Sunnis Need Turnout, Too

The top story on the front page of the Chicago Tribune on Sunday shows the importance of voter turnout. Sunnis, who have been resistant to the constitution referendum in Iraq, flocked to the polls Saturday, mostly voting against the constitution.
"Early indications suggested that turnout in the Shiite south and in the Kurdish north was lower than in January, suggesting that a vigorous campaign by Sunni Arab leaders to get out the Sunni vote had paid off, at least in some areas." One Shiite province showed a drop from 71% turnout in January to 33%.
The Sunni Arab leaders have managed to energize their base, so they turned out to vote. The Shiites and Kurds showed "voter fatigue," expecting the constitutional referendum to pass easily and deciding they don't need to vote. They figured their vote wasn't needed and their leaders failed to make it clear that voting for the constitution was important. While the results are, as yet, unknown, initial indications showed the Sunnis looking strong, thanks to an energized base.