ShareThisRobert Diehl of Abilene, Texas, is a model young conservative Republican.The 24-year-old future Marine is anti-abortion, anti-gun control and anti-big government, and he's pretty much voted Republican since he became eligible to vote in his teens, he said.
But Diehl, temporarily at least, is an "Obamican" and plans to vote in the Democratic primary Tuesday to help leverage Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois into the White House.
"If I don't want John McCain to win, I'm going to vote in the Democratic primary for the person who can beat John McCain," said Diehl, a senior at McMurry University in Abilene.
Diehl will not be alone. Polling numbers in Texas foresee a significant Republican crossover in the open primary.
"We're finding 20 percent to 25 percent of people with a Republican primary vote history say they intend to vote in the Democratic primary," said Daron Shaw, a government professor at the University of Texas at Austin, who has conducted surveys for four state House Republican primaries.
McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona, has all but sewn up the GOP presidential nomination. That leaves Republicans free to cast their ballots in the competitive race between Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.
Some of the voters may be attracted to Obama's charismatic style. Others might vote for Obama simply for the delicious enjoyment of casting a ballot against Clinton.
"I think people fantasize about voting for Obama to stop Hillary," said Tom Green County Republican Chairman Russ Duerstine.
Still other Republicans might vote for the former first lady because they think she would be a weaker candidate than Obama in the general election in November.
Finally, some Texas Republicans simply don't like McCain.
Diehl sees McCain as "an embarrassment to his own party" and a liberal too in step with Clinton.
"The Clintons are a whole new can of worms that I don't even want to get into," Diehl, a political-science and English major, said.
Diehl has one more reason to vote in the Democratic primary -- the Iraq war. Diehl thinks that the next presidency is doomed, no matter who wins.
"I'd rather see a person who has a 'D' by their name than an 'R' by their name if they're going to be the person who messes us up even worse," he said.
Regardless of the reason, Duerstine has been discouraging crossover voting among Republicans.
"Most of the folks see the light," he said.
After all, it shows up on their voting records.
"We don't know who anybody votes for, but we do know what primary they voted in," Duerstine said.
(E-mail Trish Choate at choatet(at)shns.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT:-) If
YOU MIGHT BE AN IDIOT:-)
If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience can fix an economy on the verge of collapse better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) led the greatest economic expansion, and prosperity in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience fighting for universal health care can get it for you better than Hillary Clinton. Who anticipated this current health care crisis back in 1993, and fought a pitched battle against overwhelming odds to get universal health care for all the American people.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience can manage, and get us out of two wars better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) went to war only when he was convinced that he absolutely had to. Then completed the mission in record time against a nuclear power. AND DID NOT LOSE THE LIFE OF A SINGLE AMERICAN SOLDIER. NOT ONE!
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience saving the environment is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) left office with the greatest amount of environmental cleanup, and protections in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with little or no education experience is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose ;-) husband (Bill Clinton) made higher education affordable for every American. And created higher job demand and starting salary's than they had ever been before or since.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience will be better than Hillary Clinton who spent 8 years at the right hand of President Bill Clinton. Who is already on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that you can change the way Washington works with pretty speeches from Obama, rather than with the experience, and political expertise of two master politicians ON YOUR SIDE like Hillary and Bill Clinton..
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think all those Republicans voting for Obama in the Democratic primaries, and caucuses are doing so because they think he is a stronger Democratic candidate than Hillary Clinton. :-)
Best regards
jacksmith...
I'm crossing over for Hillary
In the fall, McCain will get my vote. But now, a crossover vote for Hillary might help keep the Dumbocrats at each other's throats for a little longer. That's why, tomorrow, Hil will be getting my vote
I keep reading how the elevated level of Dem-Primary votes that are being cast in traditionally Republican areas of Texas (in early voting) is a sign of good things for the Dems come November. Ha. If most of the crosser overs are like me, then these comments are WAY off base.