#1113 – Dick Bernard: The Michigan Primary Election.

This election season I’ve tried to make sense of the assorted “races” in the early preliminary “wars” over who’s “winning” the election for President, 2016.
Previously, I posted about Iowa, New Hampshire, and Minnesota.
Here’s the morning after data about Michigan.
7,292,065 – Registered Voters
2,515,911 – Total Voters This, and following from official data as of 9:12 a.m. March 9, 2015)
1,322,742 – Votes for Republican candidates in the Michigan Primary
1,193,169 – Votes for Democrat candidates in the Michigan Primary
Top vote getters in Michigan, in rank order:
593,563 – Bernie Sanders
575,512 – Hillary Clinton
482,825 – Donald Trump
328,894 – Ted Cruz
320,505 – John Kasich
123,230 – Marco Rubio
There is no reason for my not doing posts about all of the primaries in all of the states. These four, Minnesota, Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan, are particularly interesting to me, and give an opportunity to interpret “data” a bit differently than through the focused lens of “the usual suspects”, the parties, the candidates spin machines, the media political chattering class, etc. As Fox News liked to say: “I report, you decide”….
In rough terms, about one-third of those registered actually voted in Michigan yesterday; about half of the turnout voted for the major Democrat or Republican candidates. About one of twelve voted for the top vote getter.
In a few months, the stakes get much higher: there will be two major candidates for President. (Third Party groups are always a possibility but rarely effective.)
But the most important election of all, even more important than President, is who will represent us in Congress, in the U.S. Senate, in State Governor and Legislatures.
This election is far more than about just a President.
As individuals, states and nation, we eligible voters are the ones who will richly deserve what we’re going to get, good or not.
COMMENTS:
from Corky: 1/3 is sad story and you are right. We get what we deserve.
from Jeff: I am trying to read and watch less about it. It just sucks you into the “politics as entertainment “ meme, which I think is part of the reason we are , where we are. I may have reached the position that the federal form of govt we have is not suited to the current situation and historical time. Right now we have Congress really in control, the executive has been weakened, and the Supreme Court is a plaything of both sides.
from Bruce: Dick, don’t be too sure about marginality of 3rd parties this time around. With the high potential of of a Republican Party break up over Trump and the equally high probably that the Democrats will not nominate Bernie resulting in Bernie’s Revolution having to take a different path, we are looking at four possible candidates that have a genuine shot at being president.
from Fred: Like your view and that’s saying a lot. Even I can no longer guarantee what’s going to happen this fall.