Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is entering the Kentucky and Oregon primaries on Tuesday with one of the most pugnacious political messages of her campaign: That she is ahead in the national popular vote...Of course, the only way she comes to that conclusion is by including her votes in Michigan. Never mind that all the other candidates removed their names from the ballot in solidarity with the Party's punishment for the state moving their primary up to a date earlier than agreed. Never mind that 45% of the state never the less went to the polls that day and voted for "no one" over Sen. Clinton.
Let's be clear: If the tables were turned and Obama was trying to count votes he received in a state where Clinton's name didn't appear on the ballot, the former First Lady would be caterwauling from here to kingdom come. The votes in Michigan shouldn't count, the delegates from the state should be seated at the convention in half-capacity, and that's the end of it.
So, for the record, here is the national popular vote for the Democrats as of this morning (before Kentucky and Oregon vote):
ObamaFor kicks, let's add the votes in Florida, another state that was punished for moving their primary to January, but in which all names remained on the ballot:
16,442,622
49.3%
Clinton
15,736,286
47.2%
Edwards, Biden, Dodd, Richardson, etc. have the remaining 3.5%
ObamaThis argument that she's winning the popular vote is flimsy at best and reeks of desperation, as does her argument that the number of delegates needed to win the nomination is 2,209 rather the 2,025 agreed to in the rule book.
17,018,836
48.5%
Clinton
16,607,272
47.3%
The other candidates split the remaining 4.2%
Changing the rules in the middle of the game so you can win? Sounds way too Bush-like for comfort, if you ask me.
