Polk County Republican Chairman Ted Sporer says scores of Republicans in his precinct have switched over to the Democratic side for the night in order to vote for Barack Obama.

"If anything it's more an anti-Hillary vote than a for-Obama vote," Sporer said. "Most of them are saying they are going to vote for Obama and vote outright against Hillary."

He said it wasn't an organized effort.

"This is spontaneous," he said. "Hillary Clinton is the most divisive candidate -- moreso than Richard Nixon was in Watergate."

Sporer also predicted the Republicans would come back to the GOP in November.

Des Moines lawyer Tom Whitney, a long-time Democratic activist, confirmed that hundreds of people had changed their party affiliation, primarily to vote for Obama. He said he doesn't think it's an anti-Hillary vote but credited Obama's draw as a candidate.

Whitney and Sporer are at Indian Hills Junior High School in Clive, where three caucuses are being held -- two Democratic caucuses (from West Des Moines and one from Clive) and one Republican caucus from a Clive precinct.

Labels: Democrats, Republicans