Monday, June 05, 2006

One last look

One last look

Semi random impressions after a long day and before the longest day:

Johnson County absentee turnout hit a record, over 2600 and topping 2004 (hot sheriff's race) and 1994 (Gopher). Who's that help? I'm guessing not Culver: less of the older voters here who remember dad, less action on the ground. Blouin has the field; Fallon has the true believers. Though I have trouble believing the line out of Camp Fallon that their message is attracting GOP voters. Doesn't pass the sniff test.

Some might say "that's crossovers voting for the weakest opponent" but that's wrong too. It's a bit of conventional wisdom that pundits always misunderstand: crossover voters don't cross over to make mischief by voting for the weakest opponent. Real people don't think about politics strategically. Rather, they cross over to vote FOR someone, or maybe AGAINST someone, in a specific race. In a primary with a hot local race, you see lots of undervoting.

And the statewide stuff is just a sideshow here; under the big top it's local, local, local.

I'm wussing out of predictions or endorsements, sorry. But I'll crunch numbers and analyze tomorrow very very very very late.

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