Quite a few people (and some polls) have suggested that Democrats have come close to or even erased the enthusiasm gap that's favored the GOP over the past few years.
But a new Fox News survey suggests otherwise. Enthusiasm is still clearly in Romney's favor, even while the poll shows Obama leading in the horserace, 48%-43%.
a. 61% of Republicans say they're "extremely interested" in the election, while only 52% of Democrats say the same.
It's not a leap of logic to say that the more interested you are, the more likely you'll be to vote.
b. White voters (which support Romney by 12% over Obama) are slightly more interested than non-white voters (56%-51%).
c. Men (who favor Romney by 2%) are slightly more interested than women (57%-53%).
d. Senior citizens (who favor Romney over Obama by 12%) are most interested in the election, while the youngest voters (who favor Obama by 23%) are the least interested.
And the gap is huge there. 65% of seniors say they're extremely interested in the election, while only 41% of those under age 35 say the same.
Meanwhile, only 47% in the youngest age group say it's "extremely important" that their candidate wins, but 64% of older voters say the same. That's a huge gap, and one that favors Romney.
e. Conservatives are more interested than liberals (59%-53%).
OVERALL: If interest in an election is a reliable gauge for enthusiasm, Romney squarely has the advantage, as the most interested voters are older, white, Republican men.
