[WS:] Excellent point. Of course this is not news, researchers have been pointing this out since 1988 Piven & Cloward book "Why Americans don't vote?"
Two observations.
1. Nonvoting is often interpreted by some lefties as evidence of dissatisfaction with the US political system. I think it is wishful thinking. The likely reasons for non-voting are similar to those for not going to church on Sunday. Most people don't do it because they do not have time or prefer to stay home and watch TV, not because they are "dissatisfied" or want to "make a statement."
2. While non-voters on average are not that much different than voters, mobilizing them to vote can have significant effects on the election outcomes. The reason is that such mobilizing is almost always selective - it tends to mobilize groups that hold a particular opinion, rather than a 'representative' selection of non-voters. Given the fact that most elections are closely tied, drawing a new supporters can tip the balance.
This, I believe, is the reason behind the seeming irrational rants of the Republican candidates. They are aimed not at the supporters but at non-voters, hoping to incense the wingnut segment of non-voters to get their asses out the couch and vote.
Wojtek
On Mon, Mar 12, 2012 at 12:40 PM, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
>
> On Mar 12, 2012, at 12:33 PM, Carl G. Estabrook wrote:
>
>> Exactly. E.g., in the Reagan 'landslide,' three out of four eligible voters didn't vote for him. --CGE
>
> Nonvoters are not all that different from voters, according to a 2010 survey from Pew. More liberal, but also more satisfied with things in the U.S., and with a higher approval rating for Obama. Also more likely to support Obamacare than voters. They're just detached.
>
> http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1786/who-are-nonvoters-less-republican-educated-younger
>
> There's really no untapped vein of significant radical opinion out there, I'm afraid.
>
> Doug
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-- Wojtek http://wsokol.blogspot.com/