Dem Turnout Plunges in Primary Races

There were three statewide primaries yesterday and it appears the rumor of low Democrat enthusiasm are true (from Political Wire):

"Turnout among Dem voters dropped precipitously in 3 statewide primaries on Tuesday, giving the party more evidence that their voters lack enthusiasm ahead of midterm elections," The Hotline notes.

"In primaries in NC, IN and OH, Dems turned out at far lower rates than they have in previous comparable elections."

Further evidence of an enthusiasm gap: The latest weekly Gallup Poll shows 43% of Republicans are "very enthusiastic" about voting, while just 33% of Democrats feel the same way.

And it's not going to get any better for Democrats. Even the "outrage" over the Arizona Immigration Law didn't drive large numbers of Democrats to the polls.

You can expect to see more of this:

In a major blow to Democrats, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey has told close associates that he will not seek re-election and an announcement of his plans is expected as early as Wednesday.

The Wisconsin Democrat faces tough poll numbers at home but until Tuesday night his staff had insisted he was running aggressively and had hired campaign staff. But a person close to him confirmed the decision to POLITICO Wednesday and said Obey was preparing to make a statement.

Before this cycle Obey would have been in what was considered a safe Democrat seat.