16% of GOP vote in Indiana District goes to real Nazi

I saw the following in my newspaper today and almost spit out my coffee:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

"Tough news last night in the closely watched Republican primary in Indiana's 2nd Congressional District"

Tony Zirkle, who had lost two primaries to former congressman Chris Chocola-- albeit with 30 percent of the vote against incumbent Chocola in 2006 -- was soundly defeated.

Zirkle ... finished a distant third behind Goshen, Ind., businessman and GOP establishment candidate Luke Puckett and Culver, Ind., newspaper delivery man Joseph Roush. Puckett won with 48 percent of the vote; Zirkle drew 16 percent.

Unclear why he did so badly this time. Maybe it was that outreach effort April 20 when he spoke at an Adolf Hitler birthday celebration sponsored by the National Socialist Workers Party, also known as the Nazis ...

Zirkle said his appearance at the birthday celebration in Chicago -- which also featured a cake that said "Happy 119th" -- was in keeping with his pledge that he would speak to anyone who wanted to hear him ...

This Wash. Post piece is written in a kind of care-free, semi-comical tone, but it's both funny and scary to me at the same time.

Afterall, just who are the 16% of Republicans who voted for this piece of trash, and what does it say about them ... and how did this guy manage to get an even larger 30% the time he ran before in the GOP primary.

While we sometimes use words like "nazi" or "fascist" to describe particular Republican candidates or proposals, in most cases the description is of a metaphorical nature.  I am still astounded that, at least in this particular case, such a large percentage of the GOP is still willing to vote for a real and not just metaphorical nazi sympathizer.