What evidence exists to substantiate a progressive voter revolt in 2010?

[LoZoccolo]

[AlabamaLibrul]

1. in 2010? as in, the last election? n/t

[LoZoccolo]

3. That is correct.

[AlabamaLibrul]

5. How do you define a "revolt" in 2010? A serious lack of voting for Dems?

[leftstreet]

2. Why?

:shrug:

[LoZoccolo]

4. Some people say that there was a revolt.

[NightWatcher]

6. revolt or apathy? You dont scratch my back, why should I scratch yours?

I believe that's the perception

[TheKentuckian]

7. Very little. The Obama wave voters floundered. The black vote was down, the youth vote cratered,

the "target audience" of triangulation efforts ran like rats from a sinking ship, and the Obamacans went home or stayed home.

Certainly some liberal voters were frustrated but most of us voted and manned the trenches to try to drag our folks across the line out of desperation, duty, or in my case at least in part out of spite since I don't think the national party even wanted to win since it is a tall order to point fingers and fold when we hold all the cards.

[tavalon]

16. I sure am getting tired of spite voting

[Scuba]

8. The President was black. n/t

[tavalon]

10. He was black when he won in 2008

Far fewer people vote in the midterms and while I did vote in the midterms, I only really did it for the local stuff and so that no one could play that eternal strawman on me. I spent more and worked harder than I ever did before in 2008 to get Obama, almost despite the national party. We were a huge army called Obama For America, awaiting our first orders in the hope and change war. Instead, we got folded into the DNC (almost seemed like the DLC) and were told to sit down and shut up. Not good for morale.

As it stands now, there is no situation that would occur in 2012 that I would consider a win. I know that I'm not the only one. I'm constantly reassured that 87% of my fellow liberals stand with Obama. I'm actually glad because that gets me off the hook. And really, I just touched the edge of what is not allowed speech here, so that's about all I'll say about that!

[Scuba]

11. Yeah, but in 2008, hardcore racists...

...didn't believe a black man could win, so stayed home while Obama charmed the left into showing up.

In 2010 the racists hated him being President, and the left stayed home.

That analysis alone accounts for the tipping of the 2010 election.

[paulk]

12. I don't think your analysis is correct

Historically midterms elections don't turn out the voters. I doubt that "racists" turning out in 2010 had anything to do with the election, unless you can post some kind of proof.

The left aren't the ones who didn't turn out. I'm tired of this meme - it is bullshit.

Historically the two groups that don't turn out in midterms are young voters and minorities. Young voters and minorities were who won the election for Obama (and downticket) in 2008.

[tavalon]

14. I hate that meme too

but I was so discouraged by the way the Democrats were handling themselves that the only reason I voted (straight dem ticket) was so that that strawman couldn't be hurled at me. Democrats and Republicans are not the same. They are different kinds of awful, some exceptions aside.

[ReggieVeggie]

15. Actually that analysis is the stupidest thing I've ever heard

was that intentional?

[tavalon]

17. Rather than beating up on Scuba,

give us your theory. We've been playing the game. You play too, okay?

[ReggieVeggie]

21. Umm, the presidency has been lackluster and people weren't motivated to come out

like they did in 2008. I know, I know, Obama didn't have ANY effect on local races.

[tavalon]

23. That's a lot of my theory

and the fact that he so motivated us in 2008 and then just left us hanging in the wind, or, in many cases, under the bus, really wasn't very nice or motivational.

[Scuba]

18. It's hyperbole, intentionally....

...but much of Teabaggin' was based on race. And lots of Teabaggers turned out in Wisconsin, as an example. Ron Johnson beat Russ Feingold for god's sakes. And many who supported Barak in '08 stayed home.

[ReggieVeggie]

22. ok

well, that explains why I thought what you said was stupid

I think Obama generated a wave in 2008 that crested and fell. It wasn't progressives staying home. It was an off-year election where interest was low and Obama didn't help that.

[Scuba]

24. But interest wasn't low - among the Teabaggers. n/t

[markpkessinger]

9. I wouldn't call it a revolt...

Bear in mind that midterm election turnouts are always significantly lower than those in Presidential election years. It's unfortunate, but true. So, if a party is in a position (as Democrats were in 2010) of needing turnout, then it had damned well better be about energizing its base. And that simply was not done.

[H2O Man]

13. hundreds of DU OPs,

thousands of posts

[Umbral]

19. None, but don't people love creating a scapegoat. nt

[neverforget]

20. We lost independents 55-39. We can't win with those awful numbers.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2010-midterms-political-price-economic-pain/story?id=12041739