NP; looks like the Dem Primary is kinda like Iceland Sparring.....

[David Morris]

http://reason.com/blog/show/125327.html

t's Rush Wot Won It

In the days running up to these last primaries, Rush Limbaugh told his
national audience of conservatives to vote in the Democratic race:

"I want Hillary to stay in this, Laura. This is too good a soap opera.
We need Barack Obama bloodied up politically, and it's obvious that
the Republicans are not going to do it and don't have the stomach for
it, as you probably know. We're getting all kinds of memos from the
RNC, saying we're not going to be critical there. Mark McKinnon of
McCain's campaign says he'll quit if they get critical over Obama.
This is the presidency of the United States we're talking about. I
want our party to win. I want the Democrats to lose. They're in the
midst of tearing themselves apart right now. It is fascinating to
watch, and it's all going to stop if Hillary loses. So, yeah, I'm
asking people to cross over and, if they can stomach it -- I know it's
a difficult thing to do, to vote for a Clinton, but it will sustain
this soap opera, and it's something I think we need. It would be fun,
too."

It turned into a pretty hot meme in Texas, and on Monday, while Rush
was out, guest host Mark Davis scored an interview with Bill Clinton.
Did it work?

[...]

in Texas, where Limbaugh has the most listeners of any of these
states. Obama won the Republican vote 52-47, but conservatives (22
percent of all voters, up from 15 percent in the Kerry-Edwards
primary) went against Obama. For the first time since Super Tuesday,
they were Clinton's best ideological group: She won them 53-43. And
Clinton won 13 percent of the people who said Obama was the most
electable candidate.

Ohio didn't wind up being very close, but Clinton won the Texas
primary by about 98,000 votes out of 2.8 million cast. If the exits
are right, about 252,000 of those voters were Republicans, and about
618,000 were conservatives. Clinton truly might have won the Texas
primary on the backs of Rush Limbaugh listeners.

What's this mean? Psychologically it's hilarious: Every joke that's
ever been told about how the right needs the Clintons to survive is
true. Hillary Hatred is the gas, the ethanol, and the rocket fuel of
the staggering GOP. Logistically, it might mean the end of GOP
crossover voting if the Democrats get their game together and pass new
primary/caucus reforms when this Ragnarok draws to a close. (In the
short term I can't decide if it's better for Hillary or Obama, but
it's a probably a relief to both campaigns that Pennsylvania will be
Democrats-only.)