Democrats Hope is GOTV

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “With Time Short, Parties Advance Last Arguments,” doesn’t contain much good news for the Democrats. According to the statistics, 29 House seats are either in Republican hands or leaning Republican, with 39 seats needed to take control of the House. That seems okay in itself, but as many as 42 additional seats are considered toss-ups.

That means Democrats would need to take 33 out of 42 toss-up seats in a year that is definitely not trending their way. Okay, maybe some of the leaning Republican seats will go the other way, but I wouldn’t bet the house on it.

However, as any political professional knows, the last weekend before the election is all about GOTV — get out the vote. Democrats are widely believed to hold the edge here, and if they can expand the size of the voting pool, generate some enthusiasm or at least concern about what a Republican victory could mean, then they might be able to squeak through.

It is amazing to me how middle and lower-class voters can be persuaded to vote for the Republican Party against their own economic self-interest. The Tea Party may seem very compelling with all its rhetoric about the Constitution, but the day after a Republican victory, it is the corporations who will be walking the halls of power, not the housewives.