Even though I have lived in Washington for almost 25 years, I like to think of myself as only slightly cynical. I don’t hate politics or politicians. I think our electoral system, while imperfect, is still pretty good. I think voters are smarter than we give them credit for.
However, I’m not so Pollyana-ish to believe that voters are drawn to the polls by love or joy. Even “hope” doesn’t go all that far in a non-presidential election. What gets people to the polls, especially in mid-term years, is anger and antipathy. And, it is this “anger gap” which has only been growing larger over the last few weeks, that serves as one of the biggest threats to Democrats this fall. CONT.
Amy Walter, Cook Political Report