Does Obama face an enthusiasm gap with Philly voters?
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Does Obama face an enthusiasm gap with Philly voters?
Chris Brennan
Is there an enthusiasm gap in Philly for President Obama, four years after his historic election? The City Commission, which runs elections here, was swamped in 2008 with applications from new voters. That's not the case now
Commission staffer Tim Dowling reported at this morning's weekly meeting that he has received 11,913 new voter registrations since March 27, the first day to sign up for November's general election.
"That's a significant drop-off from four years ago," said Dowling, noting that his office had 45,500 applications in the same period in 2008. "So it's about one-fourth of what we had in 2008."
There certainly is plenty of enthusiasm for First Lady Michelle Obama, due to speak this afternoon at the National Constitution Center. The line to get in wraps around the block. She is in town to tout her husband's bid four a second term. The president visits Philly next Tuesday.
Comments (42)
maybe city voters came to their senses and realized that after four years of failure obama has nothing to offer but platitudes, empty promises and buck-passing?— barry m goldwater- That's funny.....a lot of people thought the same thing about people during the 2004 election after for years of failure, sky rocketing deficits, wars, job loss, and depression.....but instead the morons gave the dunce 4 more years.
— theromneycult 
Comment removed.- Less biased, free thinker? You're kidding, right? Bush didn't run against Obamma so people being sick of Bush was irrelevant. The economy collapsed and the banking industry nearly went under. The recession was a direct result of core Republican priciples - less regulations and lax enforcement of existing regulations was the main policy. Since then, Republican policies at the state level and obstruction in Congress has delayed the recovery and may cause a double dip recession. Spending cuts at the federal and state level. Massive lay offs. The economy contracts and the recovery is delayed. Romney is proposing the identical to the approach that Bush took and will risk the same results. The Romney administration will be loaded with people from the Bush administration. Romney is saying that we should go to war with Iran. The cost of that war will dwarf the Afghanastan and Iraq wars combined. Romnet also wants to arm Syrian rebels even though the CIA is saying they know little about these people. Republicans are betting on americans being too lazy to inform themselves. Hell, many people actually believe that Obamma has some responsibility for the current economic situation when they should be outraged by the behaviour of Republicans in Congress and Republican govenors. They are adhering to the very austerity tactic that has failed miserably in europe. — MikeP
- is obama ever responsible for anything that goes wrong on his watch? solyndra? higher unemployment now than in jan 2009? higher debt, deficits, foreclosures? — barry m goldwater
- MikeP must be the paid mercenary here. As I recall, he was carrying the water for Ackerman too. How's that mission going Mike? You tool.
— ADCacrow - Yes, that guy is a ringer. Don't pay attention to anything that he says.
— Magistra® - Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- I do declare. I don't understand this motherly protection for our dear friend Darnel (one l not two). If you are so good friends why don't you know that? I do agree that in this particular instance Darnel is the superior intellect.
— clay_bertrand - I don't usually agree with anything that that stick in the mud Brinsley has to say, but I do this time. I've read MikeP's offerings before and they always seem too heavy handed and insincere. Darnel likes to kid around, but his serious stuff is more often right most of the time. I don't always agree with him with his disdain for Annette, I still don't get the rowboat metaphor but I admire him on most issues.
- I do declare, there is an enthusiasm gap in Philly for President Obama, four years after his historic election?
The people were all whipped-up with Hope and Change dreams and all they received was more of the same with major gaffs of a learn on the job president. The Hillary supporters have the right to say "I told you so" because they did and they were right. We would have been much better off with more experienced Hilly ant the helm with Bubba whispering in her ear. Obama would have been a wonderful vice president. Yes, the enthusiasm has worn off.— clay_bertrand - If you just read the comments sections on Philly.com one might think that's the case considering 90% of the comments are from paid GOP bloggers and/or party clowns attempting to sway public opinion with propaganda.— theromneycult
- That's because they are. — MikeP
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- It's simple, 4 years ago voters were excited that we might have our first truly liberal president since FDR. It turned out Obama was just another center-right pretender, who only looks liberal when you compare him to the Ultra-right fascists in the Republican party. There is no liberal party in the United States, just fascist republicans and center-right democrats.— Pelti
- i wish i was on the GOP/koch bros. payroll. but in reality i'm just a patriot— barry m goldwater
- Nah, you're a fascist — theromneycult
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- Golly Gee, I'm no Obama die hard but he did inherit the downward spiral that Bush started. I'm not giving him a pass, but I still think that should be part of the evaluation. Don't you?
- Wouldn't the same voters still be registered from 4 years ago? If that is the case then the 12,000 are folks that would not have been of age to vote, folks that have moved into Philadelphia or new registrations aside from the ones processed in prior years. I would think that after you had a large portion of your population register then the numbers would decline after you reached that apex.— Worker1
- "The City Commission, which runs elections here, was swamped in 2008 with applications from new voters. That's not the case now" --- Wasn't ACORN put out of business? That might explain things.— psyrus
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- How can anyone in their right mind be enthusiastic about anything this President has done? Or should I say not done? Total disaster.
— gone with the wind - Bush may have been an idiot, but he did have to deal with post 9/11 issues and a near economic collapse that started under Clinton (remember the Dot Com failure???). Obama, however is a complete and utter moron polarizing the country and using taxpayer dollars to fund his re-election. Under Obama, the US has seen the first downgrade of its credit rating, highest national deficit ever, highest unemployment since the Great Depression, etc...Wake up people Republican values didnt kill America, Clinton's deregulating the Financial Industry, expansion of the Community Reinvestment Act and allowing the privatly controlled Federal Reserve Bank to flood the market with cheap money did. Obama is simply pouring gasoline onto a raging inferno that Clinton started and Bush refused to douse.— Citizenc92
- Obama wasn't vetted as a candidate by the press or many voters and won't be held accountable as president by the press or many voters. The double standard is incredible. And the Inquirer falls right in line.— mmds
- It's predictable. Philly and Pittsburgh will go Dem and the regular Pennsylvanians in between will vote Republican.— Disco Dave
- no he's black. scares that stool out of the pubs though thinking all dems have to do is nominated minorities to get out the minority vote. how's romney doing with hispanics?
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- how did all those union dollars make out pouring into wisconsin. Dem party did real well in mid term 2010 elections....— stevejones
- Speaking of Wisconsin I find it interesting that the stock market soared the day after that mandate. First bit of enthusiasm - that hope and change may be coming soon!— gone with the wind
- As the Prophet puts people to sleep, Mitt makes us comatose.— Peter of Manassas
- Meagain, you are wrong. I am a Dem and I surely will not vote for him. I will not vote the creepy Rim Rod Romney either. If a democrat sux then republicans are the Hoovers of politics and social grace.— WantToKnow
- The community organizer/golfer is toast whether he has Philly Dem lemming support or not. Change is around the corner.— dogman5
- Romneycult (AKA Richard Hamblin & his orchestra)...you are correct, Iam paid by the Republican Party....as they warmly embrace my strong support of gay marriage, the legalization of drugs and a TOTAL separation of church & state. It is not possible for you to be more wrong (again). As a daily & loyal follower of mine (thank you, BTW) maybe you conveniently missed those posts, but I doubt it.
Barack Obama is a "historic" fraud. 49% of voters figured that out the first time around and luckily for our country, many folks who got completely duped by his snake oil salesman BS the first time around have quickly figured out that he is a radical left wing loon who has rendered himself totally incapable of unifying the people, brokering compromise or producing anything in the way of positive results- in any area of his responsibility. He has controlled 8 of the last 9 voting arms (3 WH, 3 senate, 2 house) and still has accomplished absolutely nothing of substance, while driving this country into debt at levels never seen before in the history of mankind, while working his tail off to divide us as a people. He is a filthy politician of the highest order and represents everything that is wrong with politicians today, including his mind boggling payback to his special interests....stimulus, auto "bailouts" and thousands of pages of Obamacare without a word of TORT reform. He has truly earned his legacy as The Failure in Chief & makes Jimmy Carter look like a presidential all star.
He is a "historic" failure and will easily be moved "forward" out of office come November. Good riddance...what an awful chapter in American history.
— kelprod2 - @high water, Most people see Obama for the fraud that he is; boths Dems and Republicans. You really need to get out more and talk to people. — psyrus
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Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns. E-mail tips to brennac@phillynews.com
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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Follow Chris on Twitter
David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
Follow Dave on Twitter.
Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
Follow Jan on Twitter
Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
Follow Sean on Twitter
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