The Democrats’ Real Turnout Problem
David Leonhardt NOV. 17, 2016
Barack Obama’s two victories created the impression of a strong wind at the back of the Democratic Party. Its constituencies — the young, the nonwhite, the college educated — were not only growing but were also voting in increasing numbers. The age-old issue of voter turnout finally seemed to be helping the political left.
The longer view is starting to look quite different, however. None of the other three most recent Democratic presidential nominees — Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Al Gore — inspired great turnout. George W. Bush, as you may recall, was widely considered to have won the political ground game. In off-year elections, Democratic turnout is even spottier, which helps explain the Republican dominance of Congress, governor’s mansions and state legislatures.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/opinion/sunday/the-democrats-real-turnout-problem.html?ref=opinion
