I’ve been hearing about Republicans crossing over and voting in the Democratic primary for Obama. Since I didn’t witness such behavior at my own precinct while I was there (and, in fact, my precinct captain called me later in the evening to say he hadn’t seen any of the usual Republicans at our precinct), I really didn’t give it a whole lot of thought. Hillary lost Virginia. I was ready to move on to help her win in other states.
But then I saw this article. The part that jumped out at me:
Stephen G. Trent, the chairman of the Suffolk Republican Party, who talked with election workers in five precincts, said longtime Republicans were getting Democratic ballots so they could vote against Clinton.
“People who never voted for a Democrat in their lives said they were going to vote in the Democratic primary,” Trent said.
“But if the Democrats think they’ve got something going here in Suffolk, they’re whistling past a graveyard.”
So, while anecdotal, there does to appear to have been some crossover voting for Obama. The question in my mind is why? I see two possible scenarios.
The first is that the Republicans who crossed over did so because they support Obama and intend to vote for him in November. Those are obviously not the folks Trent is talking about here and perhaps he’s just blowing smoke to try to put a good face on things.
The second possibility is the one that I’ve hinted at before: that the Republicans really don’t want to face Hillary. If they truly believed that Hillary Clinton was the one candidate who could unify the Republican Party behind their candidate, why not cross over and vote for her?
So what do you think? If they did cross over, why did they? Inquiring minds want to know 😉
Bonus question: I find the results in the 9th CD, where Hillary and Mike Huckabee won, mystifying. The only explanation I’ve been able to come up with is that because that district had relatively low turnout (like most primaries) that the only voters were the party faithful. Any ideas on this?
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Thoughtful republicans not lead around on a leash by Rush Limbaush, Shawn Hannity or the ‘great one’ Mark Levin – who can actually feed themselves, have strong disagreements with Mr. Obama on some social / domestic policy matters. But we have also looked at his very specific proposals to moderate our involvment in Iraq and re-focus our strategic forces for much larger potential threats in the future.
He is also skilled in oratory that trancends bitter partisanship – and while calling out policy differences from Republicans – has always and continuously repeats his pledge to include all ideas in the leadership of this nation.
It should be made absolutly clear that the support he is getting from some conservative Republicans like myself is wholly predicated upon his ability to be the Statesman that he has shown so far. If he lurches to the left with moonbat rhetoric and sharp partisan attacks, negative mud slinging or abandons his outreach across the aisle – he will not retain our support.
I see no indication other than he will continue his very “presidential” campaign. I hope to vote for him again in the fall.
The establishment politics of this nation do not realize the earth is moving beneath them, and a landslide of historic proportions awaits in the fall.
I considered taking the Democratic ballot and voting for Obama myself. (Voted Huckabee) Neither of the above: a Republican voting Obama in the primary is about slaying the beast (Hitlery) yesterday.
On Wednesday evening I was told a story from Seatack Precinct about Republicans voting for Obama because they would support him in November.
That said, I’ve long favored party registration and closed primaries for Virginia, in which case it wouldn’t be possible.
I was told by a Republican friend that he crossed over and voted for Obama because he’d rather have McCain or Obama in the White House instead of Hillary. In an open primary, it was just a chance to vote against her twice (if she wins the nomination). The Republicans will galvanize and vote against her…not necessarily for McCain.
Some Republican – myself included – are considering Obama as a possible alternative. Most though who would vote for Obama in a Dem primary are rightfully taking any measures available to mitigate the risk that Clinton might somehow manage to gain the Presidency.
I would vote for a 3rd Bush term rather than 1 day of Hillary!
Non-significant, I think. And among what cross over there was, I suspect it broke roughly even (vote for Clinton so we can beat her, vote for Obama as the least worst case scenario). The haters (never that bright in the first place) went for option 1, the more pragmatic ones went for 2. Just my theorizing, anyway. I do know (in other states) a number of nominal Republicans who genuinely crossed lines to vote for Obama, and will vote for him in the general.
Until I see real evidence of a real impact by organized strategic interference in an open primary, I’m firmly against party registration and closed primaries. I think it’s a self-policing thing, anyway. I voted for Pat Buchanan in the 96 Georgia primary, and still can’t shake that dirty feeling.
Vivian
Did I somehow miss your post congratulating the Obama folks?
As liberal as Obama is there are no honest votes going his way from GOP voters.It is either simplistic conspiratorial nonsense. Set up a candidate for the general,beat Hillary,show disgust for McCain,assure a strong conservative in 2012. These play a role but in the end what does it do ?
There really is a third possibility Vivian, and Kevin has already listed it above.
“I was told by a Republican friend that he crossed over and voted for Obama because he’d rather have McCain or Obama in the White House instead of Hillary. In an open primary, it was just a chance to vote against her twice (if she wins the nomination). The Republicans will galvanize and vote against her…not necessarily for McCain.”
Many Republicans hate her so much that they will do anything to keep her from being president, even if it means helping Obama win.
Then there are those Republicans who don’t like her, but secretly respect her and they crossed over and voted for her because they think she’ll lose to McCain and even if she wins, she’s squishy on the war and on torture.
There are plenty of honest votes coming from people who call themselves (and have voted) Republican. You can thank W and the current “Republican” Party for that. At this point, the only unifying value appears to be racism/xenophobia and a fetish for targeted tax cuts. Everything else has been shown to be be disposable by the leadership. This has left a lot of people who don’t care all that much about these values looking around. For some, Obama has something they’re interested in. Sucks for the GOP dead-enders, but I think it’s a net good for everyone else.
What I gather from the comments is that the concept that Republicans want Hillary to be the nominee is hogwash.
Think the talking heads on TV will stop saying that now?
VJP,
I haven’t heard them say that in some time…
Hi all,
Just my opnion, but I don’t think there’s anything we can do to keep Hillary from being the Dem choice. She’s that ruthless, entrenched and criminal. I would guess she is compiling the dirt on all of the super delegates as we speak, it’s just how she operates. She would have made a great mafioso…
And I hate to parrot the great El Rushbo, but many of us would rather watch the country go to hell under a Dem than a “Rep” even though he is a “Rep” in name only…
I would vote for Borat before the slime machine that is Clinton INc.
At the rally on Sunday night, I met several “life-long” Republicans who said that they were supporting Obama. The main reason given was change. I also met many people who have never cared, nor been interested in politics and wanted to vote for him. (They must have, waiting for a few hours in line
Granted, this was a handful of people out of several thousand. But interesting.
A professor friend of mine was just saying that Obama has major cross-over appeal across the board. I agree.
Trent is blowing smoke.
Many Republicans see their party imploding. They can’t admit their past votes were wrong, but they see their party going in the wrong direction. I think the Republicans who voted for Obama in the primary plan to vote for him in the general.
Republicans are too vested in Clinton hatred to give it up now. But many will vote for a Democrat not named Clinton. I hesitate to state this on a Clinton blog because I know how annoying that can be.
In a few months we will have our nominee. I am looking foward to this part being over. I continue to have doubts about Obama.
http://sideshow.me.uk/sfeb08.htm#02151730
Re: crossover voting, everyone’s said what I would say. I hear a plurality of reasons in annecdotal evidence from moderate Republicans about why they voted for Obama, but I haven’t heard anything to suggest to me that there’s actually any sort of strategic element involved in their thought process. Most voters don’t think about politics the way Mr. Trent does. Thank God.
Re: VA9, on the Dem side, low turnout is my story, and I’m sticking to it! Later on when the state party certifies the election and the list of participating voters is released, we’ll get a better idea of who turned out where, but right now I can’t find any explanation that fits as easily as “more new primary voters in other parts of the state, and new primary voters broke for Obama.” On the Rep side, my guess is that the primary axis for organization in that rural district are churches, which lead to a higher proportion of evangelicals in the electorate within that district as opposed to other districts. It’s why Huckabee beat Romney, McCain and Giuliani in rural Iowa, and I bet that contributed to his win here, too.