Where I part ways with Ezra

Ezra Klein so rarely gets it wrong, that I feel the need to point it out when he does.  In a post entitled, “worrying signs for Democrats in Virginia exit polls” he writes:

Today’s narrative is all good for the Democrats: The tea party lost in Virginia. The Republican who hugged President Obama won a landslide in New Jersey. And a liberal won in New York City.

But the exit polls out of Virginia give Republicans some reason to cheer heading into the 2014 midterms. Though Virginia’s GOP chose a candidate who turned off moderate Republicans and motivated Democrats, and though the Democrats had vastly more money, the exit polls still showed the kind of demographic drift that could help Republicans make gains next year…

– In 2012, voters aged 18-29 — the most Democratic-leaning age group — made up 19 percent of Virginia’s electorate. In 2013, they made up 13 percent.

– In 2012, voters over age 65 made up 14 percent of Virginia’s electorate. In 2013, they made up 18 percent.

I guess if you consider entirely predicted and predictable results to be “worrying” Ezra’s got a point, but nobody would suggest that the off-year electorate would be even close to the presidential year electorate in age-based demographics.  Is this an ongoing problem for Democrats?  Of course.  But in no sense is this a “worrying sign” as I don’t think anybody would suggest young voters (certainly not at this point in time) are ever going to turn out in off years the way in presidential years.  There was no reason to expect Democrats could completely overcome this fact in 2013 or that they will in 2014.