# GOP crossing over to vote in Democratic contests: Will it help Obama in Nov? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 3, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886 "2008-05-03T14:37:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886/1 "2008-05-03T14:37:06Z")
[This](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24437039) NY-Times article highlights how some seasoned GOP voters are crossing over to vote for the dems. There are several scenerios that they are crossing over for, one is they are alligning with Obama and voting for him. To a lesser extent they are crossing over and voting for Clinton, and to an even lesser extent it seems they are following Rush Limbaugh’s words to go vote for Clinton to keep the dems tearing each other appart. Now of the GOP crossovers, which scenerio would stand to be the most valid? That they do not like McCain’s alignment with Bush’s politics so they are voting for the dem they can stomach the most: Obama? Will this eventually help him win the white house? What say you? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886/2 "2008-05-03T21:29:04Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] Now of the GOP crossovers, which scenerio would stand to be the most valid? That they do not like McCain’s alignment with Bush’s politics so they are voting for the dem they can stomach the most: Obama? Will this eventually help him win the white house? [/QUOTE] Those Pubs who don’t like McCain’s politics generally regard him as not conservative enough. Why would such prefer Obama? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886/3 "2008-05-03T21:37:10Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Those Pubs who don’t like McCain’s politics generally regard him as not conservative enough. Why would such prefer Obama? [/QUOTE] Well, it is happening as a matter of empirical fact. Your guess is as good as anyone else’s. My guess: Iraq. If 70% of people think we should get out, a big chunk of those are conservatives. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886/4 "2008-05-03T22:17:23Z")
Here’s one Republican\* who will be voting for Obama because he believes Obama is a man of character whom he finds “tremendously impressive”. Iraq is a huge issue for him. > [@](#): > > Trimarco: “I can’t justify this on philosophical grounds. I’m clearly right of center….and I understand there are going to be many issues that I’ll disagree with him about…But his commitment to change the direction in Iraq and his avowed commitment to change the way we speak to each other and to stop playing out of Karl Rove’s playbook. Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton play out of Karl Rove’s playbook. They differ on policies, I’m not saying they have the same policies, but political philosophies, it’s the same. You have a political enemy, knee cap him, and destroy him. Say whatever it is, tear him down.” - Note: The page has autoplay video embedded in it. The transcript below it is more expansive than the somewhat edited video clip that played on the news. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886/5 "2008-05-03T22:26:48Z")
[QUOTE=EddyTeddyFreddy] Here’s one Republican\* who will be voting for Obama because he believes Obama is a man of character whom he finds “tremendously impressive”. Iraq is a huge issue for him. - Note: The page has autoplay video embedded in it. The transcript below it is more expansive than the somewhat edited video clip that played on the news. [/QUOTE] **EddyTeddyFreddy** , you inadvertently used “Here’s one Republican” as the URL, so your link doesn’t work, and since it’s too late for you to edit your post above, can you give us the URL? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886/6 "2008-05-03T23:46:51Z")
[QUOTE=Onomatopoeia] **EddyTeddyFreddy** , you inadvertently used “Here’s one Republican” as the URL, so your link doesn’t work, and since it’s too late for you to edit your post above, can you give us the URL? Thanks [/QUOTE] ACK! Sorry! [Here it is.](http://www.necn.com/Boston/Politics/Longtime-Bay-State-Republican-turns-Obamacan/1207015293.html) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886/7 "2008-05-04T01:43:44Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Those Pubs who don’t like McCain’s politics generally regard him as not conservative enough. Why would such prefer Obama? [/QUOTE] Because there are a lot of Republicans who don’t McCains’ politics not because he is not conservative enough, but that he is too aligned with Bush on the war, the economy and health care. I think traditional conservative social issues (abortion, same sex marriage, religion in schools) are definitely going to take a back seat this November. It is still the economy (stupid – _not you_ ). ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886/8 "2008-05-04T03:59:53Z")
I think the original post seriously underestimates the number of people voting in Democrat contests who are trying to undermine the process and get the candidate they feel is less likely to beat McCain the Democratic nomination. Limbaugh is only the most audible and visible advocate for this behavior, but he was only saying what the rest of us were already thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886/9 "2008-05-04T14:06:38Z")
[QUOTE=Mosier] I think the original post seriously underestimates the number of people voting in Democrat contests who are trying to undermine the process and get the candidate they feel is less likely to beat McCain the Democratic nomination. Limbaugh is only the most audible and visible advocate for this behavior, but he was only saying what the rest of us were already thinking. [/QUOTE] How many? Do you estimate? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-crossing-over-to-vote-in-democratic-contests-will-it-help-obama-in-nov/447886/10 "2008-05-04T16:21:24Z")
[QUOTE=Mosier] I think the original post seriously underestimates the number of people voting in Democrat contests who are trying to undermine the process and get the candidate they feel is less likely to beat McCain the Democratic nomination. Limbaugh is only the most audible and visible advocate for this behavior, but he was only saying what the rest of us were already thinking. [/QUOTE] The stated goal of Limbaugh’s [Operation Chaos](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_limbaugh#Operation_Chaos) is not to swing the nomination to either HRC or BHO, but simply to keep the divisiveness alive as long and as spectacularly as possible.