President Obama wisely worked to avoid any challenge on his left, but the cost is that the party apparatus has to do other things to motivate members during the primary season.
In Colorado that is a special challenge since there is no statewide race of consequence. Allison Sherry of the Denver Post described the likely low turnout for the Democratic caucuses, accompanied by the apparent quieting of Democratic liberals and minorities concerning the President’s performance.
“‘He basically came out and said, “Let’s forget about working with the Republicans with this debt-ceiling nonsense,”’ said Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli. ‘I don’t hear the dissatisfaction, or even anger, anymore like I used to.’” (Denver Post, March 6, 2012)
It is a combination of the President moving left, at least in rhetoric, an improving economy and the very shrill Republican presidential primaries.
Kurtis Lee in his Denver Post blog reports the rock bottom Democratic partisan caucuses’ turnout.
“‘The caucuses are driven overwhelmingly by the interest in the contest. If there’s no interest, then there is usually not attendance,’ Floyd Ciruli, a political analyst, said.
Ciruli adds that the 12,500 who participated are ‘compulsive political followers.’
‘They’re party people that would never miss a caucus,’ he said.” (Denver Post, March 7, 2012)
See Denver Post:
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