By Dianne Anderson

In the midterm election fight to hang on to Democratic seats in the House, pressure from Republicans may not be enough hold back support from diehard Democrats, and their younger, more liberal voters.

As time goes on, Democrats may step a little more to the left, where much of the younger voters stand on the issues.

Usually, about fifty percent of voters turn out for the midterms, but the gubernatorial race hasn’t excited anyone very much. So far, Meg Whitman has spent more than $99 million on the campaign trail, yet the polls are flat.

Melahat Rafiei, a political consultant in Orange County, said that the Republican party isn’t exactly impressed with Meg Whitman either, and most people can’t figure out why she’s running.

“Meg Whitman is someone that hasn't voted in 28 years, hasn’t shown any real philanthropic activity before, but the money she’s spending is self-serving,” she said. “When I talk to Republicans, they say ‘we really don’t get it.’ I’m a little surprised at that.”

Feeling the loss of some ground, the Republican party has tried to put some distance from the willy-nilly of Sarah Palin in the forefront, and Rush Limbaugh in the background, and the party cash-strapped at only about $5 million.

“It’s catching up with them, they’re the party of ‘No,’ the party of no ideas, the party of no you can’t. People are getting sick. The hyper-partisanship is really sad,” said Rafiei, also the past executive director of the Democratic Party of Orange County.

She said President Obama has been quite moderate on the issues, and politics is the least of the hostility he faces.

“I’m going to say it. The party has taken bigots and racists and given an official standing with the party,” she said.

Jobs and livelihoods are being outsourced without provisions or policy to control the 10-year-long bleeding of jobs out of the U.S. economy.

“I can guarantee you that Republicans in office don't want to hit these corporations with extra taxes for taking work overseas. They want to deregulate everything,” she said. “How many of them voted for the jobs bill?”

This year, while the state politics won’t be as exciting as the last Presidential election, Proposition 19 seems primed to bring out young voters who support legalization of marijuana. In the last election, Massachusetts drew 78 percent of voters under 30 years old to vote for President Obama, compared  to 20 percent for John McCain.

The 2008 national exit poll shows a need to get more under-educated voters in the mix. In all, only about six percent of the population without a high school diploma voted, compared to nearly 70 percent of all those who had attended some college.

But whether or not they attended college, both categories of educated and less educated youth voters supported President Obama instead of the Republican Party.

Donald Craig, president of the Orange County branch NAACP, said that the organization will hold a nonpartisan voter registration drive set tentatively for the first week of September, location to be announced.

Volunteers are always needed and welcome to rein in any last minute voters who may have moved over the past year, or may be dodging the polls.

Especially this midterm, about half of all voters turning out in a good year, there is some risk of turning voters off from all of the lingering political tension.

He's pushing the ease of absentee ballots, and that if, for whatever reason voters can’t, or don’t want to, physically get out to the polls, they can vote by mail.

“We need to educate people that your vote does count, and if a person doesn’t take a stand, we have no reason to complain who gets in office,” he said.

Next month, NAACP board political action chair Jacqueline Johnson is coordinating the candidates’ voter registration drive. So far, they have passed out flyers, information about the registration all across the county, at churches and nonprofits.

In all, he’s positive about the potential for the drive and getting people excited, even in an off year.

“I think it’s about going back to education, making people aware don’t let the few bad apples spoil it for everyone. We’re going to come out strong,” he said.

For more information on date and time, call 714.325.0103.