1.4+ Million Voters Bail on GOP

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Monday August 04, 2008 · 8:13 PM PDT

2008/08/04 · 20:13

In the 26 states and the District of Columbia where registration data were available, the total number of registered Democrats increased by 214,656, while the number of Republicans fell by 1,407,971.

More below, including completely unrelated poll question.

For more than three years starting in 2005, there has been a reduction in the number of voters who register with the Republican Party and a rise among those who affiliate with Democrats and, almost as often, with no party at all.

In six states, including Iowa, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, the Democratic piece of the registration pie grew more than three percentage points, while the Republican share declined. In only three states — Kentucky, Louisiana and Oklahoma — did Republican registration rise while Democratic registration fell, but the Republican increase was less than a percentage point in Kentucky and Oklahoma. Louisiana was the only state to register a gain of more than one percentage point for Republicans as Democratic numbers declined.

"This is very suggestive that there is a fundamental change going on in the electorate," said Michael P. McDonald, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an associate professor of political science at George Mason University who has studied voting patterns.

Mr. McDonald added that, more typically, voting and registration patterns tended to even out or revert to the opposing party between elections.

Dick Armey, the former House majority leader and one of the designers of the so-called Republican Revolution of 1994, said: "Obviously, these are not good numbers for the party to be looking at. Democrats have always had extremely broad multifaceted registration programs."

"I think the key in this one is, where do all these new independent voters break?" he said. "I think right now, you’ve got a guy in western Pennsylvania saying, ‘I am really disgusted right now and I’m not going to register as a Republican anymore, but I really don’t want this guy Obama elected.’ "

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Short and sweet article. A pick-me-up on this Monday night.

As promised, completely irrelevant poll:

Poll
108 votes Show Results
Are you extrovert or introvert?

E

I

No.

108 votes Vote Now!
Are you extrovert or introvert?

E

23 votes

I

69 votes

No.

16 votes

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