Ron Paul gets boost from crossover voters in Vermont and Virginia

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Ron Paul's strength in both the Vermont and Virginia Republican primaries came largely from Independent voters and, to a lesser extent in Vermont, Democratic voters who chose to participate in their state's Republican primary. Although Mitt Romney won both states handily, Paul won a significant portion of the vote.

Vermont primary results
Vermont exit poll

Virginia primary results
Virginia exit poll

With no competitive Democratic primary this year, many of the voters in the open primaries in these states were Independents. Even some Democrats voted in these Republican primaries. In Vermont, 40 percent of the voters said that they think of themselves as independents; 10 percent said they were Democrats. In Virginia, independents made up a third of all voters and 5 percent said they were Democrats.

Almost a third of the independent voters in Virginia voted for Ron Paul. In contrast to this, over 70 percent of Republicans voted for Mitt Romney. Half of Paul's votes came from independents and another 7 percent came from Democrats.

In Vermont, 38 percent of independents voted for Paul as did 42 percent of Democrats. Almost 60 percent of Ron Paul's voters were independents and another 15 percent were Democrats. Only 13 percent of Republican voters in Vermont voted for Paul. Romney won half of the Republican voters in the Vermont primary.

Ron Paul tells supporters "we always win"

Complete Republican primary results
CBS News Estimated Delegate scorecard

Super Tuesday results by state: Alaska | Georgia | Idaho | Massachusetts | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Tennessee | Vermont | Virginia

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Super Tuesday

[jsknow]

Those that oppose Ron Paul's platform are simply ignorant of the FACTS, or they oppose the Constitution and the principals this Nation was founded on. EVERYTHING Ron Paul supports comes straight from the Constitution. That's what the crooked-media and the crooked establishment are trying to spin as "crazy, out in left field and un-electable".

OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE TRUTH. Visit youtube and search for "RON PAUL DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS".

Do you want Constitutional liberty and rights or do you want a socialist government that micro-manages everything in your life and enforces their unconstitutional tyranny on the entire world through unjust, unconstitutional wars.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING EVERY RON PAUL SUPPORTER CAN DO IS RECRUIT 2 NEW VOTERS AND ASK THEM TO DO THE SAME! Do that and we will win by a landslide in November!

If the Republicans want to win they better nominate Ron Paul! His supporters will write in his name on their ballot if he is not nominated. We stand on our principals just like Ron Paul does and if Ron Paul is not elected president it won't make one bit of difference which Constitution ignoring crook is in the Oval Office... they are ALL the same, just like Obama and Bush are exactly the same! Look at Obama and Bush's administrations AND TELL ME WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS!

[Freedomisgood]

Obama has more Wall Street cronies in it! And has doubled the speed of our countries destruction!

[cbsnews_viewer]

Romney, Santorium, Gingrich: they talk the Republician game but in no way will they tackle the deficit. Why did MSNBC take off Patrick J. Buchanan as a commentator? Why did Fox business take off Judge Andrew Nopalitano? My conclusion is they are too dangerous to "the powers that be". Mr Paul is a movement that awakens. Mr Obama is fine with power and corporatism. People who love big federal government and hate liberty do not like Mr Paul.

[Freedomisgood]

You wonder why Ron Paul gets a bad rap from the media?
"Last week MSNBC and NBC News starting disclosing that its parent company, NBCU is a partner in the Weather Channel with Bain Capital, of which Mitt Romney is a partner. Now Fortune reports CBS News, at least Radio, might want to start disclosing this:

Bain Capital Ventures participated in an $8.6 million investment for Internet radio advertising network TargetSpot in March 2008. Early last year, Bain re-invested as part of an $8 million follow-on financing that also included CBS Radio. To date, no CBS journalist seems to have issued a disclaimer similar to that of MSNBC."
Bain Capital also owns most of the newspapers, over 800!
Noting will never change until we get honest media, and the corporate money out of politics!

[mayeeden]

It is unfortunate that Ron Paul had to run under the GO Peee banner but he is not really one of them nor am I any longer. He stands for all Americans. I believe that 75 - 80% of us all want the same things in life and that we know people on both sides of the political spectrum and have very civil relations with them. One thing is for certain, extreme measures must be taken by Constitutional means to save this wonderful freedom that we have inherited and the one in the oval office along with the other 3 stooges running are not committed to do anything for "the people", just their elite masters.
I fear that the media has been successful in hiding Ron Paul and his message from the greater population and used the power that they have to either distort his image and message with their power packed negative headlines or just ignore him altogether.
When the chance for media time does come up, they use most of the time to ask him silly questions about Mitt Romney or other tabloid type rumors and by the time he has answered those meaningless questions, his time is up. He is not allowed to share his solutions with the country and he has been marginalized to the kook fringe once again.
I think that those who fear him on both sides of the aisle have been successful in their destruction of him and the blame will be laid at their feet for the destruction of Liberty and all that shall follow.
Ron Paul, you still have my support and vote even if I have to write it in as a last protest against tyranny.

[mayeeden]

It is unfortunate that Ron Paul had to run under the GO Peee banner but he is not really one of them nor am I any longer. He stands for all Americans. I believe that 75 - 80% of us all want the same things in life and that we know people on both sides of the political spectrum and have very civil relations with them. One thing is for certain, extreme measures must be taken by Constitutional means to save this wonderful freedom that we have inherited and the one in the oval office along with the other 3 stooges running are not committed to do anything for "the people", just their elite masters.
I fear that the media has been successful in hiding Ron Paul and his message from the greater population and used the power that they have to either distort his image and message with their power packed negative headlines or just ignore him altogether.
When the chance for media time does come up, they use most of the time to ask him silly questions about Mitt Romney or other tabloid type rumors and by the time he has answered those meaningless questions, his time is up. He is not allowed to share his solutions with the country and he has been marginalized to the kook fringe once again.
I think that those who fear him on both sides of the aisle have been successful in their destruction of him and the blame will be laid at their feet for the destruction of Liberty and all that shall follow.
Ron Paul, you still have my support and vote even if I have to write it in as a last protest against tyranny.

[common2cents]

This is garbage. Paul got almost a third of the independent voters in Virginia, so about 30%. On the other hand, Romney got 70% of the independent voters, leaving Paul about... 30%. So no, Paul did NOT get a boost from independent voters in Virginia

[Thomas_TX]

Check your numbers, they are wrong.

[wiredwabbit]

If you look at the exit polls for Vermont, Paul got 42% Romney got 15% of the Democratic crossover votes. In Virgina, the exit poll don't have a number for Democrats but for Independents Paul got 64% compared to Romney's 36% and this was 32% of the total votes. If the Republicans want Obama out of office Paul is a better choice. If Paul runs as independent, he will have significant support from both the Republican and Democrats and majority of the Independents.

[Freepress1111]

Ron Paul and his supporters should seriously consider forming a new political party in America. Paul's level of support is obviously substantial and consistent. The Libertarians just don't fit well within the Republican party. In fact, some of Paul's views, such as legalizing drugs and closing most of America's military bases around the world, are much more aligned with the far left than the far right. On top of that, you'll never get hard core Democrats to vote for a Republican, even if that person is a Libertarian at heart. New political parties are not uncommon in American history, many have come and gone. Remember, four U.S. presidents were members of the Whig party. Consider it.

[billgreenjeans]

All that is needed to win is ten percent of those that vote. That is the independent vote. Demos and Republican are divided equally. Winning the independent vote is the name of the game. That is how the Teleprompter-in-chief got elected, which he has now lost because he is a liar about ending the wars; in addition he bailed out the wrong people. Who ever gets those ten per cent wins the election. When Ron Paul wins so do all of us.

[sdstate]

There is a party for Paulites, it's called the Libertarian Party. That's what Paul says he is, correct?

The vast majority of Democrats are not economic Libertarians. Only the most hardcore anti-war/Patriot Act Dems would pull the lever for someone who wants to destroy what little safety net exists in this country. And Ron Paul is a Republican by choice. Unlike Sanders who had the guts to stand or fall as an Independent, Paul chose to bed down with the GOP.

[cpjohn1]

I really don't understand why Ron Paul is still in the race. He hasn't won any states and he probably won't, so long as he is running as a republican. He needs to get out or run as an independent.

[edduvals]

He is in the race to keep his message out there. It isn't about winning the ticket, it's about educating people on our loss of freedoms, it's about reminding us that we have a Constitution that is being trampled on, it's about getting people to stop voting for the same established failures we keep putting in office. It's about Education.

[MsmCorrupt]

The media already ignores him. If he were to run as a third party they would not acknowledge him at all. This way, they are forced to.
Why do you care? I read another comment you made and you are an Obama supporter....No Obama will not get the youth vote back. Paul owns it...Not because he's "cool" like Obama, but because he actually believes in freedom.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

Sorry, but I'm not going to vote for angry, bitter, selfish, vain Ron Paul. That's what being a libertarian is, by the way. Dog-eat-dog, survival-of-the-fittest: those are couple of terms that apply to libertarians. Libertarians believe in *individual* (not group) liberty above all else, and if one individual's liberty impedes upon another's, then they can just fight it out: to the victor goes the spoils, and might makes right. NO THANK YOU. The whole purpose of democratic government is to keep the mighty from oppressing the weak. I'll be voting for this man instead: http://buddyroemer.com/issues

[fedup12]

sooooo You are a socialist?

[edduvals]

We live in a Republic, that is what keeps the mighty from oppressing the weak, not democracy (which is mob rule). Being a libertarian does not mean live in a dog eat dog world, it means respecting the rights and liberties of the individual. Paul is not Angry, he is not bitter, nor selfish nor vain. Not one of the things you said is even close to truthful. You should be ashamed.

[fedup12]

You know.... The voters supporting Romney and Santorum are the W Bush Republicans...

But Paul could get the good republicans AND independents. Of this group only Ron Paul can beat Obama.

[fedup12]

Paul is the only one who draws a real distinction between himself and Obama.

Robomneycare anyone?

And Newt is just a non entity in the race.

[JavMD]

I'm in Ohio, age 59, long time Republican supporter, time for more 'independents'... I voted Ron Paul last night. Got to keep sending a message, tired of the back and forth Democrat & Republicans...