RUSH: Here’s Shannon in Valkaria, Florida. I’m glad you called. Nice to have you on the EIB Network.
CALLER: Very nice to be here, Rush.
RUSH: Thank you.
CALLER: Hey, I’m quite upset with the primaries and the Democrats in Florida and they’re upset that they didn’t get a chance to have their votes count. Well, Governor Crist says that he believes everyone should be heard. My problem with all this is, I’m an independent voter in Florida, and I was not allowed to vote because I’m an independent. The person that I would have voted for — a Republican, by the way — is no longer in the race. What if my vote and a bunch of the independents in Florida could have put the candidate I would have chosen over the top? He would have been up there with McCain,. You know, I’m so baffled that they’re even considering giving the Democrats a second chance —
RUSH: Well, I don’t think —
CALLER: — without the independents.
RUSH: Well, I don’t think they’re going to do that. I don’t think there’s going to be a do-over. I think what Howard Dean — and, by the way, the press is misreporting this. This is not a done deal yet.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: But they’re going to seat the Florida delegates based on the Democrat side based on the outcome of the vote.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: I don’t think there’s going to be a do-over in Florida.
CALLER: Right. My problem with it is that is I just was upset that they’re even being considered when Florida knew, okay, the Democrats said, ‘Okay, we’re not going to count your votes if you move your primary. Okay?’ and now, ‘Yes, okay? We will take those votes, but Independents still don’t count in Florida,’ and who knows what would have happened if the independents could have voted?
RUSH: Well, the party makes the rules.
CALLER: Right. I understand that.
RUSH: The parties make the rules in these primaries, and it’s different from state to state.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: You could have gone up and voted in New Hampshire and all you would have had to tell ’em is that you intend to move there someday.
CALLER: (laughter)No kidding!
RUSH: No, not kidding.
CALLER: Oh, my word.
RUSH: It’s the same thing with the Hawkeye Cauci.
CALLER: Oh, that’s great.
RUSH: Anybody can show up to the caucuses, they don’t have to be registered, just show up.
CALLER: Wow.
RUSH: But in Kentucky, they’re very concerned about Operation Chaos.
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: And if you haven’t registered by December 31st of last year, you can’t vote in their primary coming up. Every state is different.
CALLER: Right, I understand that. But I moved down here, and I never realized it.
RUSH: Why are you an independent? Why haven’t you chosen sides?
CALLER: Well, I’ll tell you what. Um, I’ve since chosen. Just because I never know which side of the coin… You know, I like to hear out everybody and make up my own mind, and I generally vote Republican. So…
RUSH: Well, I’d pull the trigger then.
CALLER: It’s crazy.
RUSH: I’d pull the trigger, because you’re being disenfranchised here by these party rules.
CALLER: Yeah.
RUSH: I was going to say, if you’re a moderate… You didn’t say you’re a moderate; you said you’re an independent.
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: But if you’re a moderate, you know, moderates don’t care about anything so the fact that you couldn’t vote shouldn’t bother you.
CALLER: (laughs) No, it bothers me. It really does. I was never one to be highly involved in politics at all. My husband loves politics. He listens to you religiously every day. I’m at work while you’re on.
RUSH: Good man, good man.
CALLER: Oh, yeah. My dad up in Massachusetts: religiously every day.
RUSH: Good man.
CALLER: Oh, yeah.
RUSH: And I just have recently gotten into it. And, boy, this thing where I couldn’t vote really got me riled, and you’re the first person that’s been willing to listen. I really appreciate it.
RUSH: Well, I appreciate you. Thank you very much. You can eliminate this. You can vote in the general when that comes around. That’s not going to stop you, obviously.
CALLER: Right, I understand that.
RUSH: If you want to vote in primaries —
CALLER: You gotta register.
RUSH: — you’re going to have to pull the trigger —
CALLER: Right.
RUSH: — and register with a particular party here in the state of Florida.
CALLER: Right. Well, I understand that now, but, oh, I was furious. (laughs)
RUSH: Well, then you can’t be a moderate.