Aside from the lack of hard evidence, even if it’s true that the lack of in-person canvassing hurt Dem turnout, it likely also saved lives, which was kind of the whole point.
https://twitter.com/jacobinmag/status/1330662348877488129
For that matter, even if it turned out NOT to have saved any lives, that’s hardly a mistake I can blame them for making. Especially since HE STILL FUCKING WON BY SIX MILLION VOTES WHILE RECEIVING TEN MILLION MORE VOTES THAN BARACK OBAMA.
The problem downballot, as far as I can tell, was NOT Democratic turnout, it was REPUBLICAN turnout ALSO being sky high.
I’m not sure how much in person canvassing could’ve helped with THAT.
I’m not sure how much in person canvassing could’ve helped with THAT.
via @CookPolitical, right now Biden is at 79.9M votes, while House Dems are at 76.1M, or 95.2% of his total.
Trump is at 73.8M while House GOP are at 72.5M, or 98.2% of his total.
Serious question: What was the Obama/House drop-off ratio in 2008 or 2012?
Trump is at 73.8M while House GOP are at 72.5M, or 98.2% of his total.
Serious question: What was the Obama/House drop-off ratio in 2008 or 2012?
OK, answering my own question: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Unit…
2008:
Obama got 69.5M votes, McCain got 59.9M
House Dems got 65.2M votes, House GOP got 52.2M
That means House Dems only got 93.8% of Obama's vote total, while the House GOP only got 87.1% of McCains.
2008:
Obama got 69.5M votes, McCain got 59.9M
House Dems got 65.2M votes, House GOP got 52.2M
That means House Dems only got 93.8% of Obama's vote total, while the House GOP only got 87.1% of McCains.
That's right: House Democrats performed WORSE in 2008 relative to the top of the ticket than they did in 2020...yet they gained 21 seats at the time.
Why? Because HOUSE REPUBLICANS performed EVEN WORSE relative to the top of their ticket.
Why? Because HOUSE REPUBLICANS performed EVEN WORSE relative to the top of their ticket.
Some have said 2008 is irrelevant due to the 2010 gerrymandering. Fair enough. Here's 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 & 2020, including total votes in millions for both the Dem/GOP POTUS & House candidates in each: 
Something else kind of shocking happened in 2016 which I think escaped everyone's notice because of the shock of *Trump* winning:
--DEMS GAINED 6 SEATS EVEN THOUGH THEY RECEIVED 1.4 MILLION *FEWER* VOTES.
--DEMS GAINED 6 SEATS EVEN THOUGH THEY RECEIVED 1.4 MILLION *FEWER* VOTES.
But notice how House Dems performed *better* relative to the top of the ticket in 2020 than they did in 2012 *or* 2016...yet *lost* a dozen seats?
Why? In part because the GOP House hewed even *closer* to the top of the ticket (in fact they outperformed Trump in 2016).
Why? In part because the GOP House hewed even *closer* to the top of the ticket (in fact they outperformed Trump in 2016).
Anyway, I’m NOT saying that the lack of in-person canvassing didn’t hurt down-ticket. I’m sure it did to some extent, just as I suspect “socialism” did. I’m just saying there’s a LOT of factors at play, and I can hardly blame the Biden camp for it given that there’s a PANDEMIC.
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