From the Iowa caucuses through the South Carolina primary, and into Super Tuesday (California results), it was a big story: turnout for the Democrats was off the charts. Democratic turnout even managed to rival that of Republicans in races that weren't supposed to count, and sometimes both Obama and Clinton outpaced the Republican frontrunners.
But this is no longer January. While continuing to get new people involved and excited about the Democratic process is a great thing, we need to stop counting our chickens before November. I've seen several comments today indicating that our turnout lead is still something to celebrate. However, comparing Democratic turnout to Republican turnout has lost its meaning. No more resting on our laurels, I say.
Why should we act like we're down $30.01 points heading into the general election?
Well, I do not see in Wisconsin's Republican results what many others seem to - a divided Republican party that refuses to coalesce around John McCain (he received only 55% of the vote in Wisconsin). I see a Republican race that was effectively over the moment Mitt Romney dropped his presidential bid. It is only natural that fewer folks turn out to vote in the Republican coronation process than in the exciting Democratic race.*
In this sort of situation, the more dedicated followers of a fringe candidate like Ron Paul can sometimes lift him to within striking distance of McCain - without that meaning McCain's support is weak. Perhaps a relevant comparison would be the Kerry nomination in 2004; Dennis Kucinich (who I love) managed to take 17% of the ballots in the Minnesota caucus long after Kerry's other challengers had exited the race. And with a normal primary season featuring tens of races like that one, it was only to be expected that we'd be able to break participation records this year.
Thus, we need to stay focused and get organized in preparation for Election Day in November. We can continue to celebrate our increased participation, but let's do it responsibly. The Republicans will turn out tens of millions of voters in the general election, and we'd best not forget it.