The Limbaugh Effect on Clinton’s Texas Win

[Nitrogenica]

From http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/03/06/the-limbaugh-effect-on-clintons-texas-win/

"Clinton unquestionably secured a Texas victory, but some locals are convinced it was a false win bolstered by dirty politics. Laura Jean Kreissl, an accounting professor at West Texas A&M University, served as an election official in Canyon, Texas on Tuesday. She contacted the Wall Street Journal to report the hijinks she observed at the four precincts that voted at her polling location.

Of the 181 voters she personally dealt with, 70 offered that they were “Rush Limbaugh voters” who were there to cast ballots for Clinton. “I’m here to vote for Hillary Clinton, I want to see the Democratic Party implode,” one voter told Kreissl, she recounted in an interview. “I was just stunned,” she said. “As an election official we can’t say anything. We just jot them down and let them vote.”

Kreissl, an Obama supporter, said she kept rough counts, but her fellow poll worker, a Clinton supporter, both estimated that as many as two-thirds of the voters were Limbaugh Republicans turned Clinton voters. About 800 ballots were cast in total there. “I’m an accounting professor, I know numbers pretty well,” she said.

Kreissl worked a 19 hour day to also help organize the caucus event later that night. Similarly, she said she personally checked in 20 Obama supporters and 17 Clinton supporters. Of Clinton’s 17, 10 identified themselves as Rush Limbaugh voters, she said.

She’s convinced the Limbaugh voters turned the tide in favor of Clinton. “I don’t think we were an isolated case by any means,” she said. “I think it was very widespread across the state.”

The grassroots group, Republicans for Obama, agrees. “Hillary Clinton owes her political life to Rush Limbaugh,” they wrote on their web site Wednesday."

[thunder rising]

1. They fear Obama. Hillary is so deluded to think she can win the GE.

[ctaylors6]

9. I think it wasn't fear of Obama so much as a strategy to prolong primary.

I think this crossover vote would have gone with who the frontrunner was on Tuesday. I know several republicans who voted in dem primary (I'm in TX), and fear of Obama was not the reason for any of them. The main reasons they said: (1) to drag dem primary out (probably the favorite) and/or (2) Hillary was more qualified than the inexperienced Obama and that since they didn't need to vote in R primary they might as well have some say in the Dem primary.

Obviously anecdotal, but I'm SURROUNDED by Rs where I live (80%, I think) and my inlaws and most of my family are Rs too. I honestly can't say any of them voted for Obama or Hillary to support them. I used to think open primaries were great -- the more who vote the better. Now, not so much!

[seabeyond]

17. repugs hate the clintons and especially hate hillary. every male, every female

has a big hard on of hate for her. she represents something they just hate. repugs know this will be the one and only person that will get their people out to vote in nov. repugs are in a world of hurt. they are not happy. too many dont like mccain.

i know of two republican older country club males that have told me 6 months ago that they could vote for obama.

all republicans are not racists. about all of them are sexists.

[ctaylors6]

28. FWIW, Randall County went 83%-16% for Bush in 2004. This yr 48% Huckabee/46% Mccain

with over 15,000 voting in R primary. 59%-40% for Hillary, with 9,697 voting in D primary.

[seabeyond]

32. they really really do not like mccain. we had areas where no one voted mccain

it was all huckabee. huckabee did very well in the panhandle.

[ctaylors6]

47. I believe that. I'll be very curious to see R turnout in GE near you.

I'm in Dallas. Very different here.

[papau]

39. they fear Hillary - the GOP - not Rush - sent emails saying vote for Obama and printed signs saying

bury Hillary -vote Obama

[seabeyond]

43. well... i live amongst them and have not heard a thing. but i know a lot of repugs high up in the

party and all around the rest of it. i will ask around. surely i will run into at least one.

[ctaylors6]

44. Some Rs I knew were conflicted. Deeply ingrained dislike of Clintons vs growing dislike of Obama

coupled with desire to see the Dems' prolonged beating up of each other. I saw one person who walked up to table for Dem primary, paused for a while, and then said "I just can't do it" and walked over to the R table. I think if Hillary had been frontrunner, they would have been less conflicted voting for Obama.

[seabeyond]

46. you may be right. we had some important races republicans were running for i wanted to vote

in and i couldnt. i was hoping that would make some stop and think and not waste their votes playing games.

[lapfog_1]

2. I'm sure that Rush helped out a great deal so that Hillary

could enjoy a narrow defeat in Texas.

[Cha]

3. Too bad for hilary's jomemtum they didn't go to

the caucuses.

[Flabbergasted]

4. 70 People just offered that they were "Rush Limbaugh voters". I'm skeptical

[tabatha]

6. Thom Hartmann was at Fox studios the day after the vote

and said that they received hundreds of e-mails from Republicans who crossed over for Clinton.

[kikiek]

10. And even more did for Obama..state after state after state. Hillary is the Democrats choice.

[Flabbergasted]

14. Obama is the choice of independents and these have been far more influential so far.

Independents average between 15-20% (Rough average made by me based on exit polls) and are extremely important in the GE.

[kikiek]

18. Not as importrant as the true choice of the democrats. Don't mean Obama will get Indep in GE.

[Flabbergasted]

23. Sorry I just disagree. Just because someone is registered democrat

does not mean that their vote is more important than someone who is not.

[kikiek]

26. The premise is that they're trying to throw the race to HIllary. Doesn't really fly then though.

[Flabbergasted]

34. I think they're trying to damage the party all together along with our candidates.....

That's what I would do. Make it so bitterly close that it ends up in the convention.

Pubs know they likely will not win this year but damaging the candidates and the party is a decent outcome for them especially if it undermines the next presidents administration. Then focus on 12

[kikiek]

38. I believe you are right. More reasonable voices like yours here will help though.

You calmed me down!

[AZBlue]

54. Over 800 in just minutes!

[Dark]

20. I saw one at the polls. She admitted to the poll workers that she was voting for Clinton to mess

with the Democrats.

I told her "yea, you republicans can't win without cheating,"

[Flabbergasted]

27. I'm surprised you were so civil....

:evilgrin:

[seabeyond]

35. what are you suppose to do, beat them up. too many. plus i am a girlie girl. n.t

[Dark]

41. First time in my life that I was sorely tempted to call a woman the 'c' word.

I held back, but only because there were poll workers who were very kind there too.

[seabeyond]

45. eeeew. i am glad you held back. made you a better man for it. n.t

[Dark]

51. I am too. I was just so angry that she was doing that.

I really want to win just to piss off those assholes.

[VolcanoJen]

40. I didn't see it happen personally...

.. but my wingnuttiest Ohio coworkers have begun bragging about having crossed over. My boss, a Republican who chose the Republican ballot, told me that he and his wife were waiting to vote in their Cincinnati precinct, when the woman in front of them asked for the Democratic ballot, and said, proudly, "Democrat.. but just for one day!" My boss was actually disgusted by her display and told everyone as much at work when they bragged about it.

This was in Clermont County, Jean Schmidt's district, the county with the nation's most infamous BoE. Clinton won, 61% to 37%.

[Dark]

42. Yea, I was voting in Cincinnati.

God, I wanted to punch that woman. Took everything I had not to lay into her.

[Kukesa]

48. Well, I did, as an election worker in Dayton.

Check out our Ohio forum where we've been discussing this at length.

[VolcanoJen]

49. I'm on my way over!

Oh, and just sent you an email. :-)

[Kukesa]

50. Check out MeDeMax's "hope" post. n/t

[Dark]

53. Yea, I expected that I wasn't the only one. n/t

[Kukesa]

55. Good for you! I HAD to keep my mouth shut. n/t

[seabeyond]

31. our republicans are not shy. they do not feel guilt for this and most all are repugs

anyway so there is no censorship. i had a repug running for judge knock on my door. good enough guy. know father, knows hubby. i listened and then at end asked if he had any democrat running against him. (he is trying to get my vote now, remember). he chuckles and says, thank the lord no democrats, only republicans.... and chuckled some more.

told him.... ooooops, you just took the wrong step and then lectured him for 15 minutes on repugs, fox news, bushco, our representative thornberry.... ect

i am saying, they say whatever they want cause they dont run into people with differing views hardly at all.

and they are in hsock when they do. gives me a good bit of time to get in what i want before they recover

to really throw them off i throw the word liberal around. bah hahhaah

[Flabbergasted]

36. Thanks. Good story.

[babylonsister]

5. Wow. Rec'd. Very scary how powerful Limbaugh is, and how

so many people follow him without apparently a thought in their own heads.

[Fresh_Start]

7. So if that is true...why didn't she win the caucus too? nt

nt

[tabatha]

13. Because the nefarious republicans

did not bother to go the caucuses where they would be a little more obvious.

[Fresh_Start]

16. more obvious than announcing themselves to the official at the polling place?

how much more obvious could they get than that?

[tabatha]

30. Not all did that.

[seabeyond]

24. husband and i went to both. we think that it is easy enough voting in day. 7:30 at night,

wait in long lines, a community type party of dems, they would surely stick out but the best reason they didnt go out, .... (a lot didnt know about caucus cause repugs, but...) just too darn lazy getting home, into comfy clothes, after dinner to have to dress and go out again... not even for limbaugh. but probably didnt even know about it. we knew cause we had about 13 call from obama and they always stated to be sure to go to caucus and vote twice...

[ctaylors6]

29. She's winning the caucus in the county discussed in OP: 59%/41% for Hillary with 50% reporting

edited to add: basically the same ratio as the primary vote

[seabeyond]

37. well, you have wt university there with a whole lot of the young republicans.... i bet

it was bad out there. hadnt thought of that.

[kikiek]

8. Obama had the higher Republican turnout! How misleading this is.

According to exit polls, Clinton won a notably higher number of Republican voters than she has in past open primary contests. Of the 9% of voters who identified themselves as Republicans in the Democratic Primary, Obama still edged Clinton 53%-46%. However, that margin is significantly slimmer than earlier contests. In Wisconsin’s open primary, for instance, Republicans broke 72%-28% for Obama. Similarly, in Virginia’s open primary, Obama was favored 72%-23%.
Really gotta quit twisting the facts. Obama is the favored of Republicans. Hillary of Democrats.

[Levgreee]

12. "for instance, Republicans broke 72%-28% for Obama." Wrong, it was 49-47, Obama Clinton

a 20% jump for Hillary, in the Republican percentage.

This is according to CNN exit polls.

[kikiek]

15. That is a quote from the link provided by the op.

[Levgreee]

19. Oh, i misread. But do you see how Clinton jumped from 27% to 46%?Your quote shows that Texas Repubs

went much more for Clinton than they had been.

[kikiek]

21. The total Republican vote was 9 pct between Obama and HIllary and he got more it says.

[robbedvoter]

56. Thanks. I was looking for those numbers.

[seabeyond]

11. i am 17 mi from canyon. saw it here too. like i have said in past. i have seen 3 bumperstickers

for election.... 1 for ron paul. 2 for obama. none for mccain or hillary. at the caucus the form i signed had about 20 above me. there was 1 hillary and the rest obama. my hubby started his sheet, so he couldnt see how they were voting. i know two that voted dem and the husband pissed cause they stamped democrat on his card and is embarrassed.

this is just my own personal experience. nothing more.

obama kicked ass in early voting. he kicked ass in caucus. when the repugs could stop off during hte day, was easy pickins. they didnt want to bother to go back at night, for caucus after settlin in home after dinner is what husband and i figured. they had already done limbaughs bidding

[apocalypsehow]

22. Yep - anything to win! That's the kind of politics both HRC supporters & Limbaugh dittoheads can get

together on. Hell, they could practically swap notes.

[TheCowsCameHome]

25. Let's see if PigMan owns up to a defeat, if the GOP loses the GE

Which I'm hoping they will...............hopefully it will be laid at his feet.

[VolcanoJen]

33. Ohio, too

I don't think the wingnut crossover votes in Ohio gave Clinton the victory, but they did add a few points to her margin, and snatched Obama delegates in key districts.

My coworkers who live in Greater Wingnuttialand only started congratulating themselves on their clever, smug, cynical, tampering vote openly a day or two ago. They are self-satisfied, and frustrating, and mean-spirited. Now that the GOP has a solid nominee, this should concern all of us going forward.

Botany started a very interesting thread about the Ohio effect earlier today, it's really worth reading through:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4943912

On the Texas and Ohio issue, I think this is troubling:

http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/03/rushing-to-reas.html

Go and check the exit polls. In Wisconsin, Republicans made up 9 percent of the Democratic primary vote. Obama won them 72-28 over Clinton. Just as tellingly, 14 percent of primary voters said they were "conservative," and Obama won them 59-40, a bigger margin than he won with liberals or moderates. Tactical voters who said Obama stood a better chance of winning in November? They went for him 87-13.

Now, look at Ohio. Once again 9 percent of voters were Republicans, but Obama and Clinton split them evenly, 49-49. Once again, 14 percent of voters were "conservatives," and Obama and Clinton split them 48-48. (Obama did better with them than he did with liberals and moderates.) Those tactical voters who thought Obama could win gave him a 80-18 victory, a margin twelve points smaller than the margin in Wisconsin.

It's a similar story in Texas, where Limbaugh has the most listeners of any of these states. Obama won the Republican vote 52-47, but conservatives (22 percent of all voters, up from 15 percent in the Kerry-Edwards primary) went against Obama. For the first time since Super Tuesday, they were Clinton's best ideological group: She won them 53-43. And Clinton won 13 percent of the people who said Obama was the most electable candidate.

Ohio didn't wind up being very close, but Clinton won the Texas primary by about 98,000 votes out of 2.8 million cast. If the exits are right, about 252,000 of those voters were Republicans, and about 618,000 were conservatives. Clinton truly might have won the Texas primary on the backs of Rush Limbaugh listeners.

[Abacus]

57. I doubt the supers will let this go too far...

If it becomes obvious that repubs are sabotaging our primaries I think the superdelegates will counteract.

[VolcanoJen]

58. We need to recognize it, and soon.

GOP crossover really can't be prevented in open primaries, so I have no idea what can be done. But eventually, the slobbering crossover wingnut masses will grow too obviously large to be concealed.

I do hope this recent phenomenon implodes.

[AtomicKitten]

52. And they're chomping at the bit to do the same in Florida.