The Truth About Turnout

More liberal facts with which to go on rhetorical offense during Thanksgiving:

No, rethuglican victories do not mean that rethuglicans persuaded independents, much less a single Democrat, to vote for them. It means that Democratic voters stayed home.

Down with Tyranny has the numbers.

In congressional rematches, republican candidates who lost in '08 and won in '10 got the same number of votes this time as last, but the Democratic candidates got substantially fewer votes.

In other words, the rethuglicans did not "convert" democrats or independents, but rather the Democratic and independent voters who gave Democrats their winning margin in '08 just stayed home in '10.

... Mary Jo Kilroy, one of the few dedicated liberals to be defeated in the Blue Dog tsunami last week. She didn't deserve to lose, let alone to a creepy bank lobbyist and corrupt Boehner crony, Steve Stivers. After a close 50/50 decision in 2008 (139,582-137,271)-- for an open seat (and with Obama taking 54% in an Ohio that earnestly bought into the Hope & Change message)-- Stivers benefited from huge, shady third party outside spending and beat Kilroy 137,441-93,578. As you can see, almost all his 2008 voters came out and voted for him again while 46,000 of her voters just didn't show up at the polls.

I'd advise those repugs to make the most of the next two years, but not to unpack too many boxes; they're going to be packing up again after 2012.

See more turnout detail here.