Virginia Republican Not Worried About Democrats Spoiling the Primary (and Handing a Victory to Ron Paul)

Earlier today we discussed several ways in which Ron Paul could upset Mitt Romney in Virginia, a state where Willard is predicted to take most, if not all, of the delegates. One theory was that Democrats could hamstring Romney by voting for Paul in the state's open primary. 

But according to Fairfax Patch, local Republican leaders don't see Democrats having much influence: 

Some Republicans doubt crossovers will make much of an impact in Virginia. "I think it can skew the results of a close race if there is an organized effort by one party to impact another party's nomination," said Anthony Bedell, chairman of the Fairfax County Republicans.

"But for the most part, the crossover in a primary is minimal," he said. "We certainly welcome any disaffected Democratic voters to come support a Republican candidate if they believe that candidate is the right one to lead this country. I'm sure there are some Democrats who are not happy with the results of the 'hope and change' they were sold by President Obama. Those voters we welcome…. Anytime."

Last week in Michigan, exit polls showed 9 percent of Michigan voters identified themselves as Democrats, USA Today reported. More than half of those voters, or 53 percent, said they voted for Santorum while 18 percent chose Romney. 

Earlier: Alternative visions of Ron Paul's chances in Virginia.