Now, about that Texas GOP surprise for Hillary Clinton

One week ago at about this time of day we posted an item here headlined: "Do Texas Republicans plan a surprise for Clinton and Obama?"

It speculated on the possibility of Republican voters in the Lone Star state, faced with an uninteresting, essentially-decided contest between John McCain and Mike Huckabee, crossing over to make mischief in the Democratic primary by voting for Hillary Clinton to prolong the Democrats' damaging intra-party struggle for several more weeks. We'd heard rumors about this and the Dallas Morning News had written about the possibility.

Then, on his Monday broadcast, conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh with his national audience of some 13 million aggressively pushed the idea to his listeners in Texas. Bill O'Reilly, among others, also talked about the possibility on his national radio program, but did not advocate such tactics.

By now, some of you may have heard, that Clinton did pull off....

a popular vote win over Barack Obama in Texas which, combined with her wins in Rhode Island and Ohio, revived her campaign and fundraising and made Pennsylvania's primary on April 22 the newest of many days of decisive decision for Democrats, while McCain clinched his nomination and moved on to begin organizing nationally.

Now, Susan Davis over at the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire has found evidence among some Democrats of possibly enough GOP hijinks to make a difference in Texas. Only 9% of voters in the Democratic primary there were Republican and Obama, as he has elsewhere, drew more of them than Clinton.

But in Texas the margin was much closer than it had been in other states. It was 53% for Obama and 46% for Clinton in Texas, but as recently as Wisconsin it was 72% Obama to 28% for Clinton and in Virginia 72% to 23%.

Davis also interviewed one precinct worker who personally tracked dozens of participants in the Democratic balloting who proudly identified themselves as Limbaugh voters, Republicans crossing over.

Clinton won the Texas vote with 50.9%, compared to 47.4% for Obama, or roughly a 100,000-vote difference. Was the Republican vote the margin of Clinton's victory? Hard to say, but it certainly added to her margin in what was a huge psychological boost, even though under Texas' cockamamie primary/caucus system Obama may actually end up with more convention delegates. 

It's not so much that the conservative broadcasters tried to help McCain, whom they have their own doubts about, as it is to force Democrats to fight each other longer, using up valuable resources, energies and precious days of general election planning while perhaps engendering harder feelings among the eventual losing side.

As the Republicans for Obama website complained, "Hillary Clinton owes her political life to Rush Limbaugh."

But under the category of "be very careful what you wish for":

Wouldn't it be a stunning historical irony if Clinton, who's worked hard to adhere closer to the all-important general election political center than Obama, won the nomination in August and the election in November, all thanks to this vast right-wing conspiracy that briefly swallowed its hate of her in March to save her bacon in Texas?

-- Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Tyrone Waters]

I like the caucus format because it allows the more educated and dedicated voter to have a more influential voice in the voting process. Democracy only muddies the waters in primary elections by letting apathetic citizens a voice the process. We should be a country run by the intelligent and driven. Obama/Oprah '08

[Anon]

When Sen. Obama gets Republican votes in Democratic primaries, the media hails it as a sign of his crossover appeal. But when Sen. Clinton gets Republican votes, it is part of a plot. Ahhh, evenhandedness.

[Randy]

Reading the tea leaves after the fact is not what tea leaves are used for. ;)

Hillary's Texas Victory is simple to understand. South Texas responded in a "HUGE" way for her ... The hispanic vote broke 75-25 in her favor.

There is you tea leaf my friend.

[Eric]

This may have worked for Democrats voting for Romney in Michigan to keep him in the race, but in this case, nobody could have been eliminated and Hillary was going to proceed either way.

[WeC]

It's so stupid it's scary. But then again, Texas did gave us George Bush Jr.

[DNC is for sale]

There was a recent poll and 51% of americans Hate/ Dislike Hilary Clinton.
The woman is a thief and is power hungry!!!!!!
She only won texas and ohio by appealing to the underdogs of american society.
They don't know that this woman has a case in california for fraud with her husband Bill Clinton.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56868 fraud trial

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-03-06-clinton-library-foia_N.htm?csp=34 ( clintons block release of records)

American Society is being held hostage by this disgusting people.
I personally plan to vote for a republican or for Obama!!!!!!!!

[Lebonto]

The aid was generous to Hillary when she called her a "monster". She is Democracy's worst nightmare!

[electxyz]

When Hillary won, all pundits say she won by negatives. When Obama won, they say he is inspiring. When Republicans voted for Obama, they say Obama attracts Republicans and independance, when they voted to Hillary, it's because they want to prolong demo's race. What a crap! Show me the EVIDENCE! Just shut up, let voters decide themselves.

Hillary is a FIGHTER, American RIGHT now NEEDS a fighter. Vote with your conscious.

I think it's time for Obama put his ego aside. It will be great if he starts thinking Clinton-Obama ticket. First it’s good for Demos, second it's good for himself, and last it's good for American People. He is 46. If he can help Clinton to be a GOOD president, after 8 years, it will be his turn. At that time, he is only 54 with 8 years Washington Politics. He keeps saying he wants different Washington politics. But that's RISKY for American right now, EVEN IF he can deliver it. You have to KNOW IT before DESTROY IT. If you don't know it, you just simply can not destroy that old system, a 300 YEARS GUERRILLA. THAT’S THE RISK AMERICAN SHALL NOT TAKE.
I bet Clinton will make the country back into track in both economy and world image, and we will see bright light again. Then it will be also sure that Obama can follow Clinton to be First African-American President. At that time, HE WILL CERTAINLY HAVE MY VOTE.

[Rhoda Penmark]

Well. well, well.

Given that Obama's in the process of having won the caucuses in Texas by more than a few percentage points, why won't the media ADMIT NOW that OBAMA won more delegates in Texas, and therefore HAS WON TEXAS?????? Hillary FELL SHORT in delegates, even with all her filthy votes from the Republicans!

[Luke Gilmore]

Rush Limbaugh understands that Hillary's "negatives," will make it impossible for her to ever win a general election. She is divisive and corrosive. How much longer will her venom be able to paralyze the media- and the country? For more read Barbara's Blog

http://ehrenreich.blogs.com/barbaras_blog/2007/06/who_is_hillary_.html

Please: no more Clintons in our White House- at 3 AM or at any other time.

[FJ Stratford]

Oh Please, the reason why Democrats abandones Obama is that when they asked him about Rezko, he ran away stuttering sayinf something like "We ran out of time"....

And now, even his stand on Iraq is apparently a way of hoodwinking people - saying one thing to Texans and then going off to an international audience admitting that he wont do as he promised to do.

Same with NAFTA.

Texans are a tough crowd. AND TEXANS, ESPECIALLY DEMOCRATIC TEXANS DONT LIKE TO BE HOODWINKED.

[drband36]

Well said.

Sen. Clinton's Texas pseudo-win (the primary, not the caucuses --- came courtesy of cross-over Republicans.

Why? They want the perverse pleasure of "taking her down" in November, rather than letting the Democrats make their own decisions. Limbaugh, Coulter, and Hannity are going a little too far this time...

Barack Facts: Fast Obama Facts vs. Falsehoods
http://www.barackfacts.blogspot.com
Hillary Facts: She stoops to conquer
http://www.kitchensink08.blogspot.com/

[Hillary All the Way]

It doesn't matter if they pick Obama or Hillary, the damage done by Obama has already been done. He single handedly destroyed the unity of the Democrats when he first started attacking Hillary in 07 and unless Hillary and Obama are on the same ticket you can say hello to President McCain.

[TXCourtney]

The key word in Malcolm's last statement is "briefly." The same group of rabid Anti-Hilary Republicans that won her the primary will of course be out in force against her in November. Her "Big State Strategy" is a rediculously flawed strategy:

She'll win New York and California, but so will any Democrat.

She'll win New Jersey because she's from New York.

She'll win Ohio if the Republicans vote for her again--which they won't.

She'll win Florida if McCain is barred from campaigning there.

She'll win Michigan if she's the only one on the ballot (and it will still be close).

She'll win Texas when Hell freezes over.

[TXCourtney]

The key word in Malcolm's last statement is "briefly." The same group of rabid Anti-Hilary Republicans that won her the primary will of course be out in force against her in November. Her "Big State Strategy" is a rediculously flawed strategy:

She'll win New York and California, but so will any Democrat.

She'll win New Jersey because she's from New York.

She'll win Ohio if the Republicans vote for her again--which they won't.

She'll win Florida if McCain is barred from campaigning there.

She'll win Michigan if she's the only one on the ballot (and it will still be close).

She'll win Texas when Hell freezes over.

[joseph]

that is what I knew all along the only way this monster won Texas it is because of the republican, that shows how vulnerable this what so called woman is on the november election , she will never be president as an independent i rather vote for Nader than this monster

[Paul]

What kind of spin this is. Reps vote for Obama 53% to 47% in Texas, and you are saying that they are helping Clinton.
It is Obama is the one who owe to the Reps his political fortune.

(As the item points out, he did get more Republican crossovers than she did, though he still lost thepopular vote. What's interesting is that for some reason this time his normal proportion of Republican voters was way down from his share in previous states. Noticeably down.)

[PulSamsara]

Barack Obama has the strength and moral fortitude to grow with America into a new era. Clinton has nothing but the same old tired politics we have lived with for far too long. She is the Rovian antithesis - opposite in parallel...the yin to the yang of the dark machine. I will vote against the democratic party for the first time in 20 years if she steals the nomination. I have voted for her family 3 times and finally saw the light when she chose the 'politically expedient' choice of voting us into Iraq. I've simply had enough. - Enough.

[Black Sheep]

I think the GOP would take credit for rain in Texas. Does anyone seriously think that fully 100,000 republicans jumped up and ran to the polls to vote for Hillary Clinton? Please.

She was ahead in Texas early on, then according to the polls she lost her lead. However, according to at least 200,000 Hispanic immigrants, she had not lost the lead, and that's what put her over the top, not a few Rush Limbaugh listeners.

[john jay]

this is very biased analysis. obama got so much help from republican cross-overs in the past primaries and now he's complaining? the republicans know they can't take down hillary. they've been fighting her for too long and she's still standing strong, don't self-destruct, democrats. don't take down the only qualified and promising candidate, hillary, for the republicans.

[AgentTofu]

Yes, it would be ironic if what this article states at the end came to pass. However, mathematically, it is impossible for her now. Obama is too far ahead to catch, and Wyoming today and Mississippi on Tuesday will only widen the gap.

What this article doesn't mention is that Obama won the caucus in Texas, and thus won Texas in total delegates. Hillary needed blowout victories, and failed to produce as such.

Obama will be the nominee, and it will play out as such.

[Daniel Rosenstark]

We assume that the GOP knows the effects of prolonging the "party struggle" amongst Democrats. However, a close primary for the Democrats merely reflects the strength of both candidates. There is sufficient time for party unification behind the winner after the primaries. Both parties should spend more time on real issues than on questionable "hijinks."

Dan
www.DVDs4theSAT.com
Complete SAT prep course in a 12 DVD set

[Michael Levinson]

It is amazing that the media kept talking about the most qualified person for the job of president...but never focused on that individual. He is out of the race now and hopefully we will get the next best!

[phillygirl]

OK, but ... perhaps you have heard? obama has almost certainly won texas. it kinda weakens your story line, but maybe rush's voters only got HRC another delegate or two. they didn't hand her the state.

[TC]

It's premature to think about Hillary winning insincere Republican support as a formula for success in November. The consensus remains that Barack Obama offers the best prospects for a substantive change of course if elected in November:

http://acropolisreview.com/2008/02/endorsements-of-barack-obama.html