MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
Order today at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop
MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE by Michael Wolraich Order today at Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Books-A-Million / Bookshop |
This is something I have noticed here in Florida. I also think Fox News is losing it's viewers for the same reason.
Midterm elections are all about turning out base constituencies. Over the last few decades, there have been few more reliable voters for Republicans than white evangelical Protestants. This year, however, GOP candidates may be getting less help from this group—not because white evangelical Protestants are becoming less supportive or less motivated, but simply because they are declining as a proportion of the population, even in Southern states.
A look at generational differences demonstrates that this is only the beginnings of a major shift away from a robust white evangelical presence and influence in the country. While white evangelical Protestants constitute roughly three in 10 (29 percent) seniors (age 65 and older), they account for only one in 10 (10 percent) members of the Millennial generation (age 18-29). In the last few national elections, however, because of high levels of voter turnout, white evangelical Protestants have managed to maintain an outsized presence at the ballot box according to national exit polls, representing roughly one-quarter of voters.
But the fact that there are currently five Southern states—Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and North Carolina— where polling shows that the Senate race margins are less than five percentage points indicates that 2014 may be the year that the underlying demographic trends finally exert enough force to make themselves felt.
Comments
I really wish I shared your optimism about 2014. I do think that in the long term, this ship will correct itself, but in the short term I don't feel good about 2014.
by Verified Atheist on Fri, 10/24/2014 - 8:38am
There is a large ground game going on in parts of the country. It is as large as it was in 2012 and maybe even larger in the competitive senate races. We will see how well the Bannock Street Project works for those senate seats. The fact that the Republicans have had to fight hard for Kentucky, Georgia, and Kansas, points to their weakness. Their brand hasn't sold well to voters under 40 years of age. The Reagan Revival Tent Show is losing it's audience because the people have caught on to the corporations that are steeling their hub caps in the parking lot.
We are now in our 7th political realignment that started when the country elected it's first African American President. The dominance of southern politics in DC is in the process of hitting the wall. The second gilded age will be reeled in with the next president. It is always a really messy process and that worries everybody.
by trkingmomoe on Fri, 10/24/2014 - 7:13pm
by rmrd0000 on Fri, 10/24/2014 - 10:31am
Yes but, are there enough of them? The poor will be in the voting booth too and that group is growing in this country. It is the hidden middle class poor that will be also very angry. This group depends on food banks to help them make ends meet. Funding dried up this month for the food banks because there has not been a budget passed again. This group of people are now part of the Elisabeth Warren wing of the Democratic Party.
by trkingmomoe on Fri, 10/24/2014 - 7:54pm
I hope you are correct. I've already voted in my state.
by rmrd0000 on Fri, 10/24/2014 - 9:07pm