Posted on 03/14/2016 10:42:00 AM PDT by Starman417
Back in 2008 Rush Limbaugh had a bit called “Operation Chaos” where he suggested Republicans in Ohio and elsewhere cross over and vote for Hillary Clinton in the Democrat primary. The goal was to keep Clinton in the race to blunt the lead of Barack Obama and cause more chaos on the Democrat side. Well, Operation Chaos was pretty much a failure as Obama steamrolled Clinton.
While Limbaugh is not calling for an “Operation Chaos” this year, something along those lines is definitely happening… but it doesn’t have anything to do with Hillary Clinton this time, but rather, Donald Trump.
The turnout for this year’s primary contests is surging with record numbers of voters participating on the GOP side. No doubt there are Republicans who sat out in 2012 and 2008 who are now participating. But that’s not the driver of the numbers. The driver is… Democrats. In Massachusetts as example, according to the Boston Herald 20,000 Democrats switched to the Republican Party before the primary. That works out to fully 5% of the GOP ballots cast. Interestingly, Trump’s 31% margin of victory in Massachusetts was the largest he’s has had.
In Pennsylvania the same thing is happening. According to CBS 46,000 Pennsylvania Democrats have already switched to the GOP to vote for Trump. If the participation in the Pennsylvania primary exhibits the same kind of increase Massachusetts did (up 12% over 2008, the last year with a lame duck president in office) then those 46,000 Democrats will make up 5% of the 900,000 GOP voters.
But of course that’s not the only way Democrats are influencing the GOP primary. In Massachusetts and Pennsylvania they switched because both are closed states in that registrants of party can’t vote in the primaries of another party. Massachusetts is officially open however as unaffiliated voters can vote in any party’s primary. That means that the only way Democrats in those two states can vote in the GOP primary is by changing parties.
But in a large number of states you don’t even have to do that. Those states have “Open” primaries or caucuses where voters can vote in either party’s primary, regardless of which party they are registered in. That makes a HUUGGGGEEEE difference. (And for course, Ohio is an "Open" primary.) To give you an idea of how big, consider the following:
There have been a total of 14 open primaries and caucuses where Democrats are able to vote in the GOP contest. Donald Trump has won 12 of them. At the same time, there have been a total of 9 primaries and caucuses in closed states… and Ted Cruz has won 6 of them, while Donald Trump has won only 3 of them.So in the states where only Republicans can vote in the Republican primaries and caucuses Ted Cruz has won 66% of the contests while Donald Trump has won 34%... and those are states where data shows that tens of thousands of Democrats are switching party affiliation for the specific purpose of voting for Trump in the GOP contest. At the same time however, in states where Democrats are free to vote in the GOP contest Donald Trump has won 85% of the time.
(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net...
Or it indicates that Cruz won his home town and small dark red Western Farm Belt states and states with caucus.
In any contested state that the GOP must win in Nov, Cruz has lost.
Well with weld shut mind incapable of seeing any data that challenges their emotion base opinions, you have to post the obvious over and over and over to try and penetrate the shield of incredible stupidity they keep their brain in.
Michigan went to to close to call
Iowa we still don't know who won Hillary or Bernie nice try. Take a look at popular vote States Cruz won?
Something like that...
But he is conservative unlike Donald, no?
If Cruz was threatening to win, they would be on his case too. That’s the thing with the left, they would be on whoever we nominated. It’s just a little bit more over blown with Trump.
It’s definitely happening.
The question is whether or not it is cynical. Are they sowing chaos in the GOP ranks, or are they honest-to-goodness cretins who find Trump’s politics attractive?
...and keeping the EPA.
Ayup.
People who identify as D party vote straight ticket D more often than the analogous on the R side -- of course that's based on anecdotal evidence from FR during the past four election campaigns.
The anecdotal evidence includes all the FINOs who fought tooth and nail against McCain after he'd taken the nomination via the primaries and caucuses. In one case, the bashing continued for a couple of years (until that particular troll finally got nuked), and of course it also continues to this day in the form of accusations of all kinds.
Donald Trump has been drawing voters out of the D side, which apparently is just really evil now that he's doing it.
And McCain of course is against the Donald.
That would explain how you missed that I had conceded out of the gate that KY and LA remained unexplained.
Of course I’m against those things.
But I’m realistic enough to recognize that my ‘ideal candidate’ won’t ever be on a ballot, and I’m pragmatic enough to opt for the one most likely to make the greatest desirable differences.
Operation chaos was meant to keep both Hitlery and Obama in the race so they could go at each other for the longest time possible.
Thanks to Operation Chaos Obama made it out of the primaries and was elected president, with Hitlery still hanging around for her shot after Obamas 8yrs of destruction.
I blame Limbaugh and operation chaos for Obama with the possibility of Hitlery coming in for the next 8 yrs.
Thanks Limbaugh you twit.
Democrats did the same thing with McCain and Dole. After the unwinnable GOP candidate is chosen, the Democrats switch back to DNC for the general election.
Then why aren’t Cruz and Rubio beating him?
It’s more like Jeff Roe and Axiom Strategies has mastered the art of gaming the caucus format.
Florida is not an open primary. After Trump dominates tomorrow, I wonder what the next excuse will be?
If true, then this goes to show that Trump could win the general as the general population is willing to vote for him and not Cruz.
Numbers and logic are a bitch, ain’t they?
Don’t throw punches if you object to being hit back.
all the FINOs
What's a "FINO"?
who fought tooth and nail against McCain after he'd taken the nomination via the primaries and caucuses. In one case, the bashing continued for a couple of years (until that particular troll finally got nuked), and of course it also continues to this day in the form of accusations of all kinds.
No idea what you're even saying here, much less how it's relevant to primary crossover votes. McLame is reviled on FR (rightly, IMO) as being only occasionally and accidentally conservative - do you think that shouldn't be so?
Donald Trump has been drawing voters out of the D side, which apparently is just really evil now that he's doing it.
No, it was also evil - and ultimately fruitless - when McLame did it.
Trump supporters keep calling these voters “crossover voters”, I see them as dims picking our candidate for us and of course it is the most liberal of our candidates.
Why did Trump do well in the south? A lot of black voters in the south.
And if Trump is not “the easiest to beat”, the dim primary voters can live with that too.
The Democrats would love for Trump to be the nominee. He has the highest unfavorable ratings ever recorded, even higher than Hillary’s.
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