Posted on 03/06/2008 9:01:19 AM PST by seanmerc
Republican crossover voters apparently helped win the Democratic primary in Texas for Hillary Clinton — with one in every 10 Democratic votes came from Republicans.
And they could have been heeding the call of top-rated radio host Rush Limbaugh, who had been urging Republican listeners to vote for Hillary to prevent the Democrats from unifying around Obama and to keep the two candidates battling each other.
“Hillary Clinton is back in the race, thanks in some small part to Republican voters mindlessly following the commands of radio entertainers and crossing party lines to vote for the candidate they view as weakest,” Bud Kennedy writes in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Wednesday.
According to exit polls, of the 10 percent of Democratic votes that came from Republicans, about 53 percent of the crossovers chose Obama and 46 percent went with Clinton, the Dallas Morning News reports.
But previously these crossovers had voted overwhelmingly in favor of Obama. And the exit polls also show that Hillary won handily among conservative voters, including many Democrats, 53 percent to 43 percent over Obama, reports the Web site Outside the Beltway — which also noted that “Clinton truly might have won the Texas primary on the backs of Rush Limbaugh listeners.”
Clinton’s overall margin of victory was just 3 percent — about 98,000 votes out of 2.8 million cast.
“Thousands of traditionally Republican voters helped swell the ranks of the Democrats,” the Morning News observed.
“Some crossed over out of support for Mr. Obama, others were simply dissatisfied with their own party’s choice. Still others supported Mrs. Clinton hoping that by helping extend the Democratic feud, they would leave their own party in a better spot this fall.”
Limbaugh claimed at least some of the credit for Hillary’s victory, saying on Wednesday: “What we did, if we did anything, is to create a bunch of chaos in the Democratic Party — and it worked.”
>> Did Rush Limbaugh cause chaos for the Democratic Party?
I don’t think he really DID “cause” Hillary to win, even in Texas. Certainly not in Ohio.
The number of conservatives who crossed over is not knowable. Nor will it ever be known how they split their votes between O and C.
But just the idea that THEY think Rush was responsible, and it gets their knickers in a knot... that makes me smile.
After this episode of basically requesting Republicans do something legally allowable but morally wrong, I am giving up on Rush.
He now reminds me of Al Gore saying, “There was no legal authority...”
Adios, Rush. I won’t be listening to you anymore.
Carl Rove was on Fox&Friends the morning after. He said several of his acquaintances/friends called him and told him they voted for Clinton.
Cross-over voting was going on.
Millions of conservatives, including Rush, are fully aware of Hillary’s “math problem”.
“After this episode of basically requesting Republicans do something legally allowable but morally wrong, I am giving up on Rush.
He now reminds me of Al Gore saying, “There was no legal authority...”
Adios, Rush. I won’t be listening to you anymore.”
Morally wrong? I doubt you were listening anyway.
While I understand the strategy behind it, I just don’t think I could bring myself to do it.
My boss crossed over, and showed me her voter ID card with DEMOCRATIC stamped across it. She said she was ashamed. I said she should be, and I was gonna start looking for a new job ASAP since I was afraid I couldn’t work for her anymore. ;)
You weren’t listening anyway. I’m sure you had no problem with dems crossing over and choosing McCain for us, did you?
I croosed over and did not get stamped “Democratic”. They just confirmrd my ID (thank God), and pointed me to the booths. One long, hot shower later, I was good as new!
This crossover activity brought on an idea. As we know, political parties are not in the Constitution and the two-party system even less so. Since the Republican Party is apparently disappearing as an agent of Conservatism, let’s disband and all join the Democrat Party. We would again have a voice and totally cancel out any advantages the Democrats are gaining by registering illegals and deceased people as Democrats. Something to think about.
>> My boss crossed over, and showed me her voter ID card with DEMOCRATIC stamped across it. She said she was ashamed.
I didn’t get my card stamped. I got a little paper chit instead.
I’m proud that I did what little I could to drive a stake through Hillary!s evil heart. I’m going to make up an inscription, frame it, and hang it on the wall.
Then again, I don’t need to worry that anyone will ever think I’ve gone over to the “dark side”. My life and my actions say otherwise. Your boss’s mileage may vary.
It doesn’t sound like you were “listening” in the first place. There is nothing wrong with what Rush suggested. I challenge you to prove otherwise.
If Rush couldn’t beat McCain.
How is it he can beat Hillary??
Good point. My wife and I voted for Hitlery too. It was definitely a strange feeling doing so. I did a hit of Maalox before going . . . it didn't help much.
I think it’s a despicable tactic, but Democrats have no room to whine. Turnabout is fair play.
Mrs. Clinton Threatens Rush
March 5, 2008
RUSH: “Now, Mrs. Clinton was on Fox News this morning with Steve Doocy, and Steve Doocy and Hillary had this exchange.”
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_030508/content/01125107.guest.html
At my precinct, they must have been expecting lots of crossover voters. They had a different line for crossover voters, and they had special "stalls" set up for us. That board on the toilet rocked around a bit, but it was OK I guess. Turnout was high, and I know space was tight!
Also, when we finished voting, they even had a special ballot counter for the crossover ballots! It looked like this -- was it the same way at your precinct?
How is it morally wrong to make a choice about which candidates you want to run in the general election? Obama is not qualified, Hillary is barely qualified. Obama can get the votes of the brain dead in the general election, Hillary will have a tougher time. I see no problem with making sure the brain dead don’t get their candidate elected.
Good call. I wish someone would tell me where it is written that:
1) Hillary would be more dangerous than Obama as president
2) Obama is more beatable that Hillary
3) Republicans shouldn't affect the outcome of a Democrat primary
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