Little GOP Mischief in Penn.
More than 300,000 Pennsylvanians signed up as Democrats this year to be able to participate in yesterday's Democratic primary, which was limited to party members. Nearly half of those voters were formerly registered as Republicans, according to the Secretary of State, and there has been rampant speculation those voters switched their allegiances only to muck up the Democratic nomination contest.
Radio host Rush Limbaugh, for one, encouraged his Keystone State listeners to vote for Hillary Clinton in the primary, suggesting a prolonged Democratic campaign benefits presumptive GOP nominee John McCain. Limbaugh dubbed the effort "Operation Chaos." While there are signs the extended contest may hurt the eventual Democratic nominee, there's very little evidence new "Democrats" in Pennsylvania were so strategic in their voting.
Yesterday's hotly contested primary did attract record numbers of newly-minted Democrats (they made up 13 percent of the Democratic electorate), but network exit polls show those voters, even an overwhelming percentage of former Republicans, were sincere in their vote choices.
Nearly all new Democrats who voted for Clinton or Barack Obama said they would stick with their choices in a November face-off against McCain. Moreover, majorities said they would support the Democratic nominee even if top choice in the primary did not prevail.
Overall, 96 percent of new Democrats who supported Obama said they would vote for him in the general. Clinton retains the support of 87 percent of her new Democrats.
Looking only at former Republicans, more than eight in 10 said they would repeat their primary vote in the general if that candidate wins the nomination. Just 8 percent said they would switch up and vote for McCain over the Democrat they supported yesterday. (Overall, former Republicans split their votes evenly between Clinton and Obama.)
By Jon Cohen |
April 23, 2008; 1:31 PM ET
Exit polls
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Posted by: Cosanostradamus | April 24, 2008 7:51 PM
Republicans....... disgusting?
No? Republicans are sad; an angry tragedian...the worst America has to offer......
I don't care about the conservatives anymore. Why?
Because they are cowards......how many of them stood up against the invasion of Iraq? One.....two.....? Talk about mis-guided spending.......I don't mean votes either.......
I mean stand UP and BE the dissent........in the media.......in Congress......in public of YOUR Party.......cowards.....
oh.....I'm sorry.......thanks Ron Paul...
The Republican Party is made of a bunch of loud mouth racist that wouldn't dare talk about the failures of the party they hold so dear.....toe tappers...
Posted by: ApostasyUSA | April 25, 2008 3:43 PM
Are you all OK? Since when is it voter fraud to vote the way you want to. In a democracy everyone has a chance to vote. If they opt to use that vote to support their presumed party or to vote against one of their parties potential rivals, that is every americans option. Voter fraud would be voting under a false name, voting more than one time... Not casting a vote for someone you want to win or casting a vote against someone you don't want to win. WE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY, DEMOCRATS WANT US TO LIVE IN A DICTATORSHIP, WHERE GOVERNMENT TELLS US WHEN WE CAN SNEEZE AND FOR HOW LONG.
Posted by: rx4envy | April 25, 2008 4:55 PM
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Deliberately registering as a Democrat, and swearing to it, when you are in fact a Republican, is voter fraud, by law.
Registering and then voting for Hillary in the Primary so that you can vote against her (and not the majority of actual Democrats' choice, Obama) in November is voter fraud, compounded.
Then re-registering as a Republican, and voting for McCain in November is proof of fraud.
Also, we don't usually capitalize entire sentences in this country. We do, however, capitalize the first letter of our name, "America."
Now, sneeze away, lolo.
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Posted by: cosanostradamus | April 25, 2008 7:20 PM
I wonder if this isn't just a desperate attempt on on the part of an aging, diva-like, fading radio personality to try and remain relevant when all signs point to his and his ideology's obsolescence.
Limbaugh has been reduced to this pitiful status of trying to act as some sort of spoiler who has nothing left but to try and rain on the democratic parade. It is beyond obvious that even if McCain wins as some sort of default candidate that the conservative movement that Limbaugh was a chief proponent of is dead.
McCain is now spending more and more of his time trying to placate independents and moderates while also trying to hold the right in place. It won't work. Even if elected, McCain is all but certain to face a Congress dominated by a more liberal orientation on policy and he will of necessity be pulled in that direction.
Whatever happens, conservatism as it has been practice on and off in the past near 30 years, is doomed to oblivion. To be sure, there will be a new definition, a new reallignment of the movemet. But, it will not be to Limbaugh's liking. And his dittoheads have already begun their drift to other forms of entertainment.
Posted by: Jaxas | April 26, 2008 9:34 AM
OPERATION CHAO is in full order. Let the cat fight continue.
Posted by: Arthur Mwangi | April 26, 2008 1:32 PM
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Scr*w him, that Goering clone. He's a small cog in the "vast right wing conspiracy." This time, it's on Billary's side. And she loves it.
That alone disqualifies her from running as a Democrat, or serving as President. She's toast. She will lose her Senate seat, next time, too. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
We all felt sorry for her, but now we can see she's no better than Bill. In fact, she's his Evita. But this ain't Argentina. Yet.
Obama is winning, not in spite of, but because of the Clintons' Republican tactics. And he will win in November.
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Posted by: cosanostradamus | April 27, 2008 7:36 AM
lol... voter fraud? funny. The party system (repubs and dems) are private organizations. Signing up in a private club, and then changing your mind is neither fraud nor illegal. Good try though...
Posted by: Anonymous | April 27, 2008 1:17 PM
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Wrong answer. The Primaries are funded by the State. They are regulated by the State. They are policed by the State.
Good example of Republican ignorance of American law & tradition. They already have banana republics in some other countries. Why not move there, instead of trying to turn America into one?
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Posted by: cosanostradamus | April 28, 2008 2:44 AM
I hold that Fat Blabber Mouth Radio talk guy for this problem. If these people only voted Democrat to screw up the election then they have broken the law. I think that the AG needs to go after the Fat Man and do something that his own mother couldn't do, shut him up. That's right it was him who did the teenaged boasting a few years back before anyone knew who he was.
Posted by: dras | April 28, 2008 12:43 PM
I have read over the voter registration form and have yet to find anywhere, in any state, that it says you must affiliate with a political party in which you promise to vote for that party in the general election. I do not find any law anywhere that says a voter is bound to a party once they have registered with that party and cannot change. The sole purpose of declaring a party affiliation is so that you may vote on those candidates for that party in states that require a declaration of party to vote in the primaries. It drives me crazy that the one party that has a name that so closely resembles DEMOCRACY wants to take away so many choices from the public. Fortunately the Democrats have not changed the right to vote, but after this election, I'm sure they will try.
Posted by: rx4nv` | April 28, 2008 5:29 PM
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Oh, so first the flaming freeper trolls say Primary elections are not public, but private club events; then they say they are free and open to all regardless of Party.
Why do you think we HAVE Parties, trolls?
And how did you manage to get all the Primary election registration materials, rules and procedures for all Parties in all 50 States plus territories? And carefully study them all? Just to post here?
The fact is, in PA and in other States, voters are specifically asked if they are Democrats, and if they intend to vote Democratic in the general election. If not, then, NO they do NOT have the "right" to vote in somebody else's Primary. Especially if they are doing it with wilfull intent to defraud or disrupt an election.
Your people lied. Voter fraud. Get it?
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Posted by: cosanostradamus | April 28, 2008 5:56 PM
The registration materials are not hard to find and along with them on most websites will come each states rules about filling out the forms. It is very easy to find this information. On the forms applied by the federal governments appointed distributor, there is no state that says you must register for a party and promise to vote that way in the general election. There is one box on the form and all it says is to write in the name of the party with which you wish to register (most states only allow you to vote in primaries for candidates of the same party). That is it! I would love to see proof otherwise, like a disclaimer that is in fine print or an astrics with the declaration that if you registered with a specific party, you must vote for that party in the general election or you are commiting fraud. Don't you think if that was really the law, a registered republican or democrat would only have one box to check on their ballot at the general election and that would be "straight (your party here)". Once again Democrats are full of scare tactics without any substance behind their claims.
Posted by: rx4nv | April 29, 2008 11:08 AM
Once again, wrong about the laws in PA.
This took about 10 minutes to research (website: http://members.aol.com/StatutesP6/25.Cp.5.5.html
ELECTION CODE 961.527. "Preparation and distribution of applications" says:
"Designation of political party, for the purpose of voting at a primary election"
All this means is that if you select "Democrat" you are designating your intent to vote in the Democratic primaries. Nothing mentioned about the general election. No question about your intent to vote for a candidate you dislike. No promise that you will never change political parties. No fraud has been commited.
Then the declaration below is quoted from the same website:
"The official registration application shall contain a notice entitled "PENALTY FOR FALSIFYING DECLARATION." The notice shall advise the applicant that, if a person signs an official registration application knowing a statement declared in the application to be false, the person commits perjury. The notice shall specify the penalty for perjury."
If you registered Democrat with the intent to vote in the Democratic primaries, regardless of why you are voting in them, you have not commited fraud. The law is right there, you cannot deny what it says.
Do your homework before claiming to know the truth.
Posted by: rx4nv | April 29, 2008 11:50 AM
Your people lied. Voter fraud. Get it?
trolls
Posted by: cosanostradamus | April 29, 2008 8:14 PM
Now resorting to repeating yourself, because once again the facts have proven your Democrat beliefs wrong. If all else fails start name calling, as in "liars". Real mature.
Posted by: rx4nv | May 1, 2008 12:20 PM
Your people lied. Voter fraud. Get it?
trolls
Republicans have no values, and no respect for American laws, customs and traditions. That's why they're on their way out, no matter how they try to screw up another election. They're always in the minority, and they can only win by cheating. A bunch of criminals, from Teapot Dome to Tricky Dick to Torturin' Dubya.
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Posted by: cosanostradamus | May 1, 2008 8:13 PM
Once agin: when someone does not have any substance behind their claims, when they know that they cannot defend their beliefs because they are erroneous, or they are not well educated in the topic that is being discussed-- they resort to name calling and immature comments. Have you also forgotten about the most recent presidential scandal "monicagate". Please study up on your facts and lets discuss this issue of "voter fraud". I want to see some of your evidence suggesting the Republicans are breaking the law, since that was your original claim on this blog. Now, please support it.
Posted by: rx4nv | May 2, 2008 4:23 PM
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Go ahead, buddy, troll away.
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Posted by: cosanostradamus | May 3, 2008 10:39 PM
That's what I thought!
Posted by: rx4nv | May 5, 2008 12:03 PM
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troll & stalker
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Posted by: cosanostradamus | May 7, 2008 12:26 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.

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Another case of Republican election fraud? Whatever happened to democracy & the rule of law? Isn't that the Party line on why we're in Iraq? Why don't the Dem's fight this? Maybe it's because the Machine is behind Billary, who benefits from it.
And, yeah, these Republican cross-dressers are going to violate the sanctity of the election booth, but not lie about it afterwards? BWAHAHA!!!
Anyone expecting a full, free and fair election, and count, and recount, this November has not been paying attention.
That fat nazi drug addict Limbo should be indicted for conspiracy to commit election fraud. Seriously.
http://blog-me-no-blogs.blogspot.com/
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