Did GOP Hardliners Help Moderates?

I wonder if the anal retentive hardliners of the Idaho GOP outsmarted themselves in closing the Republican primary election. Rob Beck and kindred spirits conjured the crossover Democrat boogeyman as the reason to close the Republican primary. They wanted to elect the most conservative Republicans possible. Yet, by closing the primary, Beck & Co. forced a lot of Democrats and moderate independents to hold their noses and vote Republican to make sure their vote counted in county and legislative races where their were no contested Democratic races. In Kootenai County, for example. Check out these numbers:

REGISTERED VOTERS - TOTAL .  .  .  .  .    69,803
BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL.  .  .  .  .  .  .    14,811
BALLOTS CAST - DEMOCRATIC .  .  .  .  .     1,305    8.81
BALLOTS CAST - REPUBLICAN .  .  .  .  .    13,042   88.06
BALLOTS CAST - NONPARTISAN.  .  .  .  .       464    3.13
VOTER TURNOUT - TOTAL  .  .  .  .  .  .             21.22

Now, I know there aren’t many Democrats in Kootenai County . But I also know that Democrats comprise a heckuva lot more of the political population than the 9 percent who voted in Kootenai County elections. I’d guess another 12-15% crossed over and voted Republican. Maybe that’s why the more moderate of the Republican candidates won in many Kootenai County (and Bonner County) elections Tuesday. Just a theory.

Thoughts?