Democratic schism could put some Clinton loyalists in McCain's camp

The Boston Globe ^ | May 8, 2008 | Foon Rhee

[2ndDivisionVet]

Hillary Clinton's loyalists appear to be hardening in their disdain for Barack Obama as he gets closer to the Democratic nomination.

Fewer than half of Clinton supporters in both Indiana and North Carolina said they would vote for Obama in November, according to exit polls. Instead, most said they would vote for presumptive Republican John McCain - or just stay home. Even though voters say that Clinton has run the more negative campaign, Obama backers are significantly more supportive of Clinton if she were to be the nominee.

Analysts say that polls in the heat of the primary campaign don't reflect what will happen in November, and Obama's campaign insists Clinton supporters will return to the fold.

Still, McCain's campaign is jumping on the numbers. Campaign manager Rick Davis issued a lengthy, figure-filled memo yesterday that says as many as one in five Democrats - the vast majority of them Clinton supporters - will defect and support McCain against Obama.

"If and when Senator Obama becomes the official nominee, Democratic Primary voters may not form a tight coalition immediately," the memo says. "Data to date suggest Democratic Primary voters will not blindly support Senator Obama."

Limbaugh backs Obama as preferred GOP opponent

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who for weeks has promoted Hillary Clinton to keep the Democratic race going, changed course yesterday and pushed Barack Obama.

Obama would be the weakest nominee, Limbaugh declared, telling listeners that Obama "has shown he cannot get the votes Democrats need to win - blue-collar, working-class people. He can get effete snobs, he can get wealthy academics, he can get the young, and he can get the black vote, but Democrats do not win with that."

"He will lose big," Limbaugh predicted.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Strange, if true.

[familyop]

They’re threatening retaliation just as their kind did after the Fifteenth Amendment passed. And remember that many of them had temporarily infiltrated and tried to control the “discourse” of the Republican Party just before that. For one example, after the Fifteenth Amendment passed, Susan B. Anthony joined the racist Democrat George Train for a speaking tour.

[Graybeard58]

"He will lose big," Limbaugh predicted.

I agree with him on that. The rats had 3 big losers running in the primaries. I know McCain isn't the greatest but he's way above either Obama or Hillary.

I know I will hear from the anti McCain crowd, don't bother, just vote for Obama or a third party or stay at home, McCain will be the next President.

[doodad]

My die hard unionist in-laws in Ohio are the biggest racists I have ever met in my life (and I grew up largely in the much maligned South). There is no way they will vote for a (insert their favorite racial slur here) locally or nationally. Period.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

McCain’s counting on this-—that’s why he keeps on dissing Conservatives because he’s calculated that he doesn’t need us.

[ottbmare]

I live and work in a county in which there are possibly three other Republicans besides me. I’ve had some success recently in persuading Democrats to consider McCain. When they’re arguing about who to vote for between two Democratic candidates they fundamentally distrust, I gently insert myself into the conversation, pointing out that McCain is just this side of being a declared Democrat, that he has always angered conservatives, that he has always reached across the aisle to find a middle ground with Democrats. This has definitely set some heads nodding thoughtfully. Try it, you’ll like it. Emphasize that the name McCain makes conservatives spit and that Bush and McCain do no get along, and de-emphasize the fact that McCain will defend the country. Good luck.

[Bob J]

Strategic thinking on FR...how refreshing.

[BigSkyFreeper]

All the GOP needs to do is convince Republicans to cross over and vote for McCain.

[cattleranch716]

Ha! I don’t want any Clinton loyalists on our side. Why? So they can throw a tantrum that their candidate didn’t win, and then bring their loser brand of politics over to our side. If McCain does win, he’s going to need those that got him there to make sure he walks a conservative line (not likely, but we can try). With all these left-wing dingbats sending money his way, we can just forget about McCain resembling anything that Reagan stood for. As it is, McCain is dying for leftist approval and money. Those Clinton supporter crybabies, after they finish soiling their pants, are going to end up supporting their nominee and do as they’re told- they can’t think independently...you think they’ll start all of a sudden?