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Shame on voters for weak turnout
Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 | 2 a.m.
The Republican caucus on Feb. 4 was very disappointing — not the results, the turnout. Barely 8 percent of Nevada’s roughly 400,000 active registered Republicans bothered to vote in the caucus.
While citizens in many countries would do almost anything for the right to vote, about 92 percent of Nevada’s registered Republicans sat home. Many of these 92 percent will complain because “their” candidate didn’t win. And then they will blame the winner because he outspent their candidate, or he blanketed their candidate with “negative” advertising, or use any other excuse they can think of to shift the blame away from themselves.
Even those who didn’t bother to vote but whose candidate won share some blame. Their candidate would have won by a much larger margin if they had taken the time to vote.
I can only hope that Republican voters wake up and recognize the importance of their vote and that they flock to the polls in November.
Regardless of who the Republican presidential nominee is, it is crucial that all Republicans vote in November to defeat President Barack Obama.
Discussion: 25 comments so far…
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The right to vote is not an obligation to vote. I agree, would have been nice if the majority did vote, but most opted not to, and that's their right. They should not be littered with accusations just because they ignored the voting booths. Who do you think you are trying to put that blame game on people who did not vote? I'd be real surprised if you are a registered Republican. These verbal tactics coming from you sound like those of a "DumboDuck" coming out from the left-wing.
Proves what I posted several weeks back. Primaries and caucuses are irrelevant. What counts is the election on Nov 6, 2012.
Contrary to what some here believe, it won't be a vote for a particular GOP candidate, like the primary/caucus. It will be a vote against the sitting president.
Carmine A. DiFazio
Maybe it says more about voter attitude toward politicians in general. Could be a case of "if we pretend they're not here, maybe they'll go away".
its a case of voters not liking the choices. not a winner in the bunch. hopefully, republicans across the nation stay home in november and send a message that Obama needs another 4 years.
As It's been said It's not the voters who should get the blame. It's the Republican party who created the the unhappy cituation they are In,people know B.S. when they see and hear It.
It's probably a good thing more republicans didn't vote in the caucus. The Clark County GOP had enough trouble counting the low-tunout number of votes that were cast. Any more and they wouldn't have finished before the general election in November.
With a choice between Mitt, Newt, Rick and Ron, who can blame republicans for picking none of the above?
Makes sense to me, anyway.
Don't worry, we'll be there for the big one.
Sad to say but the funniest GOP clowns have already left the stage. Cain, Perry and Bachmann were comedy gold but they're gone now (adios, mofos) so we're stuck with the most boring runts of a bad litter.
Mitt tries hard to entertain with his daily gaffes like "I'm not concerned about the very poor," or his brutal, monotonic butchering of 'America the Beautiful'. But somethings missing from the complete crazy we've come to expect. It's just not the same without the others.
Blame the Republican Party. Despite my having been a registered Republican for the past 15 years and having lived at the same address for 12 years, I received NO notice of when or where I was to caucus. Only by searching the Internet did I learn that my precinct was to caucus at Valley HS. When I arrived (early), I was able to "sign in" but, after that, NO ONE seemed to be in charge or to know what to do. After wandering around for a while, I found my precinct table and joined 4 other people. There was a large envelope on the table which contained voluminous instructions. We finally navigated them and learned that we were to select 4 delegates (who would have to pay $40 each) to attend the next tier. Then, we discussed the candidates and "voted". However, there is no assurance that our delegates will vote in the next tier as we did in the caucus. What a Chinese Fire-Drill! Why can't we have a simple Primary Election? With proper notice, I am confident that it would produce a much larger turn-out, and, further, once I vote, I can be assured it will be counted exactly as I intended.
Needless to say none of these current participants in the Republican nomination process are inspiring or motivating the Republican base. Besides Ron Paul that is.
Even worse than turnout: Mitt's polling numbers.
It's too early to make any substantive predictions, but when even Rasmussen (!) has Romney down 10 points, those lackeys who have been putting their credibility on the line by predicting Obama's loss in November have to be chugging heartburn meds and beta blockers.
"In a potential Election 2012 matchup, the president attracts 50% of the vote and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney 40% (see tracking history). This is the largest lead the president has enjoyed against Romney in regular polling going back more than a year. It's also the first time that the president has reached the 50% level of support against Romney."
No wonder Mitt couldn't get anyone to show up to the caucus!
Sadly all civic responsiblity has eroded for most. Pride in our country and elected officals is at a all time low as well. If there is going to be a turn around, that is where it needs to start.
dont forget ladies and germs; you voted for bush TWICE! look what happened, nothing but heartbreak and underwater homes.
"Romney will win EASILY!"
Just like Sharron Angle, right?
Meanwhile, Mitt's at CPAC attacking Las Vegas!
Where are all the GOP stooges who whined about Obama? Why are they silent?
When did I say the Democrats would keep the House, Joe? Lying again, I see.
While your candidate is prompting 1 in 5 republicans to lean to Obama!
http://www.wnd.com/2012/02/20-of-republi...
And that's a poll from the wingnut paradise known as the World Net Daily! Wonder what a reputable polling company would find...
I'll stick my neck out and say I think that many people remember how things were under Clinton with a Republican Congress and want the same thing this time.
I think we are seeing some signs of this in the low Republican turnout. The GOP here in Nevada isn't really that concerned over who gets the nod for President and the Congressional seats are not contested for them. At the same time, the Congressional races are very much in the forefront when it comes to general election.
Kevin, pay no attention to the Lady. She told the same lie about me over and over. Desparation is setting in on teabaggers because they know another Obama beatdown is just around the corner.
boftx: "I'll stick my neck out and say I think that many people remember how things were under Clinton with a Republican Congress and want the same thing this time."
And I'm thinking that's just wishful thinking. The last year has shown that teapublicans have no intention of working with the president on anything whatsoever. Approval numbers for Congress are at 10% -- ten precent! I think the GOP is in deep doo doo.
Possibly, but here is the order of outcomes I think most likely:
1. Obama is re-elected (not by landslide numbers), the GOP retains the House (losing 10 - 15 seats) and take control of the Senate by 1 seat.
2. The GOP wins the White House (barely), retains the House (losing 10 - 15 seats), and the Democrats retain the Senate by 1 seat.
3. Things stay as they are now, with both parties losing seats in Congress, but not enough to flip them.
4. Either party captures all three prizes. I think this is VERY unlikely.
I'm confused as to what relevance contraception insurance has with regard to the anemic Nevada republican voter turnout last Saturday. But, if you're going to go there...
"If health insurance plans provide coverage for prescription drugs, that coverage has to extend to FDA-approved prescription contraceptives. It's that simple."
Did President Obama say that? Nope. Did I say that? Nope. Did any Democrat say that? Nope. That is a quote from a Republican senator, who along with other Republican senators and Republican congressmen, was testifying on behalf of a federal health care law. Over ten years ago.
Before the current health care law was enacted, 28 states, including Nevada, already required employers to provide insurance that covered contraception, including employers associated with religious institutions. It was the law of the land, long before President Obama came along.
But, to quote the blatantly partisan/biased Rachel Maddow (who just has a spectacular way with words): "This is a particular gift of the modern republican party. This is why the word "conservative" is kind of a misnomer. The word "conservative" generally means you don't want things to change. Right? You want to conserve things the way they are.... But, in the modern republican party, change is an art form. They're not only happy to turn against their own ideas, and quickly, they are happy to denounce anybody who espouses what used to be their own ideas as essentially the anti-Christ for having even allowed that previously republican idea to cross their mind.... There is a reason you have not been deafened by the cries of outrage over that policy in these 28 states. It's because nobody in the republican party decided that that sort of thing would be an outrage until now. Until they could somehow try to use it against President Obama, even though they never cared about it before."
Let the republican hypocrisy continue.
Don't be surprised at the light Republican turnout in November.
Is it just possible the Republican Tea Party is turning off voters because of their extreme views? Their "tent" is shrinking and far less inclusive than when George W. Bush ran for office. Their rejection of science and paranoidal xenophobic rants, include being out of touch with real people such as the working poor and women, are a clue as to why some in leadership roles are borderline sane.
"Is it just possible the Republican Tea Party is turning off voters because of their extreme views?"
Yup, despite the administration's softening of the policy, it sounds like Boehner will press on with a bill to eliminate the birth control coverage mandate for ALL employers.
Thanks for turning this into a wedge issue, John! Will love to see the independents turn away in droves as the GOP outs itself as the party against women's basic health care needs.
Meanwhile, the guy who just won three GOP contests for President this week, Santorum, continues to crusade to eliminate all federal funding for contraception!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN7WfIZh6...
It's no wonder the GOP can't motivate voters to go to the polls.
"paranoidal racist rants"
Here is where I have to step in. Just a few days ago, Joe had a racist diatribe removed that stereotyped Muslims as "7-11 and Motel 6 managers," and repeated the birther mantra that Obama is a Muslim.
He tried to claim it was an email he received. But what type of person would copy and paste a racist rant onto a comment on the Sun's site? Joe would.
The Occupy movement doesn't represent mainstream Democratic views, nor Democratic voters... not like the tea party represents the base of the Republican party.
Out of touch with working people? This coming from the group that held the payroll tax cut hostage in order to safeguard the low tax rates on millionaires? Ha!
Your candidate is severely out of touch with mainstream America, Joe. He's currently demolishing a seaside mansion... in order to make it BIGGER. He just told a group of CEOs today that he "loves" them!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/elec...
"I like being able to fire people who provide services to me."
"Corporations are people, my friends."
"I'm running for office, for Pete's sake. I can't have any illegals."
"10,000 bucks? A $10,000 bet?"
"We prevented Massachusetts from becoming the Las Vegas of gay marriage!"
Romney's a gaffe machine... to a degree we haven't seen since Sarah Palin.
"Yup, the Mad Hatter is REALLY in touch with the common man...unless that "common man" is holding the door for the Mad Hatter as he entered a luxurious and swank New York eatery for his $35K a plate fundraiser!"
Considering that much of Romney's cash is coming from large donors, not small donors, I'm not sure what your point is, Joe, other than you have a double standard... yet again. Romney's reliance on big donors just further proves Romney isn't connected with the base of his party.
"He tried to claim it was an email he received. But what type of person would copy and paste a racist rant onto a comment on the Sun's site? Joe would."
I missed this, but it doesn't surprise me in the least.
"We prevented Massachusetts from becoming the Las Vegas of gay marriage!"
Thanks for the plug, idiot.
Gotta hand it to Willard -- there isn't a pile of doggy doo within a ten mile radius of his dumba$$ that he can't locate like a guided missile and step in with both feet.
The guy is dumber than crazy Sharron Angle (I never thought I'd say that about anyone).
Unlike you, Gogo, I don't find racism funny, no matter the source. As far as I'm concerned you AND Joe Biden can take your ugly racist stereotypes and shove it.
What did Santorum say today about women being too emotional to be in combat? If that's the best you guys can do, rely on racism and sexism to appeal to your base, your party's days in the White House are over.
"Hey, Edge, that post was an e-mail that was sent to me and I posted it...."
Who's sending you racist emails, Joe? And why haven't you blocked them?
Obama's Super PAC flip-flop? Yup, it's a flip-flop. But let's explore how it's going to play out. Voters who identify as republican hate Obama anyway, so it doesn't hurt him with that group. Independents and Democrats will hear the following argument:
A pair of boxers agree to a fight. Mitt and Obama train, practice, etc. A month before the big fight, the ref announces, "Hey, feel free to bring a knife!" Mitt laughs and pulls the knife from his back pocket. It was there all along, he was planning on bringing it anyway. So Obama has a choice: knife or no knife. Well, he'd rather have a fair fight, but if he knows Mitt's bringing a knife, the logical thing to do is to bring a knife.
And, frankly, for the MITT ROMNEY supporters to call Obama out on flip-flopping? What a joke. Call me when your candidate has a consistent opinion on ANYTHING. May you be forever proud, yet ignorant of your rank, obvious double standard as you cast a vote for him in November. Considering these are the same geniuses convinced of the electoral prowess of Sharron Angle, I'm not sure logic's capable of sinking in...
Joe, don't you say, with regularity, that "just because they did it" isn't a defense?
Why not just apologize for the racism and move on?
edgewise - "What did Santorum say today about women being too emotional to be in combat?"
Another chicken hawk coward spouting an idiotic view of the subversive role of women.
No, Gogo falls back on equivocation and is unapologetic for his racist attack against Muslims.
He wants me to take responsibility for Joe Biden? What a joke. I didn't post that language, Gogo. YOU DID.
I've never had a comment removed for violating the Sun's comment policy regarding hate speech. That's the difference between you and I, Gogo.
Obama was right about Pennsylvania. Everything between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh is basically Alabama without the Redneck Riviera. In the very center of the state is a lovely all-American town called State College, home of Penn State University and the late Joe Paterno as well as Joe's former assistant coach, alleged child molester, Jerry Sandusky.
Nope, Joe, not buying it.
What did Edge write:
"Unlike you, Gogo, I don't find racism funny, no matter the source. As far as I'm concerned you AND Joe Biden can take your ugly racist stereotypes and shove it."
He disavowed all racist comments. Now it's up to you: you can be a man and admit you shouldn't have pasted some weird, racist email chain that you got from who-knows-where, or accept that some people think you're racist.
I tend to agree with Edge here: racism has no place in our discourse, no matter the source.
correction
Another chicken hawk coward spouting an idiotic view of the "submissive" role of women.
JUST IN
Romney: I Was A 'Severely Conservative' Governor
___
Something is not right with RoboRomney. He appears to have blown another flip-flop fuse and is going all haywire again, possibly due to flip-flop overload. No matter how many times Mitt's handlers reboot his corrupted memory software the program keeps blurting out crazy sh**.
RoboRomney's statement today a CPAC:
"As a severe conservative who likes to fire people, I feel that corporations are the kind of people I'm concerned about, not the very poor, and if you doubt this I'll bet you $10,000 (not very much in my view since I make $57,000 per day for not working which is stashed in overseas tax shelters)."
Dan......
Here's a dose of reality for you.
We Democrats and other sane people OUT NUMBER
all of you republicans in the U.S.
It doesn't matter how many of you republicans
show up to vote, you republicans are going down
hard this year.
Sane people won't let you greedy republicans
destroy our economy again.
NO WAY, NO HOW!
FOUR MORE YEARS FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!
At C-Pac Romney said that he will continue to
fight the Las Vegas of gay marrige.
WHAT?
Is Romney against Las Vegas and gay marrige?
As usual, all the posts started off good, but then Mr. Schillmoeller joins in and there goes intelligent discourse....on Schillmoeller's part. The only time I read any of his posts is when someone lifts a "quote" from them in replying. The ramblings are akin to someone who is...well, in need of professional help to put it nicely.
Why doesn't the Sun block Mr. Schillmoeller's posts? He is one nasty, mean Mother F'er who cannot type a post without calling people names (yes, I just did stoop to his level but I wanted to make a point). He's like the school yard bully. But I know he's older than a kid but unfortunately his posts don't show that.
PS to Mr. Schillmoeller - Don't count your chickens before they hatch about November.
the trick with lady gaga is to ignore her. kid needs a lot of attention but, like her baseball team, gets little respect.
"As usual, all the posts started off good, but then Mr. Schillmoeller joins in and there goes intelligent discourse....on Schillmoeller's part."
The guy is the Deacon Jones of political commentary. He is a bomb thrower with the conscience of Mengele. It is a good thing the USA has him. If he was in a less restrictive country they likely would have had their country lose hundreds of thousands of lives. He only cares about his point of view, and he will go nose to nose with you electronically to tell you your point of view is absurd.
I am glad we have him and others similar to use as examples to show our kids what an awful place the world would be without the USA. Sociopaths like Joe without a platform are blowhards. Better here on these forums than in the Military or government. We crack up over his one dimensional rants all over the world. That is enuff time wasted on Joey the rat.
I was at the Republican caucus.
My wife was going with me. But when we discovered it was not at our usual voting location we stopped, called many numbers to get recordings, checked a few web sites. She gave up before I could find it and I took her home. When I did get there somewhere after 10am and find the correct room it was too late for her to come.
I'll never go thru that BS again.
As said 100 times before - no one had a clue, some volunteers were of no help, information was difficult to find the place and time, while others waited there for hours.