Poll Position: Which party’s most pooped about 2012 race?
Some of the Republicans who are weary of — and Democrats who are delighted by — the GOP’s long primary process have taken to pointing to turnout numbers as proof the party faithful are uninspired. In Mississippi’s hard-fought primary this week, for instance, turnout was lower than four years ago when John McCain already had all but wrapped up the nomination. We’ve seen similar results in other states throughout the primary season.
Then, along came Karl Rove with evidence the current president is suffering an enthusiasm problem of his own.
Which party has the least enthusiasm regarding the 2012 presidential race?
- Republicans (71 Votes)
- Democrats (29 Votes)
Total Voters: 100
Loading ...In his weekly op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Rove noted that Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee had a combined $91.7 million in cash on hand by the end of January. At the end of January 2004, by comparison, Rove pointed out that George W. Bush and the Republican National Committee had a combined $122 million in the bank. Obama is lagging behind not only Bush’s pace, but his own expectations: He’s bringing in money at about half the rate required to hit the $1 billion mark (a goal his campaign has since tried to play down, if not abandon).
All this, even though Obama “has already attended 103 fund-raisers, roughly one every three days since he kicked off his campaign last April (twice his predecessor’s pace).”
Part of the problem, according to Rove, is that Obama and the DNC are burning through cash at a much faster rate than Bush and the RNC did. But he also noted one difference that definitely speaks to enthusiasm:
The Obama campaign itself reported that fewer than 7 percent of 2008 donors renewed their support in the first quarter of his re-election campaign. That’s about one-quarter to one-third of a typical renewal rate: In the first quarter of the Bush re-election campaign, for example, about 20 percent of the donors renewed their support.
So, which side in 2012 is lacking most in enthusiasm: Obama and the Democrats, or the Republicans who want to unseat him? That’s this week’s Poll Position question. Answer in the nearby poll and in the comments thread below.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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91 comments Add your comment
Rafe Hollister
March 16th, 2012
10:13 am
I think any perceived lack of excitement on the part of the GOP base is there is no perfect candidate available to run against Oblamer, however, don’t for a second think that when Nov rolls around that moderate and conservative Americans are going to stay home, sit on their hands, and let this empty suit in office remain there. I think enthusiasm will spike in Oct and the eviction notice will be written and served.
Democrat voters may rally as they perceive the end near and force a great turnout effort to get their voters on the buses. We can all hope they fall short as many youth have left politics and returned home to mom’s basement. Blacks have to be discouraged at the rampant unemployment and lack of progress seen during the unfortunate period of nothingness that is the Oblamer regime. Many others dreading the implementation of Obamacare have waken to its harmfulness and extreme cost.
The greatest period of relief and enthusiasm for both parties will come the day after the election, when America steps out onto the road to renewal.
ragnar danneskjold
March 16th, 2012
10:18 am
Republican enthusiasm is undoubtedly negative, but the conservative desire to evict Chauncey is substantially greater than the leftist enthusiasm to retain such a loser. Has he gotten a single initiative right? At least Carter had three beneficial initiatives (decontrol of airline prices, decontrol of interstate shipping, decontrol of bank deposit interest rates).
Penny Pincher
March 16th, 2012
10:21 am
“Hey Rove its does not take a smart person to understand in 08 people had more extra cash to give then in 2012″
GM, your right, Obama’s policies have made thing much worse.
Oblama
March 16th, 2012
10:26 am
Four more years of Oblama? He has no plan except to get himself and his comrades reelected. We need some one with the courage to actually reduce the government. That is not Oblama. Tax and spend won’t cut it. It won’t cut the national debt. The clock to disaster is ticking. If all the profits from all the corporations in the U.S. were taxed 100% (confiscated) they would not even pay off the INTEREST on the national debt – much less actually reduce the debt. Wake up America. Vote to reduce the debt or vote for Oblama and disaster.
MarkV
March 16th, 2012
10:29 am
Oblama @10:10 am: “The fact is that if ALL the profits from the big corporations and private enterprise were confiscated (taxes) by the fed government they would not even cover the INTEREST on the national debt – much less reduce the actual debt.”
Why do you have to use lies when you are trying to make a point? Last year the interest on the national debt was about 454 billion, while the profits of the US corporations were about three times that amount.
Oblama
March 16th, 2012
10:52 am
If you don’t think that after the election your unemployment checks, your medicaid, your social security, your government grants aren’t going to get cut off you are dreaming. The dream world in Washington D.C. is about to get real. What happens when you reach your limit on your credit card? You get cut off. China and Japan own over half of the bonds on our national debt. They get interest on those bonds. That interest is equal to ALL of the profits the Big Corporations in the U. S. produce in an entire year. That’s our tax dollars going to China. Talk about exporting jobs. We are exporting our future to China! China owns the credit card debt and the U. S. is nearing it’s limit. Wake up America! Oblama = Oblivion. The Dems philosophy and plan is to tax and spend. That won’t pay the credit card bill my friend.
Hillbilly D
March 16th, 2012
10:57 am
This election will be like nearly every other one I’ve ever voted in. It’s just a matter of who I want to vote against, as I haven’t actually voted for anybody in years.
tireofit
March 16th, 2012
10:59 am
You repubs’ know you want Sara to run. Why do you think she is pushing for a brokered convention?
jms
March 16th, 2012
11:01 am
Obama and the Republican candidates are all lean finely textured beef. No wonder no one is excited.
Jefferson
March 16th, 2012
11:03 am
According to the Internal Revenue Service, the average U.S. income, when adjusted for inflation, declined 1% between 1988 and 2008, while Americans making $380,000 or more saw their incomes grow 33%.
How would Rove explain this info ?
sheepdawg
March 16th, 2012
11:03 am
any garbage spouted by karl rove is…..garbage
sheepdawg
March 16th, 2012
11:08 am
MarkV – good job, keep calling out the idiotic GOP lies
sheepdawg
March 16th, 2012
11:11 am
kyle, get off the presidential nomination for awhile. its a moot point anyway – our President for 4 more years, then Hillary for 8. Go back to attacking the corrupt Ga legislature and Speaker Ralston for stonewalling ethics reform. you’re much more entertaining and productive with that angle
MarkV
March 16th, 2012
11:15 am
Oblama @10:52 am: “China and Japan own over half of the bonds on our national debt.”
More lies from Oblama. The national debt is about 15 trillion. China holds about 1.2 trillion of US securities, Japan a little less.
Oblama
March 16th, 2012
11:52 am
The national debt is only 15 trillion? Wow! That is a relief. I thought we had a REAL problem! Despite what the news media would want you to believe corporations pay a lot of taxes in this country. They also have expenses. I am not talking about the gross profits. I am talking about net profits. The INTEREST on the national debt is more than the net profits of the U.S. based corporations last year. I refer to an article in Kiplinger Magazine that came out in 2011. They are an independent, reliable news source. So – if we ONLY owe about 2.4 trillion to the Japanese and Chinese guess who we owe the rest of this”credit card” debt to? Are you telling me that you don’t see a problem here that tax and spend can’t get us out of? You don’t think we need to reduce spending? What’s your plan? I’m all ears and I am not going to call you a liar – just misinformed.
K4
March 16th, 2012
11:56 am
Having the most money does not always mean you win the race… Just look at Romney.
Rafe Hollister
March 16th, 2012
11:56 am
MarkV
For once you added something and are correct, there is no need to lie about how bad things in the country are, things are pretty bad and there is plenty to blame Barry Oblamer for, no need to fudge the figures.
Oblama
March 16th, 2012
12:02 pm
The U.S. credit rating was downgraded last year by Standard & Poors for the 1st time in the history of this country. That is a serious warning sign of things ahead if the U.S. doesn’t curtail it’s spending. I am neither Dem or Repub. How about a plan to reduce this debt and the GUTS to implement it. Oblama has a plan to get reelected. He has no serious plan to reduce the national debt. Ross Perot was the only one that was honest enough to tell America about this disaster and America didn’t want to listen. The credit card is about to be cut off. The clock is ticking.
Michael
March 16th, 2012
12:47 pm
I still don’t know why Iowa and New Hampshire get to decide anything.
MarkV
March 16th, 2012
12:47 pm
Oblama@11:52 am
I did not write that “national debt is only 15 trillion.” I never minimized the national debt problem. Just like a did not write that “we ONLY owe about 2.4 trillion to the Japanese and Chinese.” I just presented facts, to correct your misinformation. The amount of profits I mentioned was after tax profits. As for who we owe the rest of the debt to, I could tell you, but why don’t you figure it out for yourself?
Oblama
March 16th, 2012
12:47 pm
The national debt is now $15,000,000,000,000 ? Wow! Just three weeks ago Yahoo reported that it was $13,000.000,700,000. Were they wrong or has it gone up 1.7 trillion in the last three weeks?
yuzeyurbrane
March 16th, 2012
12:49 pm
I won’t fault Rove as a technician. That is why he was so valuable to W. He makes some good points. However, I’ll bet that in an off the record moment even Karl would admit that each campaign is different. Obama has not been in primary contests and the Republicans have not yet clearly opted for a particular candidate, even though Romney is the presumed favorite. Still, it is hard to get your donors fired up without a clear opponent. And the election still seems like a long way off. On top of that, the negative nature of the Repub primaries has probably had a general effect of tamping down both voter turnout and small donations. Voters just don’t want to feel dirty by participating. And if the general elec. is uber-negative, the same effect will occur, although balanced in large part by the partisan juices flowing and the immediacy of an election. In short, what is happening now has little bearing on how voters will act in Sept.-Nov.
Oblama
March 16th, 2012
12:54 pm
Kiplinger was wrong? And you were right? I don’t think so. You did not answer the BIG question. What is your plan to solve this problem? If you are going to reduce the national debt without reducing government spending you are a genius. Oblama has no plan except tax more and spend more. I will give him this. He did say he would drastically cut the military. What else?
Dusty
March 16th, 2012
12:54 pm
OH fiddledeedee…if I knew how to knit, I’d be doing it now. Republicans are calmly waiting for the moment of truth, the shoe to drop, the dust to settle.
It is so much fun keeping the Democrats in a frenzy. They don’t know which candidate on whom to throw more dirt, whose name to insult on the bumper sticker. They bash Bush again!. Roust over Reagan. Even mention Sarah Palin. And the poor president is off “speaking” every three days in the proper places while Hillary, Panetta, & Biden(!) run “business”.
Besides that, Dems have Rove blowing them away with triumphant trifles. Delightful!
To paraphrase HillBilly, I certainly know whom will NOT get my vote. And I say that enthusiastically!.
markie mark
March 16th, 2012
1:06 pm
@Jefferson regarding your 9:09..
“Rove is a traiter, cheese eating rat. He should have been jailed for outing the CIA agent. Why you folks worship, quote or listen to criminals is why you seem uncreditable.”
Per wikipedia…..
On July 14, 2003, Washington Post journalist Robert Novak, from information obtained from Richard Armitage at the US State Department, effectively ended Valerie Plame’s career with the CIA (from which she later resigned in December 2005) by revealing in his column her identity as a CIA operative.
Just a little bit of research before you blindly repeat what you have heard, please?
K.Conway
March 16th, 2012
1:09 pm
Obama is the worst president in American History!!
Jefferson
March 16th, 2012
1:16 pm
It was Rove’s call, his employee.
Oblama
March 16th, 2012
1:18 pm
National credit card debt is approaching it’s limit. I have been informed it is $15 trillion + though I heard three weeks ago it was $13.7 trillion. Let’s not quibble over a trillion here or there. What’s Oblama’s plan to reduce the national debt? All I hear from him is tax more – spend more. Reduce the military. That’s it? Samuel L. Jackson’s right. “Don’t vote for him for his plan. Oblama ain’t got no plan to save this country.”
“Vote for him because he is black”.. brilliant! That’s Hollywood!!!
snoqualmiepass
March 16th, 2012
1:41 pm
Smells just like 1964 with all the enthusiasm for AU H2O money was not an issue like today, it was all about ideology for the GOP back then… “a choice not an echo” like today. But today’s crop of cons seem not to recall the event, so they are doomed to repeat the debacle of 1964. the followers of Santorium, Newt Paul are setting themselves up for failure, they,are the true believers, because “in their hearts they know they are right…. very right.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 16th, 2012
2:40 pm
When’s the last time a Democrat wondered what Obozo was doing about the deficit?
The DOMINANCE Of White Men Is Over
March 16th, 2012
3:59 pm
@JohnnyReb
March 16th, 2012
7:52 am
Rove is spot-on with his analysis. The Lefties can deny if they wish, but when the Obama campaign and DNC tells those lower on the ladder to expect zero money to flow to their campaign, they have a problem with fundraising.
As to enthusiasm, come November Conservative in-fighting will be completely gone from the rear view and record numbers will vote. The desire to get Obama out of office exceeds all other concerns.
**************************************************************
The desire to let the angry white Republican men know that their REIGN IS OVER exceeds all other
concerns.
Women, blacks, latinos and others will VOTE in MASS because of Republicans’
STUPIDITY AND DISRESPECT towards women, blacks, latinos, and others.
.
The DOMINANCE Of White Men Is Over
March 16th, 2012
4:20 pm
@Lil’ Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
March 16th, 2012
2:40 pm
When’s the last time a Democrat wondered what Obozo was doing about the deficit?
*********************************************************************************
WE DON’T need to WONDER.
WE KNIOW.
Keep up Lil Barry.
MiltonMan
March 16th, 2012
4:29 pm
Obozo is in town. Thanks creep for making traffic worse than usual. Are you stopping by to pick up your racist buddy the “rev” Lowrey??? oh never mind, the “rev” hates Johns Creek & the idiot thinks that only white people live there.
MiltonMan
March 16th, 2012
4:31 pm
Maybe Obozo can share some of the money he raises at the 38k/plate dinner tonight with the Georgia Democratic Party. The democratic clowns in this state sure do need the money.
The DOMINANCE Of White Men Is Over
March 16th, 2012
4:38 pm
@MiltonMan
March 16th, 2012
4:29 pm
Obozo is in town. Thanks creep for making traffic worse than usual. Are you stopping by to pick up your racist buddy the “rev” Lowrey??? oh never mind, the “rev” hates Johns Creek & the idiot thinks that only white people live there.
*************************************************
IT TAKES A CREEP to KNOW ONE.
IT TAKES A RACIST TO KNOW ONE.
JUST REMEMBER – The DOMINANCE Of White Men Is Over
The DOMINANCE Of White Men Is Over
March 16th, 2012
4:43 pm
@MiltonMan
March 16th, 2012
4:31 pm
Maybe Obozo can share some of the money he raises at the 38k/plate dinner tonight with the Georgia Democratic Party. The democratic clowns in this state sure do need the money
********************************************************
DON’T HATE THE PLAYERS HATE THE GAME.
old timer
March 16th, 2012
4:47 pm
obama’s sweet talk, fancy words, and lies…scare me.!
The DOMINANCE Of White Men Is Over
March 16th, 2012
5:14 pm
@old timer
March 16th, 2012
4:47 pm
obama’s sweet talk, fancy words, and lies…scare me.!
***********************************************************************************
IF the EVIL, DISRESPECTFUL and MISOGYNISTIC words and lies from the REPUBLICANS
DONT SCARE YOU………… why would the SWEET TALK, and FANCY WORDS
SCARE YOU?
Maybe SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOU.
Don Abernethy
March 16th, 2012
5:30 pm
The GOP is about to run out of gas. Unless the Tea Party decides to put some life in it I think it is just about finished. The establishment has killed the party. Mickey Mouse should have been able to beat Obama this time and the GOP has managed to come up with three losers as candidates. Obama as a lame duck President is scary indeed.
The DOMINANCE Of White Men Is Over
March 16th, 2012
5:37 pm
@Don Abernethy
March 16th, 2012
5:30 pm
The GOP is about to run out of gas. Unless the Tea Party decides to put some life in it I think it is just about finished. The establishment has killed the party. Mickey Mouse should have been able to beat Obama this time and the GOP has managed to come up with three losers as candidates. Obama as a lame duck President is scary indeed.
**********************************************
ABOUT to run OUT OF GAS?
The gas hand is ON EMPTY.
The GOP has shot THEMSELVES in the foot by their WAR ON WOMEN.
WOMEN are going to BURY THE GOP in NOVEMBER.
BECAUSE The DOMINANCE Of White Men Is Over.
They are done.
Stick a fork in ‘em.
ld
March 16th, 2012
5:55 pm
Rove’s trying to make lemonade–
Obama has no real competition (except himself).
Why go to the polls to vote the “yes” box?