Democratic Voters' Fervor Stirs Republican Worries

[question everything]

The Wall Street Journal

Democratic Voters' Fervor Stirs Republican Worries
By JONATHAN KAUFMAN, ALEX FRANGOS and AMY CHOZICK
December 31, 2007; Page A1

As presidential hopefuls from both parties rally support across Iowa ahead of Thursday's caucuses, Democratic voters are showing greater fervor for the race than their Republican counterparts, a difference that could have repercussions throughout the 2008 campaign. At its simplest, there is a political energy gap. Democrats appear to be more fired up about their party nominating contest than are Republicans. Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire have been turning out at rallies in greater numbers than Republicans and giving more money to candidates. In Iowa, polls indicate Democrats will be attending the Thursday night caucuses in record numbers.

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That's critical because, although the presidential nominating contest is just getting under way, Republicans are worried the Democrats' greater enthusiasm could allow them to sustain their wide national lead in overall fund raising. And money will play a big role in the outcome of November's general election. Some Republicans also worry that they could end up having trouble rallying around their party's eventual nominee, a problem faced in recent years by the often-fractious Democrats. This time, by contrast, Democratic voters nationally are telling pollsters they like their field of candidates better than Republicans say they like theirs.

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So far, Iowans who have donated $200 or more to the presidential race have given Democrats a total of more than $503,000, compared with $376,000 to Republicans. That's a sharp reversal from 2000 when Iowa residents had given $205,000 in $200-or-more donations to Republican candidates and just $51,000 to Democrats. The Iowa figures mirror the big lead Democratic presidential candidates have established in overall fund raising nationally. Democrats have so far raised $223 million, compared with $152 million for Republican candidates.

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In Iowa, that may mean more Democrats showing up for the caucuses this week and turning out to vote in November. An Iowa State University Poll says as many as 150,000 Democrats could attend the caucuses, a 20% jump from 2004 -- though caucus turnout can be affected by a variety of factors, including the weather. Republican turnout is expected to be about the same as 2000, the last contested Republican race, at around 87,000, though the poll suggests it could slip... Democratic candidates have spent a total of 300 days campaigning in Iowa, about 100 more days than Republican candidates. Democrats this fall had 573 paid staffers in the state, more than four times the 126 paid Republican staffers, according to the Des Moines Register.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119906323214158703.html (subscription)

[aquart]

1. Dear Republicans: You lied. You cheated. We're breaking up.

And we don't care how hard it is to do.