LOOKING GOOD! Thanks GW!
Overwhelmingly Tilted'
``Watergate is the last time things were so overwhelmingly tilted against the Republicans,'' said David Rohde, a political scientist at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Democrats kick off their nominating convention in Denver today expecting strong gains up and down the ballot, even in many historically Republican counties and states. Their optimism is fueled by widespread discontent with the Bush administration, anxiety over the economy, rising Democratic registration, unprecedented turnout in primaries and record fundraising by Obama.
The political energy is on the Democrats' side. In a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll published Aug. 19, 55 percent of party voters said they are ``very enthusiastic'' about their presidential candidate, compared with 29 percent of Republicans.
Registration Gains
Even if Obama, 47, and McCain, 71, remain locked in a tight race, the Democrats expect to sweep many down-ballot offices. That confidence is justified, said Jennifer Duffy, an analyst at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. In the first six months of 2008, the number of Americans who identified themselves as Democrats was 14 percentage points higher than the number who said they were Republicans, she said.
Since the last presidential election, Democrats and independents have gained in most of the 28 states -- along with the District of Columbia -- where voters register by party, as Republican rolls have dropped, state data show.
In one of the most dramatic examples, in Pennsylvania, more than 380,000 voters changed their registration or registered for the first time as Democrats, while Republicans lost almost 64,000 registered voters, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Nevada has also seen a shift. Since the start of this year, Democratic registrations grew by 57,000, while Republican numbers increased only by 6,900, according to the secretary of state.
Turnout Surge
Moreover, Democratic turnout was dramatically higher in this year's primaries. In 2000, the last time both parties had a competitive race in New Hampshire, almost 80,000 more voters participated in the Republican primary than in Democratic race. This year, that margin was almost reversed. In Georgia, voters in the 2000 Republican primary outnumbered Democratic participants by a 3-to-1 margin. This year, the Democratic contest drew almost 150,000 more people than the Republican one.
In Iowa, where Democrats and Republicans campaigned fiercely in their parties' nominating contest, caucus attendance almost doubled among Democrats, while Republican turnout rose much less.
Obama's aggressive field operations have contributed as well. In solidly Republican Alaska, he has four offices, including one in Anchorage that on a recent weekday had 15 volunteers tapping on laptops and making calls. McCain has no offices in the state and doesn't plan to open any, campaign officials said.
Overwhelmingly Tilted'
``Watergate is the last time things were so overwhelmingly tilted against the Republicans,'' said David Rohde, a political scientist at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Democrats kick off their nominating convention in Denver today expecting strong gains up and down the ballot, even in many historically Republican counties and states. Their optimism is fueled by widespread discontent with the Bush administration, anxiety over the economy, rising Democratic registration, unprecedented turnout in primaries and record fundraising by Obama.
The political energy is on the Democrats' side. In a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll published Aug. 19, 55 percent of party voters said they are ``very enthusiastic'' about their presidential candidate, compared with 29 percent of Republicans.
Registration Gains
Even if Obama, 47, and McCain, 71, remain locked in a tight race, the Democrats expect to sweep many down-ballot offices. That confidence is justified, said Jennifer Duffy, an analyst at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. In the first six months of 2008, the number of Americans who identified themselves as Democrats was 14 percentage points higher than the number who said they were Republicans, she said.
Since the last presidential election, Democrats and independents have gained in most of the 28 states -- along with the District of Columbia -- where voters register by party, as Republican rolls have dropped, state data show.
In one of the most dramatic examples, in Pennsylvania, more than 380,000 voters changed their registration or registered for the first time as Democrats, while Republicans lost almost 64,000 registered voters, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Nevada has also seen a shift. Since the start of this year, Democratic registrations grew by 57,000, while Republican numbers increased only by 6,900, according to the secretary of state.
Turnout Surge
Moreover, Democratic turnout was dramatically higher in this year's primaries. In 2000, the last time both parties had a competitive race in New Hampshire, almost 80,000 more voters participated in the Republican primary than in Democratic race. This year, that margin was almost reversed. In Georgia, voters in the 2000 Republican primary outnumbered Democratic participants by a 3-to-1 margin. This year, the Democratic contest drew almost 150,000 more people than the Republican one.
In Iowa, where Democrats and Republicans campaigned fiercely in their parties' nominating contest, caucus attendance almost doubled among Democrats, while Republican turnout rose much less.
Obama's aggressive field operations have contributed as well. In solidly Republican Alaska, he has four offices, including one in Anchorage that on a recent weekday had 15 volunteers tapping on laptops and making calls. McCain has no offices in the state and doesn't plan to open any, campaign officials said.
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