6 August 2008
Is it any surprise that voter registration for Republicans is at an all time low than those registering as Democrats or no party at all, is up? This has been happening since 2005. This could affect local, state and national politics over several election years. Reversals for Republicans is already being seen in many statehouses and governors’ mansions. In Nevada and Iowa there are now more registered Democrats than Republicans. Louisiana was the only state where the reverse was true. Independent registration has grown at a faster rate than Republicans or Democrats in 12 states.
The flip side is that swings in party registration are not uncommon from one year to the next and these figures aren’t a picture of how people actually vote as people sometimes switch registration to vote in a primary, then flip again on Election Day. A good thought is that this is the 4th year in a row that this has been going on, longer than usual. Are people really getting fed up with the Republican Party? It seems that way based on the results of recent state and Congressional elections. It’s hard to read how this trend will affect the presidential election.
This is playing havoc with a goal of Karl Rove, President Bush’s former top adviser, to create a permanent realignment in favor of Republicans. I think that Republican policies are driving people away from the party. The Democrats are benefiting from demographic changes, and the rise in the number of younger voters. The Democratic Party is becoming more appealing to a broader portion of the electorate.
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