[lbo-talk] A 30% Rise in Campaign Costs to Achieve the Same Turnout Rates

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>[lbo-talk] Curse of liberalism
>Chuck0 chuck at mutualaid.org
>Mon Dec 27 09:13:43 PST 2004
>
>Carl Remick wrote:
>
>>A Republican Proletariat
>>BY TOM MERTES
>>
>>In Ohio, JoAnn Wypijewski has reported, the Democrats had serious 
>>organization in nine counties; the Republicans had it in all 
>>eighty-eight. Instead, Kerry's 'air war' bombarded the electorate 
>>from 30,000 feet. America Coming Together, MoveOn.org and the other 
>>527s bussed in white college kids and paid mercenaries to rust-belt 
>>towns with double-digit unemployment and high ex-convict levels, 
>>not to stay and help organize around community issues but to sign 
>>up votes for Kerry and get out. [14] By contrast, the gop has 
>>rebuilt itself nationally over the past decades and could mobilize 
>>nearly a million local party volunteers in 2004, with committees in 
>>over 3,000 us counties. Add to that the powerful conservative 
>>church organizations and it is easy to see why, with the electorate 
>>still more or less evenly divided, the Republicans can dominate all 
>>three branches of government.
>
>I haven't yet read Frank's book, but I'm looking forward to it.
>
>This isn't the only analysis that has pointed out the utter failure 
>of the Democrats to organize on the local level.

This year, it took a whopping 30% rise in campaign costs to achieve 
practically the same turnout rates as 2000.  I conclude that American 
voters are 30% more alienated from electoral politics than in 2000. 
Cf. 
<http://montages.blogspot.com/2004/12/30-rise-in-campaign-costs-to-achieve.html>.
-- 
Yoshie

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