Topic: Election Turnout

The hosts discuss David Axelrod's predictions of a landslide defeat for Biden, interpreting his comments as a threat from the "Chicago machine" to withdraw support. They argue that the Democrats rely on a sophisticated "machine" to create votes and that the current internal conflict suggests the machine may be "turned off" for Biden.

A Red Book prediction states that the 2012 election will be the most expensive in U.S. history but will result in the lowest voter turnout due to public apathy. One host makes a grim prediction of an attempt on President Obama's life within four weeks, while another predicts an Obama victory.

A brief clip of Al Sharpton on MSNBC features a verbal stumble regarding voter turnout and the Democratic Party's defensive position. While not as significant as his previous "resist rematch" gaffes, the clip is added to the show's collection of media flubs. The commentary focuses on the party's struggle to define its message ahead of the 2022 midterms.

Iran held parliamentary elections with a historically low turnout, estimated at 10% in some areas. The low participation is attributed to the Guardian Council barring thousands of reformist candidates and public dissatisfaction with the economy under international sanctions.

President Trump is attempting to nationalize local midterm races by focusing on the economy and border security. Data from special elections in Ohio shows high Democratic turnout in suburbs but lower Republican turnout in rural areas. The challenge for the GOP is motivating voters to support "establishment" candidates that Trump previously criticized.

President Trump and various media outlets have adopted the "chaos" meme regarding Russian interference, often referencing the TV show "Get Smart." Intelligence officials warned that Russian efforts to sow discord are continuing and could suppress voter turnout in the 2018 midterms by creating distrust in the system. Critics argue that the mainstream media's constant focus on this narrative is actually what causes the distrust, rather than the Russian actions themselves.

Mayor Eric Garcetti won a second term in Los Angeles with 81% of the vote, yet the hosts point out that only 250,000 voters participated in a city of four million people. They highlight the discrepancy between the "inclusive ideal" claimed by Garcetti and the actual level of civic engagement in the nation's second-largest city.

The unrest in Ferguson is viewed as a "test run" for the 2016 presidential election, aimed at mobilizing the minority vote for candidates like Elizabeth Warren. There is a growing concern that the situation is being manipulated to justify the federalization of local police departments. The hosts argue that the public is being made docile through incestuous messaging between social media and traditional news cycles.

The hosts predict the 2012 election will be the most expensive in history but will have the lowest voter turnout. They discuss Attorney General Eric Holder's role as Obama's "firewall" and speculate on internal military opposition to the administration.

The hosts review their previous predictions for the European Parliament election voter turnout. While Adam Curry predicted 28%, the actual consensus reached approximately 38%, closer to John C. Dvorak's estimate of 39%. They discuss the possibility of official numbers being manipulated to avoid showing extremely low engagement.