It is amazing how little I have heard on TV about the record turnout Democrats have had. Yesterday instead of saying something about the record (ever) turnout....they instead asked Howard Dean if he were concerned about the party.
Matthews, Russert ignored record Democratic turnout in suggesting lack of broad appealThey do stuff like this so easily now. They just slip it into the conversation, and if you question what they said they talk over you.
Summary: MSNBC's Chris Matthews suggested to Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean that he should be concerned about the party's lack of broad appeal, noting polls showing a large number of "college graduates" and voters of a "high economic and social echelon" voting in the primaries. Matthews added, "I just wonder where regular people are in this." But Matthews didn't mention that, according to CNN, "voters are turning out for the Democratic primaries in numbers that absolutely shatter previous records." Matthews also failed to mention the record turnout in an earlier discussion on the subject with Tim Russert.
Educated people voted. And what the heck does a high "social and economic echelon" have to do with voter turnout? Oh, wait, I get it. The Republicans want the rich folks to vote for them. Educated...they don't care so much about them.
Matthews got a dig in that the Democrats were elite. Didja notice?
Matthews just kept on this, mentioning it to Russert as well.
Matthews said; "You know, Governor, you and I grew up in a party -- watching a party that has basically had its base among labor union people, working people, regular people of average income. And what I'm stunned by, looking at these exit polls across the country -- look at these numbers. I'm sure you'll be surprised, too. The percentage of people who voted in the Connecticut Democratic primary -- 57 percent were college graduates, 58 percent in New Jersey, 60 percent in New York, 61 percent in Massachusetts." Dean later said: "Whoever the nominee is of our party -- and I would say this is true of the Republicans as well -- is going to have to broaden their own particular base. And that's part of my job is to help them do that." In response, Matthews asserted, "You might have it cut out for you, based upon these numbers. I just wonder where regular people are in this."
Earlier in the coverage, Matthews said to NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert, "I am stunned at the educational level of the typical voter on the Democratic side. You and I grew up in a party -- looking at the Democratic Party as largely a working-class base, but almost in every one of the Eastern states now, three out of five voters who voted in the primaries today are full college graduates. Is that good news for Sen. Barack Obama D-IL? How do we read that development?" Russert responded: "In a national election, in a general election, the Democrats have to do better than that. They have to get some of those Reagan Democrats back into the fold." During the exchange, neither Matthews nor Russert mentioned the record turnout for Democrats or the fact that Democratic turnout greatly exceeded Republican turnout.
I believe I heard that the Democratic turnout was over 67% higher than last time. That is amazing.
I guess the pundits must figure some way to spin it.
Oh, BTW, I give some credit to Howard Dean and the 50 state plan for that turn out. Not all, but someone has to say it.
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