The Rush Limbaugh EFFECT on Texas and OHio Primaries…..
There is a question that should be answered with respect to recent results in the Ohio and Texas primaries. Rush Limbaugh who broadcasts to a national audience urged his listeners in Ohio and Texas to influence the democratic primaries on March 4th by voting for Hillary Clinton. Limbaugh’s motivation? To drag out the democratic race and get Obama all “bloodied” up from Clinton attacks for the general election against John McCain. Apparently, the Clinton campaign doesn’t care how it wins because Bill Clinton went on the Rush Limbaugh show (Bill Clinton on Rush Limbaugh?????) the day of the primaries in an effort to, what can only be interpreted as, encourage such strategy. A little back story for those who have lived in Siberia during and since the Clinton administration. Rush Limbaugh hates Bill and Hillary Clinton. Limbaugh has done nothing but insult, rail, disparage, and spew vitriolic attacks against the Clintons since Bill Clinton was elected in 1992. So the fact that Bill Clinton went on the radio show of his most vehement public enemy tells me that he endorses this republican manipulation. In Texas, it turns out that Obama did win the republican vote 53-46, however, of the conservative republicans who voted, Clinton won them 52-45 for the first time since Super Tuesday. Republican turnout in the Texas and Ohio primaries was up overall by 3-5 points from previous open democratic primaries. Not to mention that conservative republicans voting in the democratic primary was up by at least 7% from previous contests. Side note: the conservative wing of the republican party sole mission is to keep the Clintons out of the White House, the Senate, and any other public office. However, Clinton won an additional 16% of the conservative republicans voting in the Texas democratic primary who said that Obama is the most electable candidate. Coinkydink? probably not. One can conclude from such a contradiction that the 16% are voting for who would be the weakest candidate in the general election so that their candidate, John McCain, has the best chance of winning. Considering that the Texas primary was won by Clinton with only a 2.8% margin, and republican turnout in the Texas primary was up from previous state contests by at least 3% and in some states as much as 5%, chances are that such tainted votes played a significant part in Clinton’s win in Texas, and to a lesser extent, Ohio. I have said this before, the longer the democrats drag this out, the increased likelihood of mischief by the Republican Party thereby allowing the conservative right wing of that party to choose the democratic nominee rather than the choice being made by true affiliates of the party. As mentioned in an earlier post, even republican governor and staunch John McCain supporter, Bill Crist is trying to influence the choice of democratic nominee. Those who think that a long drawn out fight is good for the Democratic Party should respond to the points in this post. This is not the way to get more voters involved in the process especially if such process is ripe for and can so easily be manipulated thereby making all the voter enthusiasm, dedication, and commitment, moot.