convincing people you're right, it's about finding enough votes to win.
The Dems were counting on the young vote, the under 25's. They concentrated on them, knowing if they could get the youngsters out, they could win the election.
Rove's team found their votes somewhere else, in evangelical christians. I don't point this out because I have any problem with evangelicals, in fact since that's where Bush resides in the religious spectrum, it's honest. But Bush talked to evangelicals in a different way than he did to the rest of the country, a way that would have turned off a good portion of the electorate.
Evangelicals turned out in November and voted for Bush as a block. They voted Bush because he assured them he was for "family values." For these folks, primary "family values" issues are gay marriage and banning abortion. That's all they needed to hear, they turned out.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not accusing the republicans of any wrong doing. If the Dems had won the election based on a huge turnout of young voters I would be making the same arguements. Yes, Kerry talked to the youth differently than he talked to the rest of the country.
At some point we're going to have to get back to trying to fix things in this country. Politicians need a plan, not a plan on how to win the next election, but a plan of how to make things better. And until they do plan to make things better, they won't get better.
It does make me wonder where the next block of "found" voters is going to come from. Gays comprise, if you believe the studies, aproximately 10% of the population. It stands to reason that they comprise 10% of the electorate as well. I'm almost certain they would vote democrat, but how politically active are they? Evangelicals normally vote republican, but Rove strategized to get them to the polls and it made the difference. Are there enough gays not voting that getting them to the polls could make the difference next time?
Or will it be some other group? Macintosh users? Carnival workers? The homeless? Sorority members? The list could go on forever.
BOJ
# posted by Blind Orange Julius @ 10:02 PM 
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