The Wall Street Journal has a nice piece on the difference between the people that usually vote in general elections, vs those that usually vote in midterm elections. Important info if you want to understand some of the reasons why the GOP look to gain so many seats in a few months.

While more than 130 million Americans cast ballots in the presidential election two years ago, less than 85 million turned out for the 2006 midterm elections. And it is a fact that many of the minorities and young people who voted in large numbers to support Barack Obama and his Democratic ticket-mates in 2008 are unlikely participants in this year’s election.Compared to a highly focused, high-stakes presidential contest, a midterm election is often less dynamic and more diffuse – with myriad elections of varying importance happening within the 50 states and 435 congressional districts. As a result, a midterm can turn into a test of voter mobilization, with the outcome often dependent on two variables: each party’s ability to rouse their base, and each party’s success at wooing the large swing group of independent voters.

Read on at the Wall Street Journal…