Did Rush Limbaugh Tilt Indiana?

Washington Post: Conservative Radio Host's "Operation Chaos" Strategy Urged Listeners To Vote For Clinton

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Alec MacGillis and Peter Slevin.

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Even as Barack Obama's campaign celebrated Tuesday's primary results, aides charged yesterday that they would have had an even stronger showing were it not for meddling by an unlikely booster of Hillary Rodham Clinton: the popular conservative radio host and longtime Clinton family nemesis Rush Limbaugh.

The impact of Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos" emerged as an intriguing point of debate, particularly in Indiana, where registered voters could participate in either party's primary, and where Clinton won by a mere 14,000 votes. As he had before several recent primaries, Limbaugh encouraged listeners to vote for Clinton to "bloody up Obama politically" and prolong the Democratic fight.

Limbaugh crowed about the success of his ploy all day Tuesday, featuring on-air testimonials from voters in Indiana and North Carolina who recounted their illicit pleasure in casting a vote for Clinton. "Some of the people show up and they ask for a Democrat ballot, and the poll worker says, 'Why, what are you going to do?' He says, 'Operation Chaos,' and they just laugh," Limbaugh said Tuesday.

But Limbaugh called off the operation yesterday, saying he wants Obama to be the party's pick, because "I now believe he would be the weakest of the Democrat nominees."

He added: "He can get effete snobs, he can get wealthy academics, he can get the young, and he can get the black vote, but Democrats do not win with that."

The Obama campaign and many of its supporters condemned Limbaugh's intervention tactic yesterday, calling it a major factor in Clinton's narrow Hoosier State win.

"Rush Limbaugh was tampering with the primary, and the GOP has clearly declared that it wants Hillary Clinton as the candidate," Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), an Obama supporter, told reporters on a conference call. On the same call, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said Limbaugh "had a clear factor in the outcome."

Whether that is true remains in question. Even if Limbaugh's exhortations brought as many of his listeners to the polls as he says, his operation did not cripple Obama, who emerged stronger from the day's primaries after better-than-expected showings with some key groups of voters.

Those looking for evidence of Limbaugh's influence pointed to Clinton's edge among Republicans in Indiana and North Carolina. In Indiana, 10 percent of Democratic primary voters described themselves as Republicans, a higher rate than in any state but Mississippi, and they went for Clinton by eight percentage points, according to exit polls. In North Carolina, they were 5 percent of the electorate, and went for her by 29 points.

By contrast, Obama won Republican voters, often by very large margins, in seven of the eight states where exit polls were able to report the group before the Texas and Ohio primaries on March 4, when Limbaugh first coaxed listeners to vote for Clinton.

Also notable was that in Indiana, six in 10 Republicans who supported Clinton on Tuesday said they would vote for presumptive GOP nominee John McCain over Clinton in the fall, if that were the matchup. By contrast, most Republicans who voted for Obama said they would back him against McCain. And a slight majority of Republicans who voted for Clinton in Indiana told pollsters that she does not share their values, raising further questions about why they supported her.

But at least as much data suggested that many Republicans voted for Clinton because the Democratic primary was the more meaningful one and because they simply preferred her to Obama. In Indiana, about nine in 10 GOP Clinton voters said she would make a better commander in chief, and more than six in 10 said she would have a better shot at beating McCain.

And Clinton's edge among Indiana Republicans was relatively small, if set against the broader racial divisions in the contest. Her eight-point advantage among Republicans, nearly all of whom are white in the state, was much narrower than it was among white Democrats, whom she won by nearly 2 to 1 over Obama.

Edward Carmines, a political scientist at Indiana University, said that he concluded from the data that while Operation Chaos "existed to some extent, I don't think it was a major factor."

Indiana defied easy analysis from the start, having not held a competitive Democratic presidential primary in decades. Clinton had a demographic edge, with the state's low proportion of black voters and its mix of Rust Belt workers, farmers and Southern transplants. Obama's primary advantage was that he hailed from next door, and many voters were familiar with him.

The Clinton campaign credited its narrow win to the organization of Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.) and the more than 100 campaign stops made by Clinton and her husband and daughter. Robby Mook, Clinton's Indiana director, said she did better than expected in Indianapolis and in northwestern Indiana, where Obama was expected to benefit from his exposure on Chicago television.

But he fared better than the final polls predicted by cutting into Clinton's huge margin among several key groups in Ohio and Pennsylvania, such as white women and white voters without college degrees. He racked up big totals in college towns and with African American voters in Gary and Indianapolis, as expected. But he also won by 22 points in Hamilton County, an affluent Republican-leaning suburb north of Indianapolis; by 12 points in the county that includes Fort Wayne, after losing similar Rust Belt cities elsewhere; and lost by only four points in Evansville, on the southern border.

The Obama campaign attributed these successes to having placed the candidate in smaller venues and more personal gatherings -- a horse barn, senior center, steel mill, a farmer's back yard -- where he sought to be seen less as a political star than a thoughtful listener. Mitch Stewart, Obama's Indiana director, pointed in particular to Elkhart County, a Republican-leaning community east of South Bend, where the candidate did some canvassing and ended up winning by 18 points.

It made the difference for Jim Ballard, 41, an Elkhart police officer who did not make up his mind until last week.

"Barack seems to be hitting the smaller towns and talking to the people. And he makes you feel like you're part of the process," he said as he climbed on his Harley-Davidson in Granger. "One of the things that was said was he looked people in the eye and Hillary didn't. That's big for me, as a police officer. "

Polling director Jon Cohen contributed to this report.

[skyhawk761]

Boy, old limp stick is going to break his arm patting himself on the back. I''m sure he had a little influence with some of the Repub robots, but I don''t think he is as great as he thinks he is.

[Gary Kempf]

It is really sad you waste time reporting garbage like this.....

Try a real news worthy story, like the manipulation of oil prices......

[lordmi]

Limbaugh - is the sound from the trash can.

[pensacola88]

For every follower of Rush Limbaugh, who complied with the request to cross party lines in the primary, I estimate that 4-5 new voters were registered as Democrats, who actually intended to see their Democratic candidate win.

Rush Limbaugh cried "Fire" and both followers and opponents answered to put it out. More opponents came than followers.

Many have seen Rush Limbaugh''s behavior as pure desparation. Most are tired of his rantings and offensive profiling of prolitariates.

He is charactarized as a very paranoid and controlling personality who gives comfort to those who are afraid to open their minds. Without him, our most closed minded segments of our population have to resort to extreme radical fundamentalism to survive. The true leaders of our country endeavor to open the minds of our citizens and liberate them from the constraints of poor education and arcane traditions that sponsor organized oppression and perpetuate self-defeating behavior.

[oscarez]

Limbaugh is just trying to keep his name in the eye of the public and of course the media is more than happy to help. His ratings are down and no one takes him serious. By, by Limbaugh.

[mudrose-2009]

Limbaugh - is the sound from the trash can.
Posted by lordmi

You should listen to Howard Dean. Talk about trash and a can.

[janiet3]

What a piece of human filth and waste of flesh.


He is so delusional he actually thinks he''s that''s important in the grand scheme of things. Talk about schizoid! He''s hallucinating again.

[sjbj2322]

Sorry Rush....I and many of my former liberal Republican friends (yes, there are such creatures) voted for Hillary in the Texas primary and it had nothing to do with anything you said. It had everything to do with feeling that the Republican platform simply does not represent the needs of the people. On that score it wasn''t even a vote against McCain. This country is facing major problems with its economy, healthcare, education, and foreign affairs and the Republicans simply haven''t got their heads on straight when it comes to coming up with answers that are in the nations best interest....Period!!

[mrmazerati]

Wasn''t Hillary actually expected to win Indiana by more? If so, wasn''t the Limbaugh effect actually a backfire? No quite following the cause and effect, here.

[advanceus]

Apparently Limbaugh thinks the republicans are going to win? I think the US has had plenty of the republican group. I know I have, and I really don''t want to see HilBill there either.

[johntarkenso]

mudrose,
I know it''s hard to stay on topic, especially when you feel compelled to apologise for the inexcusable actions of your comrades. But I think you can do better, so give it your best shot.

[mudrose-2009]

Since Rush can rally the base, I think he should be front runner.

[fibonacci_]

Little methodist head - I wonder if he believes in the talking snake.

[mudrose-2009]

Oh, and Howard Dean does have a fat azz so hence trash and a can a big fat one at that.

The man''s a joke, he just thinks he''s important. Followers of him are some of the most brain washed folks you can listen to. I listen a couple of times a week just to see what the blowhard is saying, if he stuffed himself much fuller he''d explode.

While he thinks he''s important his listenership has dropped off and he has far less influence than he gives himself credit for.

All his responses are carefully screened to help present his own case. In addition to all the B/S he spews his "facts" are less than truthful.

Just another blowhard like Dr. Phil, Suze Ormand and the like, experts in nothing promoted by the media.

[mrmazerati]

We know his family. They''re all lawyers and professionals and own a good part of Cape Girardeau. Pretty funny that Rush would talk about snobs.

[hawksprings]

Come on people!

McCain,
McObama,
McHillary...

3 liberals running for president.
Some choice.
Doesn''t matter who wins, we''re going to have at least 4 years of Jimmy Carter Daze of Malaise.

It''s going to be 1978 all over again.
You''re going to hate it.

[shawnp1968]

One of my favorite movie lines of all time...........

Hey Rush... you know that little white speck on the top of chickens h i t???

Well... that little white speck is chickens h i t too!!!

[blackwater66-2009]

DITTO''s to my old friend Rush. I voted for Rush as President back in 2000. He has the followers to cahnge the dynamics of the race. HE will get all the white male voters to join hime in destroying the Dems and you see it is working. The white males has the majority of the voting block and will make the difference in November. We are awaiting his orders on EIB radios soon...

Join us !!

[shawnp1968]

OOOOOOOOOOH Ruuuuusssssshhhhhhhh............... that''s just the Oxycontin talking, nobody "REALLY" takes you seriously!!!

[cbsblogger]

Speaking as a long time Republican my humble opinion is that the corporatocratist Repubs have put the country and American public in a big lurch thanks to the inept leadership of Bush.

The pro corporate operative goons such as Rush Limbaugh and Hannity are a big part of the problem because they brainwash the huddled masses to vote against their economic interests.

Rush was given the word to push Hillary as the opposition candidate. The public is beginning to wise up that Hillary is a corporate candidate and Rush the corporate mouthpiece.

[newz4i]

This is well said, especially for Americans who wore the uniform of the United States of America, which Limbaugh did not:

Chris Matthews (host of Harball, MSNBC): "... Anyone who voted to screw up the political system of this country with the purpose of mischief should carry that with them the rest their lives. What a ridiculous way to use the vote for WHICH PEOPLE FOUGHT AND DIED, to use that vote to make mischief. I hope you''re proud of yourself."

For the voters who participated in Operation Chaos, they have limbaughtimized minds.

[pghlady3]

i''m sorry what about the super deligate who is putting his vote up for sale at 20 million dollars, he wants to make sure that the illegal immigrants are registered to vote. you people need to get a real life

[shawnp1968]

DITTO''''s to my old friend Rush. I voted for Rush as President back in 2000. He has the followers to cahnge the dynamics of the race. HE will get all the white male voters to join hime in destroying the Dems and you see it is working. The white males has the majority of the voting block and will make the difference in November. We are awaiting his orders on EIB radios soon...

Join us !!


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Posted by blackwater66 at 10:24 AM : May 08, 2008


HA HA HA HA ........ He couldn''t convince people to vote for HIM..... how do you think he can convince ANYONE to vote for someone else???

[sjbj2322]

newz4I...."limbaughtimized minds."

GOOD ONE!!

[bogusbones]

if the people of indiana take their cues from such a blubbering, narrow minded idiot, maybe their intellect should be questioned thus challenging their right to vote. every so often i listen to this opinionated, self serving hypocrite and all he can do, like the rest of the radio personalities, is talk over people who would like to engage in civil discourse. i would love to see this guy in a controlled debate as opposed to hiding behind a microphone and acting like mussilini.

[mbcsmith]

Just another blowhard like Dr. Phil, Suze Ormand and the like, experts in nothing promoted by the media.


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Posted by rickwar at 10:18 AM : May 08, 2008


Funny, I don''t see Dr. Phil or Suze affecting voter turnout and results.

[mudrose-2009]

John Kerry''s feeling swifted boated again? Rush for President.

[mbcsmith]

OOOOOOOOOOH Ruuuuusssssshhhhhhhh............... that''''s just the Oxycontin talking, nobody "REALLY" takes you seriously!!!


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Posted by SHAWNP1968 at 10:26 AM : May 08, 2008


Well, at least not the LIBS. Hey, how''s that Mineesota race coming with uber-LIB Al ("I cheated on my taxes and got caught") Franken.

[haoli25]

Limbaugh is the WHITE version of Jeremiah Wright. Just another bigmouth that craves attention...and drugs.

[tawpdawg11]

I believe that having it go to the wire is helping to get literally MILLIONS of new voters on the Dems registered.

Come November there will be a tidal wave sweep over the GOP that we haven''''t seen the likes of in a long, long time. It will make that little rogue wave that we saw in 2006 seem puny by comparison.

The decision to take impeachment off the table forced the GOP to run around with their pants down around their ankles, from one blunder to the next. Stripped naked for all to see.

Anyone voting for

Oh, and by the way Mr. great antiAmerican Rush Limbaugh........your attempt to subvert the democratic process has backfired PERFECTLY! Thanks to your disloyal followers the DEM nominating process has stretched clear to the final few states, thus ensuring TONS of new DEM registrations IN EVERY LAST SINGLE STATE IN THE UNION! McBush will now be hard-pressed to win EVEN ONE SINGLE STATE.....and all thanks to you and your freakin'' smug OPERATION CHAOS! A bazillion new dem voters all thanks to YOU! WOW! Huge new registration totals coast-to-coast.....sea to shining sea......Mexico to Canada. Thank you, Rush. In the words of a famous loyal American stateswoman..........."Be careful what you wish for!" Talent on loan from GAWD-D. You make me puke! But I still want to thank you for the coming landslide. How about a new moniker, Rush..............LANDSLIDE LIMBAUGH! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ! LANDSLIDE LIMBAUGH.........................its PERFECT!

Good riddance

[shawnp1968]

The white males has the majority of the voting block and will make the difference in November.
Posted by blackwater66 at 10:24 AM : May 08, 2008

By the way... it''s "have" the majority of the voting block.

You are obvioulsy a highly educated individual!!! I would hate to get into a debate with such a knowledgable person... you might embarass me with your brainpower!!!

LOL :)

[dtilf]

The most obvious thing to come out of all this is Rush Limbaugh''s comically immature need to always, no matter what, claim that he "won." It''s like listening to a bratty 12 year old with a megaphone. Since he couldn''t derail Obama, he now has to say "Oh, yeah?? Well I''ve changed my mind. He''s weaker. I''m GLAD he''s the nominee. Nyah Nyah Nyah. I win. You lose."

[tawpdawg11]

*** OPERATION BACKFIRE has resulted in such a protracted fight

for the Democratic nomination it has caused MILLIONS

and MILLIONS of new democratic voters to register.

They have signed up in DROVES in every state in the

union thus making it difficult to see where John

McBush might win even one single state! LANDSLIDE

LIMBAUGH.............a great American! Thanks LANDSLIDE!

Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-LUTE!

[shawnp1968]

Well, at least not the LIBS. Hey, how''''s that Mineesota race coming with uber-LIB Al ("I cheated on my taxes and got caught") Franken.


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Posted by mbcsmith at 10:32 AM : May 08, 2008


Hey mbcsmith..... get on the same topic with the rest of us... then we''ll let you in the converstation!!!!

[antoniof123]

factcheck.org did some research on this and found that it is highly unlikely of course rush will still say he did it. Fact is most Americans are sick of neo conism and will vote Democrat this election just our of spite.

Bring back the true Republican oh wait they left and went to the Democrats.

[superdem]

It''s just like the Republicans to try to "fix" an election, they crow about democracy but they aren''t really interested in it, everything''s gotta be rigged, everything''s gotta be corrupt, the news has to be managed propaganda, the generals have to lie to the people, the courts have to be stacked, the crowds have to be hand-picked shills, the phones have to be bugged, the experts have to be paid cronies, the oversight committees have to be toothless, the regulatory agencies must be understaffed and lack jurisdiction. The Republicans have a veneer of democratic openness, but it''s all a fascist illusion. It''s like the Republican "open market" which requires no federal intervention because it''s self regulating - HA ! Rush Limbaugh is a pig, and that''s unjust to pigs. All Republicans everywhere must be swept out - swept out into political oblivion where they belong.

[bgwinnett]

Did Rush Limbaugh Tilt Indiana?

Not far enough though. Has he lost weight or something.

[vietvet1973]

What else could you expect from such a bag full of wind. Rush just needed a new reason to make t-shirts and coffee mugs since sales on his Gitmo trash has finally ceased.

This guy is Jerry Springer on the radio.

[mrmazerati]

Look, I''m telling ya. Rush was the biggest nerd at Cape Central High and considered a huge idiot. He flunked everything at SEMO. He is a LOSER, which is why he is such a bully. It''s classic Hitler Syndrome.

[vietvet1973]

Yeah, except Rush''s stupidity is more like a Three Stooges kind of stupid.

[shawnp1968]

First of all, the media is giving Rush WAY too much credit for having enough inlfuence to actually affect this election. Rush is just another fat, right wing, drug addict, who has lived with a silver spoon in his mouth and never HAD to work a day in his life. (kind of like your current President)

Rush couldn''t influence people to vote for HIM, so how do you think he could convince enough people to vote for someone else???

[papabc]

So what?

Democrats and Left media did the same thing in the Republican primarys.

BIG - FLUCKIN'' - DEAL

[tawpdawg11]

It does not matter whether Clinton or Obama wins.

Thanks to LANDSLIDE LIMBAUGH and OPERATION BACKFIRE, the race is still ongoing and DEMOCRATIC PARTY activists are now busily signing up NEW voters in Kantucky and West Virginia and Oregon and Puerto Rico just as they did in Texas and Ohio and Pennsylvania and Indiana and North Carolina and all across America.

You see whats happening? The tidal wave is rearing up. And for that you can thank LANDSLIDE LIMBAUGH!

Short-sighted, simple-minded, arrogant, pompous, oaf.

Thanks to your big mouth LANDSLIDE we will not see conservatives back in power for a long, long, LONG time.

You may have messed with the DEMOCRATIC nomination process but in so doing you have caused a ROUT of the GOP in November.

You are a great American, sir

Talent on loan from GAWD-D. Right. I guess we now know where God stands.

A vote for the GOP this November is wasted.

[mswolfestock]

Rush Limp**** is nothing but a fat blow-hard. Anybody who listens to him is an idiot. I''m hoping he has a stroke or heart attack and ends up in a diaper, drooling on himself in a nursing home where everybody will ignore him for the rest of his miserable life. And you know, maybe that is how we can get rid of him, or at least shut him up. He''d probably have a stroke if everybody quit listening to his hate-mongering and vitriol. I can''t stand him because he doesn''t have a soul, is totally lacking in good manners and class, and he hates everybody except himself and the current batch of idiots in the White House. Hey Rush, choke on a Subway sandwich and shut the **** up.

[killtheliars]

I think that underneath it all the cons are scared s h i t l e s s of Obama getting in the White House. That is one of the main reasons he has my vote

[joecoolswat]

The only thing Republicans are doing is "Creating Chaos in the Democrat Party", just like the Dems did. HILLARY - STAY IN THE RACE....keep tearing each other to shreds, all the way up to the convention in August. Please HILLARY, keep doing the Republican''s dirty work, thus giving Republicans 7 months to campaign and the Democrats..60 days. LOL !! CHAOS !!

[mudrose-2009]

I think that underneath it all the cons are scared s h i t l e s s of Obama getting in the White House. That is one of the main reasons he has my vote

Posted by killtheliars

Keep thinking that. It''s a sure bet for McCain.

[killtheliars]

we''ll see Mudrose. I believe Obama will win and i cannot wait to hear all of the conservatives cry. No more big business tax breaks, no more huge donations to Israel every year, no more conservative Supreme Court. America will become America again.

Time for the media and pundits to slap Rush limbaugh with the same label they would have given a liberal -- UN-AMERICAN and UNPATRIOTIC. Tampering with a Party''s nomination process, with the sole and specific purpose of creating "chaos" and undermining it''s credibility, borders on illegal and makes a mockery of our voting system. Get some backbone, Media and start calling Rush what he is: an unpatriotic blowhard behaving in a very Un-American way.