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Some Republicans Vote Democratic In Indiana As Limbaugh Urges Indiana GOP Listeners To Vote For Clinton
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh has urged his Republican listeners to vote for Senator Hillary Clinton in today’s Indiana primary, pointing to what he said is a double standard when it comes to cross-over voters, the Boston Globe reports — and another newspaper reports signs of “hardcore” Republicans voting Democratic.
Indiana’s primary is open to Republicans and independents, as well as Democrats. Limbaugh is urging Republicans to cross over and vote for Clinton to extend the Democratic nomination fight and, he hopes, further damage the eventual nominee.
Exit polls suggest that Limbaugh’s soldiers could have made a difference March 4 in Texas, where Clinton pulled out a narrow win in the primary, though Obama won the simultaneous caucuses.
Limbaugh told listeners on Monday that Democratic Party officials in Indiana are trying to intimidate Republican voters with monitors at the polls. So he issued these orders: “Flood these precincts. Vote for Mrs. Clinton as an act of defiance against these police-state tactics as a form of protest.”
Limbaugh also argued that when independents and Democrats vote for John McCain, it is seen as a sign of the presumptive Republican nominee’s broad appeal, but when Republicans vote for Clinton, it is described as “mischief” and “un-American.”“None of that is true,” Limbaugh told listeners. “What is un-American and what is mischievous is attempting to intimidate voters as they approach the polling place.”
He makes a point about cross-over voters. However, the key difference here is that Limbaugh is making it clear he wants GOPers to vote for Clinton to extend the Democratic party’s disarray and/or to weaken Obama if he gets the nomination.
The Indianapolis Start reports that some “hardcore” Republicans are indeed showing up and voting Democratic.
But the questions are a) are these GOP voters really enough to tilt the election and b) how will these voters show up with the election results are analyzed? Limbaugh’s call for cross-overs isn’t illegal — but does reflect the win-at-all-costs mega-partisan mindset of 21st century politics.
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3 Responses to “Some Republicans Vote Democratic In Indiana As Limbaugh Urges Indiana GOP Listeners To Vote For Clinton”
I don't believe that Rush's exhortations to his listeners to vote in the democrat's primary is an example of the “win at all costs mega partisan mindset” as much as it is his attempt to show the deficiencies of what he considers to be his opposition. He is, by encouraging his republican listeners to vote in the democrats' primary, demonstrating the failings of the primary system that was implemented by the democrats. He is demonstrating that democrats are unable to manage their own primary election properly and therefore, by proxy, are unable to properly manage the country.
The fact that the ongoing primary leaves the candidates unable to focus their energies on their republican opponent is just a bonus.
Given how poorly it's performed over the past eight years, it's the Bush Administration that's giving “hardcore Republicans” a reason to vote Democratic.
Rush Limbaugh is nothing but a blowhard trying to claim credit for something he has no influence over.
Limbaugh didn't even have enough influence within the Republican Party itself to control their nominee.
Naturally, the media is eager to uphold its own belief that Limbaugh matters. No matter how ridiculous that belief is in the face of actual evidence. They're like Peter Pan exhorting the audience full of children to believe in fairies.
Sorry if that makes you imagine Limbaugh dressed up like Tinkerbell!!
Apparently, it IS illegal.
From TPMuckraker' jthomascronin:
Here's the Indiana election law:
IC 3-10-1-6
Eligible voters
Sec. 6. A voter may vote at a primary election:
(1) if the voter, at the last general election, voted for a majority of the regular nominees of the political party holding the primary election; or
(2) if the voter did not vote at the last general election, but intends to vote at the next general election for a majority of the regular nominees of the political party holding the primary election; as long as the voter was registered as a voter at the last general election or has registered since then.
link:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/…