Oregon has seen nearly 10,000 voters switch to the Democratic Party, according to an Associated Press article April 2. Pennsylvania’s upcoming April 22 primary will see 235,000 new Democratic voters, says the AP. More than 30,000 people have switched parties in North Carolina, according to a USA Today article April 7. In Pennsylvania, more than 100,000 voters changed affiliation. There was a total increase of roughly 172,000 Democratic voters in 20 days, says USA Today. Some have attributed this boost in Democratic voter turn out to movements such as Operation Chaos. Operation Chaos is conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh’s attempt to sabotage the Democratic presidential nominating process. It’s his unique way of sticking it to those “evil” Democrats. Limbaugh suggested his listeners temporarily switch parties to vote in the upcoming Democratic primaries. He was attacked on nightly news shows for his alleged role in Clinton’s victories in the Texas and Ohio primaries. Limbaugh and other conservative talk show hosts have urged their audiences to vote for Clinton in the remaining contests to drag the nomination out as long as possible – which could extend as far as late summer or even August. Should the nomination last as long as Limbaugh and others intend, a widely-expected division in the Democratic Party could hurl the election into chaos. Some voters claim the switch is an opportunity to express a voice they’ve never had, while others sound more like Limbaugh – switching parties to draw more negative attention to the Democrats who appear alienated and desperate, according to the AP. Limbaugh may or may not be responsible for the apparent division in the Democratic Party. If the split between Obama and Clinton supporters is the result of Operation Chaos, then this means Democratic voters will likely feel the same disenfranchisement conservatives felt when McCain became the presumptive Republican nominee. This could be just what Republicans need to tilt the election in McCain’s favor. And Democrats have a history of screwing up elections. So it should be no surprise if they stick to tradition and hand the White House to another Republican. But I think the media is blowing this way out of proportion by crediting talk show hosts such as Limbaugh. If he couldn’t convince people to vote against McCain in the Republican primaries, I find it hard to believe he can convince enough Republicans to vote for Clinton, of all people, to disrupt the Democratic race. I don’t really think the Democratic Party will split as a result of this drawn-out nomination given that most Democrats support both of their candidates. After all, this same split was expected of the Republican Party after Romney dropped his bid for the White House. Many conservatives vowed to vote against McCain, whether they would throw their support to a third party candidate or one of the Democratic contenders. Many said they would rather not vote than vote for McCain. But then again, maybe I’m wrong. Many conservative commentators and pundits have admitted previously that they had no idea how to defeat Obama in a general election. Limbaugh made the point that half the country already hates Clinton, which is a result of the excess baggage she carries from her husband’s legacy. Clinton would have to be the one to defeat Obama since Republicans have no idea how to do so. Maybe the last best hope for Republicans is Hillary Clinton. Clinton and Obama not only ignore McCain – their real opponent – by insulting each other, but they provide the Republican attack machine with much-needed ammunition for the general election. It took from the time Romney dropped out of the race until very recently for Republicans to rally behind McCain. That’s approximately two months. If the Democratic nominee isn’t decided until July or later, the Democratic presidential candidate will have less than three months to sway disenfranchised votes in his or her favor. That may not be enough time to garner the support necessary for victory. Against all odds and predictability, Clinton could be the candidate most likely to unite the Republican Party. She’s the source of solidarity no Republican candidate could find. She’s also the only person standing in the way of a Democratic White House in 2009. There has been growing speculation that most of the black community and many upper class white voters will boycott the general election should Obama lose. And if Clinton wins the nomination because of superdelegates, conservatives won’t sit the election out as promised. They will vote McCain. Well that’s a bit misleading – they’ll vote against Clinton. Conservatives already lost the White House on Super Tuesday. And despite all the hope and change in the air, Democrats could find themselves in for a rude awakening.
—-Contact Daniel Lumetta at [email protected]