yo, Kos: don't forget who's responsible for voting
kos, over at DailyKos (his very own blog-at-the-top-of-the-lefty-heap) is worried about November's elections:
And if we want to be really pessimistic, this may be further evidence of the lack of motivation amongst Democrats in general. I am truly sensing a national malaise that may very well cost us significant gains in November.
the source of his angst? that three Dem candidates for IL CD-6 garnered 4,000 total votes fewer than the 2004 primary. this he sees as evidence that we Dems may be in trouble this year.
a silly worry, or a worry for the wrong reasons. 2004 was — remember? — a presidential election. there was a presidential primary, and a senate race (Obama) and more goodies. votes always go down in mid-term elections, so 4,000 fewer votes may suck for the cause of perfect attendance but it's par for the course.
and from kos, this worry is disturbing. he didn't support Dean as his first choice candidate, but he understands the ideas that drove (and continue to drive) his campaign: people-power. and in Deanian politics, it's not the job of the politicians to get people excited and to the polls; it's the job of the people. of us, the ones who care and are active. if 4,000 fewer Dems in IL-6 bother to vote in this primary, don't blame the 3 candidates. they gave it a great effort. all three did bust their asses, and it was a competitive race. the party activists failed, and the volunteers who should have but didn't get involved in GotV. the people failed themselves. that's what the worry needs to be if anything: that in too many places, Dems have not had the lesson sink in that we, the people, have to win elections.
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Vote Retention
The mid-term vote drop is disturbing, but not Kos' concern with it, it means that what should be a hot election for Democrats is not playing that way. I know nothing about the candidates in IL CD6, but if the voters don't see something new they can be understandably apathetic. Polls seem to show the disgust for Congress paints both parties, this is bad news. I, and my fellow 2CD candidates, are doing what we can to be something different. I am real sure I'm different, whether that plays with voters is the question.
I didn't do this to do the same old thing, I did this to offer voters an actual alternative to the same old thing. Yes, I actually do think I can beat waldenbush and I know it's a very tough thing to do, but if I read the folks out here they want to do something different. That may be talk, and not a vote, they are two different things, but... I sure am not running to make a statement (blogging is cheap) and I sure am not doing it just so there's a "D" on the ballot, martyrdom is not my style. Let's kick some butt!