Parties Emphasize Turnout Efforts
Nov. 6 -- Despite waging the most expensive campaigns in history and spending countless hours stumping, George W. Bush and Al Gore both know the closest presidential race in a generation will come down to one question: Which party can get out the vote?
“I like what I feel, but we can take nothing for granted,” Bush, the Republican candidate, said today at a rally in Chattanooga, Tenn. “We’ve gotta be sure we work hard to turn out that vote!”
“They say it’s the closest election since John Kennedy beat Richard Nixon by an average of one vote per precinct,” said Gore, the Democratic nominee, at a rally in Philadelphia on Sunday. “I’d like each of you to get me one more vote in your precinct.”
And over the weekend, the vice president implored audiences at African-American churches to “get your souls to the polls.”
For all the talk this year about undecided voters and swing states, the fortunes of Gore and Bush may be decided by how much enthusiasm they can whip up among their own party faithful.
Indeed, with Gore trailing Bush by a few points in most polls with just two days left, the Democrats’ best chance of retaining the Oval Office may not come from anything their candidate says or does between now and Nov. 7, but by getting the rank-and-file to the ballot box on Election Day.
But ensuring a high turnout may be a particular problem for the Democrats. A recent ABCNEWS poll indicates they seem to have a less secure, less energized base than Bush and the GOP this year.
The survey, released Oct. 22, showed 84 percent of Bush backers saying they supported the GOP nominee strongly. But only 76 percent of Gore’s backers said the same of their candidate.
And 53 percent of Bush’s supporters claimed to be following the race very closely, while just 42 percent of Gore’s said the same.
Dems: We Know Our Voters
High turnout is traditionally thought to favor Democrats, who have more voters registered nationally than Republicans.
According to Laurie Moskowitz, director of the Democratic National Committee’s coordinated campaign efforts, the party will get voters to the polls through a turnout effort that includes 40 million to 50 million phone calls, 40 million pieces of direct mail, 50,000 volunteers on Election Day and 500,000 yard signs.
Democrats will also target voters with 20 million recorded phone calls from President Clinton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the close of the campaign — in addition to 30 million live calls from volunteers, 30 million e-mails, and even sound trucks going through urban neighborhoods urging people to vote.
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