Best Win for Democracy

Americans are experiencing a newfound enthusiasm for politics.

More on:

• Barack Obama
• Hillary Clinton
• Election 2008
• John McCain

"Politics," President Lyndon Johnson once urged his fellow Americans, "should not be merely a spectator sport." By the time it's all over, the process of choosing our 44th President will be anything but -- with more candidates, more debates, more money, more donors, and more voters than ever before.

"We've already broken all kinds of records for participation in Presidential primaries," says Curtis Gans, director of the Center for the Study of the American Electorate. By early March '08, 22 states had set all-time-high marks for turnout in a primary election (with more primaries still to come).

Americans showed passion in other ways, too: Though it was the 20th debate in this campaign, the February 26 Ohio face-off between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton was watched by 7.8 million viewers -- the largest audience in MSNBC's history.

The number of individual donors is yet another indication of record engagement. "The surge in small-donor fund-raising is part of a broader package of participation beyond voting," says Michael J. Malbin, executive director of the Campaign Finance Institute. "Giving breeds doing, and vice versa."

In statements made exclusively to Reader's Digest, the top candidates noted the dramatic surge in interest:

• "In my 30 years of doing campaigns, I have never seen the kind of enthusiasm this campaign is generating among voters old and new," said John McCain. "The level of interest eight months out is at the level we usually see eight days out."

• "Americans have become engaged in this race like we haven't seen in a long time," said Barack Obama. "It's inspiring to see the excitement this race is generating. It's strengthening our democracy. No matter which candidate they support, when more Americans take part in our political process, it's more likely that we'll have a government responsive to their needs."

• "The American people are voicing their desire for a new direction," said Hillary Clinton, adding that the "record participation" in the '08 primary season is good for her political party and the nation.

• Percentage of eligible voters voting in primaries: more than 27%, breaking a record set in 1972.

• Amount Americans gave during 2007: $552 million, twice as much as four years earlier.

• Number of donors who contributed to Barack Obama's campaign: 1.1 million, more than the total number of donors to all candidates' campaigns in 2000.

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From Reader's Digest - May 2008