Dan Weintraub's California Insider sends us over to Bill Cavalla's prognostications on the growth of Decline-to-State voters and the effect it has on political parties and campaigns:
"'The Secretary of State recently released new registration numbers for California showing a continuation of a serious trend: both major parties lost in the contest for new voters. The winner was "declined to state".'
All surveys show that "declined to state" voters are the least interested and least informed members of the electorate. They decline to state a party because they don't care about politics or government enough to learn the differences between the parties. They vote because they know good people do – sort of like brushing your teeth or combing your hair. Voting is more dutiful etiquette than thoughtful pursuit of good for the nation.'
But they do vote (albeit in lower percentages than partisans), and their vote is often the difference between winning and losing. Because they are so indifferent, they must be given the same simple message many times before it sticks enough to affect their behavior.'
That's why campaigns (and mainstream television) seem so mindless at times: they are pointed at a disinterested audience."
We discuss it here.
1 comment:
I am a Decline to State a Party voter who usually registers Democrat during the primary/general election period. I will stay DS for the next state election as I prefer to strongly send a message to both parties that partisan politics is no good.
I am extremely engaged in political issues, as they encompass so much of life. We DS'ers are not an ignorant lot but are just not understood. We are the true independents as we do not vote for a candidate as does the Independent Pary.
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