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October 6, 2008 9:59:51 AM CDT

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No, She Isn’t Winning the Popular Vote

Posted May 22, 08 12:13 PM CDT in Politics 

(Newser) – Hillary Clinton’s insistence that she’s winning the popular vote not only promotes a meaningless rubric in a delegate contest, but it's also a dangerous claim—and a false one, Jonathan Alter writes in Newsweek. Not only is Clinton trampling on old sore spots (think Al Gore in 2000), but she’s also in the wrong, Alter asserts, then runs through the math.

True, Obama’s lead of 449,486 votes disappears if you count Michigan and Florida primaries, but Clinton’s advantage is only 63,373 if you factor in (typically excluded) caucus states. Halving the outlaw delegations or giving Obama the “uncommitted” Michigan votes puts him back in front. Noting that we’re talking pennies in a 35 million-vote contest, Alter concludes, “Everyone should agree to call it a tie.”

Source Newsweek

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Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.   (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.   (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speaks at a town hall meeting in Kissimmee, Fla., Wednesday, May 21, 2008.   (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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Barack Obama  • Hillary Clinton  • Democratic nomination  • Florida primary  • Michigan primary  • popular vote  • caucuses


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