It’s something of a given that turnout in midterm elections is lower than in presidential years, with the odd year and special elections being even worse. But how low was it last Tuesday? Early reports indicate that the national interest in participating pretty much crashed.

The last time voter turnout for a national election was as low as it was on Nov.4, Hitler was still in power, and Mitch McConnell was only nine months old.

Only 36.4% of eligible voters voted in this year’s midterm elections, down from 40.9% who voted in 2010, according to preliminary analysis by Michael McDonald at the University of Florida. The last time voter turnout was that low was 1942, when only 33.9% of voters cast ballots, according to the United States Elections Project.

More than 60% of eligible voters showed up in 2008. That was the Obama wave effect, which actually dropped off by over 3% in 2012. Compare that to the midterms, where the GOP base shows up more strongly. Republicans won again in 2014 much like in 2010, but – again – the turnout was down by 4%. While still impossible to quantify, it sounds like the smaller, but more reliable conservative turnout was holding steady while progressive showings have steadily tapered off. Obama exhaustion? Decreasing expectations? Too busy foraging for food in dumpsters?

You can read this one of two ways, depending on which side you’re cheering for. The Democrat reading is that when all the liberals show up (in presidential years) they swamp the GOP and that will happen again in 2016. They lose interest in the off years and relatively few of them turn out, so the GOP grabs some seats. The opposite reading is that Democrat turnout, in a biennial sine wave, is decreasing from peak to peak starting in 2006 and that they will do even worse in 2016, opening the door for the GOP.

Don’t count on it, though. Reelecting somebody who has already let you down is never as exciting as a fresh face who hasn’t really had a chance to throw you under the bus yet. All that’s missing for the Democrats is a new, exciting figure to recharge the batteries and they can push those numbers back up in two years. Is Hillary “fresh and exciting” to their base? Probably won’t do bad with the women’s vote, but there’s nothing really new there either, so read into this what you will.