The Atlantic - Latest Comments in This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

adin — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:16:52 -0000

TNC,

You wrote, "I doubt it will be the same in the next few presidential elections." I am not sure what you meant. That a percentage increase in voter turnout won't be similar in future elections, or that those who turned out for Obama won't in future elections in which he won't be the candidate, or something I am missing?

My guess is that this election represents a watershed moment in American national politics. The estimated 61.6% turnout of voting age population in 2008, was the highest since 1960 when it was 63.1%. I am hoping we'll see the future percentages that were common in the 1860-1900 period when the percentages were around 75% [prior to the passage of the 19th amendment]. From many points of view nothing should give us greater cause for optimism that the great American experiment will not stagnate and we will continue to expand freedom than an increase in voter turnout in an ever-increasing, diverse population.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Fighting Words — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:25:39 -0000

It's not good news for Palin, he is just being sarcastic. In fact, someone just explained this in a recent TNC thread. What TNC is spoofing is the how in the 2008 Democratic Primary between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Pres. Barack Obama, all news was interpreted by some members of the MSM and the Hillary camp as "Excellent News for Hillary." This happened even if the news was actually bad for Hillary and favored Obama. Anyway, that is what I think he means.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Jonathan — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:26:03 -0000

Ah, I get it - the raw number didn't go up, but the groups that traditionally don't vote - teh kids, teh blacks - came out strong.

Seems positive.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

rikyrah — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:08:03 -0000

Pumping my fists for my Sistas that came out to vote. I knew it in my heart, but it's good to see stats to back it up.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Fnarf — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:51:49 -0000

"Noob" means "newbie". Penn's been around forever. He's no noob.

The first letter should be "b".

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

lebecka — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:37:06 -0000

I hope that we are seeing a new age in which black and other minority women feel more empowered. They've had a long hard row to hoe. As a white, middle-class woman who often feels challenged(!!) by the difficulties in my (relatively) simple life, I bow to my sisters who are making it work in much more difficult circumstances that i have ever faced.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Joel — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:33:34 -0000

Overall turnout didn't go up.

Basically left-leaning groups turned out more, and right-leaning groups stayed home.

Really just a positive development, from where I'm standing.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

CK — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:29:28 -0000

You are not misremembering. They were only talking about turnout among the people that "count"!

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Jonathan — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:51:23 -0000

Wasn't there a portion of the punditocracy that had maintained following the election that there actually *wasn't* that much increased turnout? Am I misremembering?

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Joel — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:24:58 -0000

Mark Penn is the kind of guy who was sinking cash into Lincoln Savings and Loan in 1989, Pets.com in 2000, and Merrill Lynch in 2008.

In other words, a compl33t n00b. I think that's the first time I've typed words like that in about 15 years.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Fighting Words — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:11:44 -0000

Because Palin gets to appear on American Chopper.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Dan Fox — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:04:51 -0000

*insert reference to yesterday's idiotic "why do black women hate white women" comment here*

Sorry, I'd risk being sarcastic, but it's probably not worth it. Oh well.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Jamilah — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:59:26 -0000

The analysis, by the Pew Research Center, also found that for the first time, black women turned out at a higher rate than any other racial, ethnic and gender group...

You know we were turning out for Michelle and her man. ;)

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

theLaird — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:57:11 -0000

I'm not afraid to be humiliated. Why is this good news for Palin?

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Sam — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:52:40 -0000

I almost asked why this was excellent news for Palin. Fortunately, I saved myself--and hopefully some others, by writing this here--when I flashed back to your post from yesterday.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Jamilah — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:16:18 -0000

Amen.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Doctor Jay — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:16:06 -0000

I gotta say, Mark Penn has struck me as a complete noob.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

Ricky Bobby — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:12:09 -0000

The punditocracy will be getting the vapors over this information for the foreseeable future and the decline in real power of the old white cracker will be lamented and commented upon ad nauseum.

This is a sea change that we are witnessing. It's a great thing to be a part of and the fact that the future is so wide open when it comes to politics is tremendously inspiring.

Re: This Is Excellent News. For Palin.

D-Sel — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:10:26 -0000

This is excellent news! For Byron York!!