tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24546933.post6554335439689871209..comments2024-03-26T13:05:52.830-05:00Comments on For What It's Worth: Why Mitt Romney scares Cook County judicial candidatesJack Leyhanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15884163579967286888noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24546933.post-61010865057812008342012-03-13T11:15:59.432-05:002012-03-13T11:15:59.432-05:00I'll see if I can dig anything up.I'll see if I can dig anything up.Albertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24546933.post-85443504975993781262012-03-12T15:00:23.292-05:002012-03-12T15:00:23.292-05:00Your comment provides some comfort for some of the...Your comment provides some comfort for some of the concerned candidates. But I continue to wonder: Have there been any studies of regular primary voters to see whether a significant percentage of voters will cross party lines from primary to primary? I'd guess most people who regularly vote in primaries always vote in the <i>same</i> party primary -- but how much is most? 90%? 75%? 95%?Jack Leyhanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15884163579967286888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24546933.post-18077895394135866382012-03-11T12:50:26.380-05:002012-03-11T12:50:26.380-05:00The last two times there was any kind of a spike i...The last two times there was any kind of a spike in Republican primary turnout in Cook County were 1980 and 1988. And there really isn't any evidence (eyeball evidence, at least) that Democratic turnout was impacted by it. Maybe it will happen this time, but it's not a given. The bigger issue for Democrats is the almost complete lack of any contests at the top of the ballot, above the judicial contests. What's going to motivate the Democrats to go to the polls in the first place?<br /><br />What will matter to the judicial candidates isn't as much how many will turn out but WHO will turn out. If there's little voter interest and the only people who turn out are the hardcore Democratic vote-the-slate loyalists, obviously that will help the slated candidates. Same with the diligent voters who study newspaper and bar group information. Judicial candidates like Aurelia Pucinski (counting on a big name-recognition bump) and the candidates counting on gender/ethnicity name cues or ballot position, they need the more casual voters and will be hurt if turnout is poor. Maybe not by a lot, but they'll be hurt.Albertnoreply@blogger.com