Ron Paul #2 in NH … Democratic Primary!
by bill_mcgonigle • 2012/01/12 • Uncategorized • 19 Comments
Everybody already knows that Ron Paul placed second in the New Hampshire 2012 Republican Presidental Primary. But, at 7 o’clock tonight, the New Hampshire Secretary of State published the full results of the primary, including write-ins, and Ron Paul also won the #2 spot in the Democratic Primary.
To be sure, sitting President Barack Obama bested Paul with a 49,480 to 2,273 tally, but that Ron Paul placed so highly in rank tells us a few things. First, nearly twenty-three hundred New Hampshire voters got out and drove to a polling station, knowing they were going to cast a write-in vote, knowing that it was in a primary where no delegates could be assigned to write-in votes, but as a straight protest vote.
Given the insignificance of the voting act under these rules, it is reasonable to assume that many dissatisfied voters stayed home. The numbers bear this out. NH has 223,151 registered Democratic voters, and only 60,996 (27%) turned out. Secretary of State Bill Gardner had predicted a turnout of 75,000 voters in the Democratic Primary. Were write-ins valid for delegate assignment, the numbers would have likely been even higher.
Second, Ron Paul is the second most popular candidate among Democrat voters in NH. This will be crucially important when the general election rolls around. Ron Paul already won 50% of the Independent vote in the Republican primary. The ability to build consensus and pull in Independent and other-party voters is essential to achieve a victory in the general election. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama are all alumni of the #2 spot in their respective New Hampshire primaries.
Ron Paul’s strong support among Democrats can be tied to many issues. From his strong anti-war message to his assessment of the obvious failure of the drug war, his fight for racial equality in the justice system, his battle against inflation or his unique budget plan which fully funds Social Security, Medicare, and Veterans’ benefits (without relying on the continuing willingness of China to buy US debt as the other candidates’ plans do) – Ron Paul’s platform delivers what many Democratic candidates only pay lip service to.
With MoveOn.org already having a campaign against Romney in the can portraying him as a guy who made his living closing down America’s manufacturing base – Romney doesn’t have have much to fall back on to appeal to Democratic voters. With that kind of characterization in a general election taking place in the worst economic period in several generations, Romney may only do well among the Republican Establishment that is currently delivering him wins in the Republican Primary.
Dr. Paul’s media enemies like to call him ‘unelectable’ but the New Hampshire voters have belied their assessment.
h/t Emily Sandblade
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Amazing stats. I checked out the numbers and crunched a few. 11,516 Dems, that’s 18.9 %, protested the choice of Barack Obama as the nominee. I find that to be astounding. I live in NH and I know firsthand how democrats are frustrated by Obama. I was at a Ron Paul rally last spring and everyone around me had voted for Obama in ’08. The revolution is spreading.
Uh, how do you come to that conclusion? 2273 / 51753 (total votes) = 4.4%, not 18.9%. And of the course that fact that this was not a competitive primary, i.e. it has no meaning whatsoever except as a platform for people to register a protest vote, likely inflates those numbers. 4% support amongst the opposition party is actually not that surprising.
I think he is saying that 60,996 people voted in the primary, and 49,480 voted for Obama. Therefore, 11,516 people voted for someone other than Obama as a protest. The percentage seems like 11,516 divided by 60,996.
Out of nearly 61000 votes, Obama only got 49480 votes (81%). That means 19% of votes were protest votes, largely by democrats against Obama.
Very cool – the talking heads and Faux news say “unelectable”. Now, if ya’lls had registered independent and voted on the repub ballot… Thank you for your site though, we need to work together on so many things we agree upon.
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The only Republican candidate who has not promised to commit premeditated mass murder in the interests of a *foreign nation is Ron Paul.
Democrats? How say you?
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This is really good news that Democrats are willing to cross the party lines to get what we all want, Peace, Personal Liberty, and Fulfilling our Obligations to our own Retirees and Veterans. I used to live in the Concord area in the early 1970s, so I knew what a strong peace movement there was in the “Live Free or Die” state. (Hello to the Booth Family of Canterbury, Arthur Harvey, and other friends.)
I salute Democrats for Ron Paul for leading the charge for real Change. I hope we all — Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents can form a unified block to put Dr. Paul into office next January.
Keep up the good work!
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Ron Paul has stated simply that for decades republicans and democrats have come together and agreed to spend trillions and grow government. Why can’t they come together to cut government?
Why didn’t these 18% Democrats register as Independents and vote for Paul in the Republican Primary? Romney would of still won regardless but he would have placed alot higher,
Buddy Roemer is a better candidate that the GOP wont invite to debates. If the establishment doesn’t want the ex-senator and governor to run then there is something very good about him.
That is AWESOME…. This speaks so loudly! The Fire is growing in the american people. Its a strong calling for freedom and ron paul speaks for that.
There are many out there who Such as Rick Santorum who would have us under complete government control. Having daddy government watching our every step.
We need to be ready to stand for our right to be free!
Educate yourself. Protect yourself.
Use your first and second amendment rights… dont let them be lost
A REVOLUTIONS in ORder…. Go buy a shotgun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saDxJPeqgF0
Will they be backing Ron Paul in the general election?
Ron Paul has brought my wife and I closer than ever. The biggest disagreement we have is politics. Shes a liberal and im a right wing libertarian. We have argued so many times over this. Now we have both come together under Ron Pauls campaign and found someone we both agree to the fulllest with. Ron Paul makes a difference
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