Limbaugh Instigates Voter Fraud

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Will Rush Limbaugh Be Indicted for Voter Fraud? (http://www.alternet.org/democracy/80392/)


As the board of election in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, where Cleveland is located, launches an investigation into illegal crossover voting in the state's 2008 presidential primary, a big open question remains unanswered: Will county officials go after the ringleaders of apparently illegal electioneering where thousands of Republican voters swore -- under penalty of law -- allegiance to the Democratic Party in order to vote for Hillary Clinton?

In case you missed it, Rush Limbaugh, the nation's top-rated talk radio host, was urging Republicans in Texas and Ohio to skip their party's primary on March 4 and instead cast a vote for Hillary Clinton in order to prolong the fight between her and Barack Obama. And that Tuesday, as media in both states reported, thousands of Republicans did just what Limbaugh and others had suggested -- they changed parties to vote for Clinton.


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Can one of you law guys explain how this works? If person A tells person B to commit a crime and person B does, is person A culpable in any way?

[Bobmuhthol]

It's hard to call shenanigans on playing by the rules. This shit happens all the time.

[TheEschaton]

It's not illegal to vote in an open primary as a Republican. You don't have to swear allegiance to the Democratic party to vote. End of case.

[Clove]

It's not illegal to vote in an open primary as a Republican. You don't have to swear allegiance to the Democratic party to vote. End of case.

Even if you do, so long as you aren't registered in the other party... I mean, maybe they just had a lot of defectors?

[Clove]

http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/03/crossover_voting_was_heavy_and.html


Anyone who crossed lines was supposed to sign a pledge card vowing allegiance to their new party. In Cuyahoga County, dozens and dozens of Republicans scribbled addendums onto their pledges as new Democrats.

"For one day only."

"I don't believe in abortion."

A Plain Dealer review of thousands of records showed few of those who switched were challenged by poll workers.

...

Lying on the pledge is a felony, punishable by six to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

I guess it is a crime in Ohio, if they can prove they lied on the pledge. I wonder if Rush only asked people to cross party lines to vote in the primary (which isn't illegal) or if he asked people to lie on their pledges (which is). Hmmmm.

[Parkbandit]

It's nothing but speculation by the author of this 'news' article. If they even investigated Limbaugh.. they'd have to lock McCain up for the West Virginia Backdoor Maneuver.

[Drew]

It's nothing but speculation by the author of this 'news' article. If they even investigated Limbaugh.. they'd have to lock McCain up for the West Virginia Backdoor Maneuver.

That was pretty slick in WV, it killed Romney IMO.

[Kembal]

On WV: I was out of the country and missed the story on that. Can anyone fill me in?

On Ohio: I doubt Limbaugh has any criminal liability. However, TheE, Ohio wouldn't be considered an Open primary on the basis that you must register (and pledge) as a Dem in order to vote. At most, it'd be considered Semi-open, because you could do the pledge on the day of the primary.

I'd say there's a bunch of Republicans in Ohio that might be looking at indictments if this goes forward. In any case, this kind of stuff (and it's been done on both sides, since a bunch of Dems did it in Michigan) should be looked at going forward. If a state has a tradition of letting independents vote in primaries, that's fine. However, it should lock registered party members 30 days before the primary in order to prevent this.

[Drinin]

I'm a registered Republican and I voted for Hillary in Ohio's primary. Guess I'm a cheater. I don't listen to Rush, and I'm sure many of the others who voted like I did don't either. It would be kind of hard to prove whether people voted a certain way based on the urging of another.

[Clove]

I'm a registered Republican and I voted for Hillary in Ohio's primary. Guess I'm a cheater. I don't listen to Rush, and I'm sure many of the others who voted like I did don't either. It would be kind of hard to prove whether people voted a certain way based on the urging of another.

Oh I don't think it would be difficult at all. What you're saying is not every instance of the action was at Rush's urging, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be proved that some did perform because of his urging.

[Back]

I'm a registered Republican and I voted for Hillary in Ohio's primary. Guess I'm a cheater. I don't listen to Rush, and I'm sure many of the others who voted like I did don't either. It would be kind of hard to prove whether people voted a certain way based on the urging of another.

I don’t think Rush can be legitimately connected to voter fraud. I find him hypocritical to suggest people engage in it when one of the big arguments republicans have about democrats is that they engage in it every election.

But you knowingly and willingly falsified yourself to effect a privilege this country was founded on. I’m not sure how I feel about that.

[Latrinsorm]

On WV: I was out of the country and missed the story on that. Can anyone fill me in?PB has a hardon for caucus-like systems for some reason.

[Parkbandit]

PB has a hardon for caucus-like systems for some reason.


I wouldn't call it a hardon.. I would call it a problem with the process that can easily be manipulated. I apologize if you were unable to understand it though.

[Latrinsorm]

It's as much of a "problem" as proportional representation in a primary.