Why we lost Florida - and it ain't the machines.

[theboss]

Presidential Results
Bush - 3,838,432 52% 27
Kerry - 3,460,923 47%

Parent notification amendment results
Yes 4,495,188 65%
No 2,454,813 35%

In other words, Kerry got 1 million voters to vote for him as well as a constitutional amendment limiting abortion rights. That's a minor miracle in itself.

Nothing like making the voters deal with the abortion issue right in the polling booth.

[peekaloo]

1. I can't believe amendment 3 passed....well maybe I can, since

it appealed to people's GREED. Maybe I misunderstood it but I read it as giving power to the insurance companies/doctors in lawsuits.

p.s. not a Floridian but my parents live there.

p.p.s. 400,000- before the absentee count?

[DUreader]

2. link?

[theboss]

3. Link

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/ballot.measures/

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. Boy that's like a bucket of water on my fucking face

however, I think the suspect among us are of the belief that the No voters were much more than 2.5 million. IOW, votes were lost.

[theboss]

9. It's fine to think that

But I think we are falling into a dangerous trap if we make the "They stole it" argument the centerpiece of our review of this election.

Here is what we do: We tell young people that there may be a draft if Bush wins. Please go vote for Kerry. And then they ignore us.

Here is what Republicans do: They tell their voters, go to the polls and vote against abortion. Oh, and vote for Bush too because he's against abortion.

Think of what would have happend with turnout if there was actually an initiative on a ballot to forbid a draft in the next four years. (Even though I doubt such a thing is even possible).

The point is, Republicans used the ballots as a GOTV campaign. Come out and vote against Gay Marriage! Come out and vote against Abortion! Come out and vote against taxes! (They used to do this in CA all the time).

We need to find a way to do this with the issues that work for us - like stem cell research.

[MUSTANG_2004]

5. Limiting abortion rights?

It allows the legislature to pass a law requiring parental notification for minors.

As a pro-choice parent, I want a doctor to notify me before performing any medical procedure on my child, whether a D&C or anything else.

[sonicx]

6. that's fine, but the point is...

it was on an main election year ballot, and got certain people to come out to vote who normally wouldn't.

[theboss]

7. To be honest, I probably would have voted for it too.

But that's not the point. The point is anything that can be viewed as a limitation on aborton is going to fire up the Right to no end. It's the same as the anti-gay marriage votes.

And anyone who would go to the polls to specifically vote for this probably is not going to vote for Kerry.

Republicans have become masterful at making the ballot itself their GOTV campaign.

I think it's entirely possible that this initiative alone would have driven up turn-out for Evangelicals, Opus Dei-type Catholics, etc.

[charlie]

10. Yep

It was definitely a smart way to make voting an imperative for wingers.

I wonder if the initiative that could be considered "ours" helped turnout? Increasing the state minimum wage a buck was also on the ballot, and oddly enough, it passed.

[The Chronicler]

8. We lost FL like we're losing everywhere else;

moral issues are hurting us badly. We can't win anywhere that isn't 20 miles from water. We have to figure out a way to connect with middle America again.

[theboss]

11. Moral issues are not hurting us; perception of our stand on morality is

This is a prime example. Most Democrats would agree that parents should have some say in any medical procedure minors have - abortion included. But Republicans are able to spin it into "Democrats want abortion on demand for everyone - even your twelve year old!!!!" And we seem powerless to stop it.

[The Chronicler]

12. It's hurting us.

Partial birth abortion hurt us, the gay marriage amendments in key battleground states hurt us. I'm tired of being non-competitive in vast portions of the country.