Democrats use a fake Republican from Grant County to introduce Barack Obama

You may remember Barney Smith from Fairmount, Indiana. He spoke at the Democrat National Convention Thursday night and was one of the people who introduced Barack Obama.   He will be remembered  for the line "I want a president who cares more about Barney Smith than they do about Smith Barney."   A great well-written line that many people remember.

On Thursday night in Denver, when he introduced Barack Obama, he claimed to be a "lifelong" Republican.  But it looks like the Democrats lied about his affiliation, or at minimum never took the time to check him out. 

You would think that with all those Republicans who are supposedly crossing over to vote for the Obamassaih the Democrats would have actually been able to find a real one.

Barney Smith's voter registration is clear. It shows that for the last 12 years he has voted in 3 primary elections.  In 1996 he voted Democrat, in 2006 he voted Republican, and in 2008 he voted Democrat.   

He may well have had Republican leanings, and how he voted in general elections is, of course, confidential. But would you say that voting in one Republican primary in the last 12 years would qualify a person to be a "lifelong" Republican? 

Download voting_record.pdf

Comments

[foutsc]

Good research! Thanks for uncovering this. Do you realize you've outperformed many "journalists" making six digits?

Keep up the good work.

[BD]

Posts like this reflect how truly divided the country is. Republicans often vote democrat as do Democrats vote Republican.

[Jay]

Lifelong Republican?

Sounds more like a swing voter. Sometimes votes Republican, sometimes votes Democrat.

Nothing wrong with being a swing voter, but it does show he was "less than truthfull" when he said he was a lifelong Republican.

[mercator]

I think if he were a swing voter he would have said so.
I think it's more likely that he voted in the 2006 GOP primary to vote for a liberal Republican that was running against a conservative.

[Joe]

Seems like republicans will grasp at anything at this point. You put quotes around the word lifelong as if that is what barney said. It is not. He stated "for most of my life I was a proud republican." That is completely true. Barney was raised republican. Yes, he voted for John Kerry. He has never tried to hide that. Barney is far from a liar. He is too honest some times. He is the most honest person I know. Barney is my uncle and I am incredibly proud of what he has accomplished. Trying to make him out as a liar is one of the most dispicable smears the republicans have tried yet.