host: joining us now is curtis gans, from the curtis gans -- from the center for the study of the american electorate. mr. gans, if you would, you have a new report out on of voting trends. if you look at 2012 as a turnout here, what kind of turnout do you expect for 2012? guest: i expect a low turnout in 2012. we have had increases up through 2010. it will not continue. why? because the republican party is deeply divided. the democratic party is supportive of obama, but disappointed. young people were driven by anger in a 2004 and by hope in 2008. there is none of that in the present climate. latino support for president obama -- but they are worried about him, because there has been more deportations been in any time in the past. there are all these things that essentially, likely will produce lower turnouts as well as the fact that the people in the middle and the independence have no real strong feelings for either party at this point. we have a huge number of people who feel the country is moving in the wrong direction. increasingly, a number of people feel a pass on both of the house

host: curtis gans is our guest. one of his early positions was as staff director for the campaign of eugene mccarthy. we are going to go to calls. the numbers are on the screen. rick perry as dropping out of the 20 top campaign -- of the 2012 campaign and endorsing newt, according to politico. this is that i was reading just a minute ago. the most recent polls show that newt gingrich is getting quite out of the on -- is gaining quite rapidly on mitt romney in south carolina. i also want to point out that rick santorum tomorrow morning will be a guest on this program, 7:45. he will be taking your calls from south carolina. first call for curtis gans comes from tennessee. valerie, go ahead with your question or comment. caller: thank you for taking my call. i would just like to inquire of your guest why he thinks there are so many of these groups that are set up for study in the united states. i feel like we're getting less and less truth and more and more opinion. many of the progressives in the country seem as if th

host: curtis gans is our guest.e is the director of the center for the study of the american electorate. he has been doing that for some time. one of his positions was the staff director for eugene mccarthy in 1968. he was a senator from minnesota. we're going to go to calls. the numbers have been on the screen. very quickly, some political news. rick perry is dropping out of the 2012 campaign and in -- and endorsing newt gingrich. that is the headline i was reading just one minute ago. the most recent polls show that newt gingrich is gaining quite rapidly on mitt romney in south carolina. i also want to point out that rick santorum, tomorrow morning, will be a guest on this program. 7:45. he will be taking your calls from south carolina. this call comes from greenville, tenn.. please go ahead with your question or comment. caller: thank you for taking my call. i would just like to inquire of your guest, why he thinks that there are so many of these groups that are set up for study in the united states? i feel like

curtis gans explains who votes and why. "washington journal" every morning starting at 7:00 eastern here on c-span. defense secretary leon panetta today outlined new initiative to assist victims of sexual assault in the military. he said men and women will be allowed immediate transfer when they report an assault and there will be better training on dealing with allegation of assault. this is 20 minutes. >> thank you for showing up. we've got meetings at the white house this afternoon, so i had to reschedule. good afternoon. when i was sworn in to the office of secretary of defense, i said that i had no higher responsibility than to protect those who are protecting america. our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line every day. to try to keep america safe. we have a moral duty to keep them safe. from those who would attack their dignity and their honor. that's why i've been so concerned by the problem of sexual assault in the military. sexual assault has no place in this department. it is an affront to the basi

first call-up for curtis gans comes from greenville, tennessee.alerie, please go ahead with your question,. >> caller: yes, thank you for taking my call. i would just like to inquire of your guests why he thinks that there are so many of these groups that are set up for study in the yeah states? i feel like we are getting less and less truth and more and more opinion and many of the progressives in the country seem as if they can predict the future and the studies are often very been to in one direction. all of the liberals it together all the environmental risk together. and that just feel that their promises are based on their own opinion come almost an ideology that not all of a share. and i think we can compromise with those they share a different world view. >> i think i there are studies done by the heritage foundation, mike cahill. there are studies being done by people with, you know, points of view and being done by people without points of view. who are seeking truth. i like to think of myself as that. my work for last 36 years has been

you can:with their questions about this year's campaign to curtis gans.shington journal" is like every day at 7:00 a.m. eastern. >>hoover argued a couple of things. he argued that american policy toward japan in 1941 was rather provocative and perhaps in a juvenile way he said we are putting pins in rattlesnake. eventually the rattlesnake will strike back. >> saturday night on "afer words," george nash on the former presidents evaluations of executive branch decisions starting with the second world war. also, jeff charlotte on religion in america. hay wexler on understanding our constitution. >> the house on wednesday blocked president obama's request to increase the debt limit by more than $1 trillion. under a deal worked out last summer, the president can raise the debt by $2 trillion and two stages. if this is the second stage. it goes into affect unless the house votes to disapprove. the resolution was never adopted in the senate. this is a little less than the two hours. madam speaker. i rise today as a proud primary sponsor of the subject resolution