Boston Globe: Many voting for Clinton to boost GOP

[marmar]

Many voting for Clinton to boost GOP
By Scott Helman
Globe Staff / March 17, 2008


For a party that loves to hate the Clintons, Republican voters have cast an awful lot of ballots lately for Senator Hillary Clinton: About 100,000 GOP loyalists voted for her in Ohio, 119,000 in Texas, and about 38,000 in Mississippi, exit polls show.

Since Senator John McCain effectively sewed up the GOP nomination last month, Republicans have begun participating in Democratic primaries specifically to vote for Clinton, a tactic that some voters and local Republican activists think will help their party in November. With every delegate important in the tight Democratic race, this trend could help shape the outcome if it continues in the remaining Democratic primaries open to all voters.

Spurred by conservative talk radio, GOP voters who say they would never back Clinton in a general election are voting for her now for strategic reasons: Some want to prolong her bitter nomination battle with Barack Obama, others believe she would be easier to beat than Obama in the fall, or they simply want to register objections to Obama.

"It's as simple as, I don't think McCain can beat Obama if Obama is the Democratic choice," said Kyle Britt, 49, a Republican-leaning independent from Huntsville, Texas, who voted for Clinton in the March 4 primary. "I do believe Hillary can mobilize enough people to keep her out of office."

Britt, who works in financial services, said he is certain he will vote for McCain in November.

About 1,100 miles north, in Granville, Ohio, Ben Rader, a 66-year-old retired entrepreneur, said he voted for Clinton in Ohio's primary to further confuse the Democratic race. "I'm pretty much tired of the Clintons, and to see her squirm for three or four months with Obama beating her up, it's great, it's wonderful," he said. "It broke my heart, but I had to." .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/03/17/many_voting_for_clinton_to_boost_gop/

[mod mom]

1. Yep...IN OHIO:

Ohio GOP roots for Hillary
BY HOWARD WILKINSON | [e-mail]
One of the worst-kept secrets of the Ohio presidential primary is that Republican party leaders have a candidate they are rooting for on the Democratic side.

Her name is Hillary Clinton, and they believe that if she wins the Ohio primary and goes on to become the Democratic nominee, she will be the one who unites their dispirited and divided party and give them their best chance of keeping the White House this fall.




It is a belief that the Clinton campaign says is wrong-headed and they will campaign across the state for the next three weeks making the argument that their battle-tested, experienced candidate is the only one who can go toe-to-toe with John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee this fall.

-snip

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/NEWS01/302130097



RUSH:



▪ What might have actually happened in Ohio and Texas? Tin foil hat?
▪ Clip:
: "Rush, I understand that the Rush Limbaugh audience is mobilizing in Texas for Hillary. Am I hearing that right?"

: "I don't know if the audience is mobilizing or not. I am urging people — I am using a phrase — the Republicans — our nominee is chosen. It's John McCain.

Texas is open. And I want Hillary to stay in this, Laura. This is too good a soap opera. We need Barack Obama bloodied up politically, and it's obvious that the Republicans are not going to do it and don't have the stomach for it.

As you probably know, we're getting all kinds of memos from the RNC saying not to be critical there. Mark MacKinnon of McCain's campaign says he'll quit if they get critical over Obama.

This is the presidency of the United States you're talking about. I want our party to win. I want the Democrats to lose. They're in the midst of tearing themselves apart right now. It is fascinating to watch, and it's all going to stop if Hillary loses.

So yes, I'm asking to cross over and, if they can stomach it — I know it's a difficult thing to do to vote for a Clinton — but it will sustain this soap opera, and it's something I think we need. It would be fun, too."

http://www.thomhartmann.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=609&Itemid=113



Turned away at poll? Click here
Some are told to wait - or come back later
BY JESSICA BROWN AND BARRETT J. BRUNSMAN | [e-mail] | [e-mail]

-snip
In that heavily Republican county, officials weren't prepared for the high number of Democratic ballots requested. Some voters waited for more than an hour for new ballots to be delivered; others were asked to come back later or asked to go to the county Board of Elections to vote.

The reason: a wave of "crossover" voting, in which normally Republican voters asked for Democratic ballots. In Clermont County, turnout surged to 43 percent Tuesday - compared with just 31 percent in the 2004 presidential primary.

-snip

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said there was also a "crossover problem" in Akron and elsewhere in Summit County where many Republicans and non-enrolled Ohioans voted Democratic.

-snip

Of Clermont County's 128,128 registered voters, 37,714 are registered Republicans and 14,496 are registered Democrats. With all precincts counted, 26,279 people had cast Democratic ballots and 28,032 had cast Republican ballots.

Warren County has 12,440 registered Democrats and 41,377 registered Republicans. With all precincts reporting, that county was reporting 27,855 Democratic ballots cast and 28,683 Republican.

-snip
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/NEWS01/803050380&template=printpicart



GOP voters crossing over in large numbers
Posted by Tom Ott, Michael Scott, Joe Wagner & Maggi Martin March 04, 2008 14:51PM
Categories: At the polls

Poll watchers throughout Ohio are noting large numbers of Republican voters crossing over to vote in the Democratic Primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

In the Republican roost of Chagrin Falls, veteran poll worker Liz McFadden was amazed at the number of people jumping the party's ship. Democrats accounted for 70 percent of the voters in her precinct, one of seven at the village's high school.

"That's a complete reversal of what it normally is, even more so," she said. "I've never seen a switch like this."

The defectors had motives both pure and sinister.

-snip
http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/03/gop_voters_crossing_over_in_la.html



Cross-over voting under Ohio law


March 4, 2008

Edward B. Foley
Director, Election Law @ Moritz
Robert M. Duncan/Jones Day Designated Professor of Law
Moritz College of Law


Blogs at both the Plain Dealer and Dispatch are reporting Republican cross-over votes in the Democratic candidate for Senator Clinton on the ground that she would be an easier nominee for Senator McCain to beat. It is unclear how widespread this phenomenon is and whether, if calculable, could make a difference in either the statewide total popular vote or the awarding of delegates between Senators Clinton and Obama. There is also the question whether it is legal, and if not, whether it is remediable in any way.

Although it is widely reported that Ohio permits Republicans to vote in the Democratic primary (and vice versa), that is not technically true. Ohio law does permit voters to switch party affiliation on the day of the primary, but it has a rather awkward mechanism that attempts to ascertain that the switch is sincere—and to prevent insincere “party-raiding” of the kind that (as described above) is being reported today.

Section 3513.19 of the Ohio Revised Code states that it is the “duty” of poll workers in Ohio “to challenge the right of person to vote” in a particular party’s primary if a poll worker “doubts” the person’s eligibility based on the ground (among others) that the person is "not affiliated with or is not a member of the political party whose ballot the person desires to vote.” The same section further specifies that the poll worker is to determine the voter’s previous party affiliation by examining the voting records of the past two years. If those records show the voter to be a Republican, for example, then before giving the voter a Democratic ballot in the current primary, the statute then directs the poll worker to have the voter sign a “statement, made under penalty of election falsification, that the person desires to be affiliated with and supports the principles of the political party whose primary ballot the person desires to vote.”

-snip


But what of the possibility of a suit in federal court? Senator Obama theoretically could claim that the variable enforcement of this state law in different precincts violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution as interpreted in Bush v. Gore. That claim might not be ultimately meritorious, but it cannot be rejected out of hand for the reasons I have explained in an extended analysis of this Equal Protection precedent (as well as in a follow-up piece).

-snip
http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/electionlaw/freefair/articles.php?ID=367

[Rageneau]

6. When Obama does this, it's called reaching across the aisle.

Hey, the Obama supporters are always saying that we need Republican crossover votes in Nov., so why not sign them up early?

It was G-R-E-A-T when Obama was winning those early votes and caucuses with crossover votes. The Omaniacs couldn't have been happier.

What's changed? Nothin -- except the shoe is on the other foot.

[RoadRage]

7. Except.. Obama was getting those republicans wayyyyyy back in Jan.

Wayyyyy back before the Republicans had any idea who their candidate was... and back when those republicans were proudly telling the press they were voting FOR Obama so they could vote FOR him in the General Election because they really liked his message, and were sick of the way that the Republicans have run the country for the past 8 years.

So, yeah.. umm.. other then all that, these scenario's are really similar. :eyes:

[rinsd]

16. So how about TX & OH when Obama got 135K & 100K GOP votes respectively?

I love how Obama's GOP voters all have pure motivations, delusion at its finest.

[krkaufman]

20. No one is saying "all", but the numbers detailed in the article definitely make the case ...

... for a larger surge of "Republicans for Clinton" only following McCain clinching the Rethug nomination.

Did you read the article?

[mod mom]

35. READ THIS FROM THE CONSERVATIVE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER:

Ohio GOP roots for Hillary
BY HOWARD WILKINSON | [e-mail]


One of the worst-kept secrets of the Ohio presidential primary is that Republican party leaders have a candidate they are rooting for on the Democratic side.

Her name is Hillary Clinton, and they believe that if she wins the Ohio primary and goes on to become the Democratic nominee, she will be the one who unites their dispirited and divided party and give them their best chance of keeping the White House this fall.




It is a belief that the Clinton campaign says is wrong-headed and they will campaign across the state for the next three weeks making the argument that their battle-tested, experienced candidate is the only one who can go toe-to-toe with John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee this fall.

-snip

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/NEWS01/302130097

[surfermaw]

39. When did democrats start believing in any thing right wing and Conservative

[mod mom]

40. Maybe after hearing it said on the radio:

▪ What might have actually happened in Ohio and Texas? Tin foil hat?
▪ Clip:
: "Rush, I understand that the Rush Limbaugh audience is mobilizing in Texas for Hillary. Am I hearing that right?"

: "I don't know if the audience is mobilizing or not. I am urging people — I am using a phrase — the Republicans — our nominee is chosen. It's John McCain.

Texas is open. And I want Hillary to stay in this, Laura. This is too good a soap opera. We need Barack Obama bloodied up politically, and it's obvious that the Republicans are not going to do it and don't have the stomach for it.

As you probably know, we're getting all kinds of memos from the RNC saying not to be critical there. Mark MacKinnon of McCain's campaign says he'll quit if they get critical over Obama.

This is the presidency of the United States you're talking about. I want our party to win. I want the Democrats to lose. They're in the midst of tearing themselves apart right now. It is fascinating to watch, and it's all going to stop if Hillary loses.

So yes, I'm asking to cross over and, if they can stomach it — I know it's a difficult thing to do to vote for a Clinton — but it will sustain this soap opera, and it's something I think we need. It would be fun, too."

http://www.thomhartmann.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=609&Itemid=113

[SaveAmerica]

37. I know of a group of Republican Senior aged women here in the south who are voting for Obama

in the GE.

There are plenty of Republican people who have (THANKFULLY!!) finally seen Bush for what he is and what his 'administration' has done to our country.

Just because a report shows you that 'this many' Republicans voted in a primary election and then they quote a freak sheep who voted for Hillary because "Rush said to", doesn't mean they all did. We're not the only ones who are disturbed by Bush and are desperate to make a change.

[TheWraith]

17. Exactly.

The Republicans admit it themselves: the ones going for Obama want to support Obama. The ones voting for Clinton want to support McCain. It's as simple as that: Hillary is their only chance of winning in November.

[mod mom]

8. DID YOU READ THE ARTICLE FROM THE CONSERVATIVE CINCI ENQUIRER?

Did you bother to read the transcripts from Limbaugh (both of which I posted) These were NOT Republicans seeing the light of day: Here is an example:

An Obama-Hater for Clinton, Temporarily
BY JASON HOROWITZ | MARCH 5, 2008 | TAGS: POLITICSBARACK OBAMAHILLARY CLINTONOHIO

Meet Todd Appelbaum, a 46-year-old from Columbus, who wore a shirt that says “Osama for Obama” to the Clinton campaign’s election-night event in Ohio last night.
The white t-shirt, with an image of Barack Obama dressed in traditional Somali garb, is adorned with a blue Hillary Clinton button, although Appelbaum is not what one would call a real Hillary Clinton supporter.
“I voted for Hillary today,” he said, “because I’m concerned that, God forbid, Barack Obama will beat McCain. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
http://www.observer.com/2008/obama-hater-clinton-temporarily

[krkaufman]

18. We'll operate from the assumption that your question is genuine ...

... and owes to not bothering to actually read the article.

What has obviously changed is that the Republican nomination had only been decided just before the time of the OH/TX/VT/RI voting, and so Republicans began crossing-over not because of genuine support for a candidate, but because they felt their vote would aid the general election chances of the Republican candidate, McCain.

[surfermaw]

38. I thought the same thing when I heard Jack Cafferty bunch of junk

How could it be reaching across the isle when Obama is leading because of republican votes, but it is bad for Hillary, hell folks I knew Republicans would vote for Hillary, she was a republican before she was a democrt.

[bobthedrummer]

2. "Inconvenient truths about the New Democrats, the Third Way, Democratic Leadership Council, etc."

there is a RW founded and funded political machine within the Democratic Party that has been there since the Reagan era, this is a must read for all Democrats, liberals, progressives and voters

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2973191

[Submariner]

4. I have been cross-posting your post for a couple of days

but the Clinton camp does not want to hear it. It's like a bunch of little kids with their fingers in their ears going Na na na na na....

I hope they catch on before it's too late. Great post BTW Bob.

[bobthedrummer]

5. Keep doing so, we are engaging in information warfare-I'm with those on the side of TRUTH

and against all RWers, especially moles in a party that I've supported in many ways for 43 years.

[thoughtcrime1984]

22. I agree completely, been saying Hil is a Republican in Dem's clothing

[Botany]

3. I think that there was more than just "cross over" voters in OH

A county that 12,000 registered dems produced over 27,000
republican votes ..... other counties and some congressional
districts had staggeringly high dem votes too.

Team Clinton knows this stuff too and if they cared one wit
about the democratic party they would get out now .... Hillary
is all but mathmatically out of the race and her staying in just
hurts the party and our chances in the general election.

[mod mom]

9. Botany you are correct-just look how Brunner had to lock down voting machines.

Don't forget-it's NOT over in Ohio still over 120,000 (concentrated in urban areas) Provisional Ballots yet to be counted.

[Botany]

27. S.W. Ohio Urban areas too.

What are the chances?

[bellasgrams]

10. If BO cared one wit about the Democratic party he would get out

now. There is no way a man that isn't qualified, who has close connections with a man who is under criminal indictment, who has attended for 20 years a church that preaches hate for America and the white race, a man who does really doesn't have a political record because he votes present, a man that spent several years working for a Chicago district that shows no sign of improvement, a divisive man who uses race as his strong suit, a man much like a David Duke, there is no way this man of hate can win an election. The sooner he throws in the towel the better.

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. there is no way a woman as stupid as Hillary Rodham Clinton

who allowed herself to be duped by BushCo should be anywhere near the WH, ever again. Millions displaced, hundreds of thousands of children orphaned, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis killed, thousands of US troops killed and/or maimed for life. The most important decision of her life, and she flunked. Time to pack it in. I'm sorry, but I trust your judgement about as much as I trust hers.

[Beacool]

23. Thanks, for calling Hillary "stupid".

I'll remember this if Obama becomes the nominee. Your inexperienced candidate does NOT deserve the presidency. Let's see how he wins it without a good portion of Hillary's supporters.

[Tarheel_Dem]

26. and vice-versa, and I stand by my characterization

a stupid opportunist, and the same goes for her followers. And I noticed you didn't address the broader issues, only that Hillary was called "stupid". Hypocrite.

[Beacool]

28. Well, I think that your candidate is an empty shell, but I have so far

not said that on this board. At least, not until now.........

[Tarheel_Dem]

29. your opinion matters about as much to me as your candidate does.....

NADA!

[Beacool]

30. Well, we''ll just see how much your guy is worth in the GE after the Repugs are done with him.

:shrug:

[Tarheel_Dem]

32. Yes we shall....

and we'll see how much your candidate is worth after the ratings crazed media gets done poring over her financial records. I hear there's a lot of good stuff in there.

[krkaufman]

25. "a man much like a David Duke" -- ludicrous and saddening n/t

[roseBudd]

33. I am so sick of my gender & their bullshit, especially the Hillbot trolls who disable their profiles

[mod mom]

36. It's Hillary who espouses the corporate line, so perhaps it's time she stop the parsing

and admit to her supporters that she aims to work for the powerful over the people-like her good friend JACKSON STEPHENS taught her and Bill.

[krkaufman]

24. Ironically, it is *THIS* type of situation for which the superdelegates were implemented.

Observable, malicious Rethug crossover is certainly a more valid cause for superdelegate intervention than simply preferring a different candidate than that chosen by the Dem primary and caucus voters.

[BeyondGeography]

12. "To see her squirm for three or four months with Obama beating her up, it's great, it's wonderful."

And she's more than happy to oblige.

[Adelante]

13. Ugh, look at Texas

It is also possible, though perhaps unlikely, that enough strategically minded Republicans voted for Clinton in Texas to give her a crucial primary victory there: Clinton received roughly 119,000 GOP votes in Texas, according to exit polls, and she beat Obama by about 101,000 votes.

[rinsd]

15. WesDem, Obama received about 135,000 GOP votes in TX.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#val=TX

He beat her 53 to 46 in Republicans which made up about 9% of the electorate.

[rinsd]

14. Yeah "only" 135,000 Republicans voted for Obama in TX & "only" 100,000 voted for him in OH.

Obama won the TX GOP vote 53 to 46.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls/#TXDEM

Obama & Hillary tied the GOP vote in OH.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/epolls/#OHDEM

[thoughtcrime1984]

19. Duh

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. "More Tears Are Shed Over Answered Prayers Than Unanswered Ones", Ergo:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/03/usa-todaygallup.html?csp=34

[roseBudd]

31. Cinti. Enquirer had quotes from 2, & published 2 taunting LTTEs from Rs

What was the spread in Ohio again? BTW Cincinnati the real Democratic part of SW OH, not the exurbs voted for Obama. It was the white flight GOP dominated exurbs that went for Clinton

[finalnews]

34. Most Republican votes have gone to Obama

The Boston Globe has had a heavy pro-Obama tilt during these primaries.

[jackson_dem]

41. That rag is a huge Obama shill. Obama won the rethug vote in Texas 53-46 and tied in Ohio. T

The Globe is fucking lying just like the rest of the Obama machine on this matter.