TPM: Republicans Turning Out in OH-For the Dem Primary (backing Hillary):

[mod mom]

Republicans Turning Out In Ohio — For The Dem Primary
By Eric Kleefeld - March 4, 2008, 4:09PM

Thanks in part to the lack of a competitive GOP contest, a lot of Republican voters are crossing over to vote in the Democratic primary — so much so that Democratic ballot requests are out-numbering the Republicans in even a lot of GOP strongholds. Just who is benefitting, though, it not yet clear.

In the heavily-GOP Cleveland suburb of Chagrin Falls, an estimated 70% of today's ballots are being cast in the Dem race. And judging by the folks who talked to the Plain Dealer and indicated who they'd voted for, they were breaking mostly for Hillary Clinton. We'll find out tonight just how widespread that pattern was.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/republicans_turning_out_in_ohi.php

YOU MAY RECALL THAT OH GOP LEADERSHIP WAS ROOTING FOR HILLARY AS THEIR BEST CHANCE TO WIN BACK THE WHITEHOUSE IN THE FALL:??



Ohio Republicans pulling for Clinton to win
By HOWARD WILKINSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer


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 Rodham 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 gives them their best chance of keeping the White House this fall.

?? It is a belief that the Clinton campaign says is wrong; 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://www.centralohio.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/BA/20080218/NEWS03/80218011/1002

:mad:

[Drunken Irishman]

1. If true, Clinton could win Ohio by 15+.

She's leading big with the Democratic voters and if most Republican voters are going to her, she should easily trounce Obama tonight. This won't be close.

[thewiseguy]

11. SUSA predicted a 10% republican turnout and that was a split

So do not fall for these anecdotal claims that a bunch of Republicans were voting for Hillary.

The black turnout appears higher than what SUSA predicted so is the margin of them voting for Obama. Also the number of independents who voted in Ohio today appears to be the double of what SUSA was predicting.

(Thats why the race in Ohio is tight)

[SoCalDem]

2. That's why primaries should be for party members

republicans HAVE their candidate, so there's no incentive for them to even vote anymore. the mischief-makers can now concentrate on selecting the candidate they want to RUN AGAINST too.. They get two bites at the apple..

if someone is too wishy-washy to claim a party, they should sit out the primaries and wait until the general..

I don;t like open primaries:(

[mod mom]

3. If you saw "American Blackout" this is what was done to Cynthia McKinney in 2002.

[mojowork_n]

9. I missed that one, but always wanted to see it.

Thanks for making it real, today, though. I get the idea.

[apnu]

4. Hillary is the GOP dream candidate

They want to face her. She will galvinize the base into turning out in droves for McCain and a dead fish... or a dead fish and McCain -- doesn't matter. You could put a ficus plant and a dead fish on the GOP ballot its all the same.

They want a Clinton to give them something to vote against, that's how the GOP works. They have no idea how to play against Obama and that scares the crap out of them, hence all the Hillary support from over there.

Comes as no surprise to me.

[mod mom]

5. She bring out the GOP base while de-energizing ours. I hope Dem superdelegates will take

these Republican troublemakers into account when deciding who to back.

[def0]

6. They want you guys to bite each other. They made it.

[BlueManDude]

7. I'm telling you right now she would lose Massachusetts to McCain

that's how bad a GE candidate she is.

[juajen]

8. We should believe you, why?

I'm just wondering how much your opinion is worth. I get really tired of blanket statements made by people who have no reason to expect people to believe what they say. I've decided I will not give my opinion any more, FWIW. After all, why is mine worth any more than anyone else's.

[goldcanyonaz]

10. Uh huh...

Obama couldn't even carry Massachusetts with the Kennedy's and Kerry.

[PaDem]

14. I listened to some of Laura Ingraham's show today.........

lots of callers calling in and saying they crossed over to vote for Hillary today. Enough laughs to go around. Anyone who doesn't think that the majority of GOP operatives want Hillary is deluding themselves.

[Emit]

12. I listened to Rush this am -- some guy was filling in for him

but they had callers from Ohio calling in to pass on to Rush that they did what he asked -- they voted for Hillary.

[FlyingSquirrel]

13. Hmmm... If true, wonder what Clinton supporters would say about it here

Considering their statements about Obama's help from Republicans in some states.

[elixir]

15. You now know how it feels. Repugs have been voting for BO all primary season.

[Thrill]

16. Yup. Rush was begging them to on his show today.

[JVS]

17. Dems vote for Obama!

[TheDeathadder]

18. You might remember

in lots of the early contests Repubs were voting for Obama and all I heard was how wonderful it was...well it drove me crazy that repubs were allowed to vote in a Dem primary. Now the Obama people will stop thinking it's wonderful that Repubs vote in Dem Primaries won't they?