Clinton Claims Nevada Victory, While Obama Tries His Hand at Spin

[rodeodance]

Source: CQ



Clinton Claims Nevada Victory, While Obama Tries His Hand at Spin

By Marie Horrigan, CQ Staff Sun Jan 20, 12:18 AM ET

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won a close but clear-cut win in Saturday's Nevada Democratic presidential caucuses. The former first lady pulled in just more than half the votes with nearly all precincts reporting and held a lead of several percentage points over her chief rival for the nomination, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.
........

Clinton secured 50.7 percent of the delegates for the next step in the process leading to the Democratic state convention on April 19 -- which is the measure by which Nevada Democrats calculated the outcome of Saturday's caucuses -- to 45.2 percent for Obama.

Given the closeness of the outcome and the fact that Democratic rules call for proportional distribution of national convention delegates, the 25 that were on the line Saturday would inevitably be split evenly between the candidates. But the Obama campaign caused a stir by spinning the outcome into a win for its candidate -- claiming he had clinched 13 of the state's national convention delegates to 12 for Clinton, based on the fact that he performed well around the state while Clinton's overall lead was built on her big edge in Clark County (Las Vegas), the state's major population center.

Both the Clinton campaign and the state Democratic Party disputed Obama's claim, noting that no national convention delegates were actually allocated on the basis of Saturday's results, only the first stage in a multi-step process.
.........

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20080120/pl_cq_politics/politics2657958_2;_ylt=AmvceeXiFDhILxJ1Vj848ces0NUE

[durrrty libby]

1. He Hopes no one noticed that he didn't get the most support

[Benhurst]

3. I guess this is the new politics we've been told about.

[okasha]

5. Not to mention the new math.

Should someone who doesn't notice that 51 is a larger number than 45 be put in charge of the national budget?

[rodeodance]

7. ha ha

[desi]

8. There's that "hope" again eh?

Well I hope they get over it and move on just as we've been previously told to do.

You know what I'm hoping for today don't ya?

[ccpup]

2. Ouch!

If you're the Obama Campaign, that headline's gotta leave a mark!

[desi]

4. Obama

Attempting to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. How "hopeful" is THAT?

[rodeodance]

11. Hope is not enough--

[AX10]

20. It's like Bush in 2000.

Obama and Bush are getting the electoral vote but not the popular mandate.

[aquart]

25. Actually, very.

He hopes he can get away with it.

[humbled_opinion]

6. My, My,

Why isn't it the CLintons spinning machine ... because that is all they are good at is coming up with BS talking points to put out to the spin meisters...

Clinton lost Nevada... PERIOD... end of story... Obama has more delagates Obama wins... Is Ms. Clinton going to Contest it? Will we go to the SCOTUS?...

I don't even like the tone of the entire Clinton Campaign...

[rodeodance]

9. I have heard nothing but how Gore won the popular vote for years. Suddenly the

people's vote does not count!

[AX10]

21. For Obama, they will do anything.

They will stab their old friends in the back for Obama.

[Maribelle]

13. The people that told you Obama has more delagates were wrong and do not understand the process.

The only Nevada delagates that count today are the ones to the Nevada county conventions. Of those, Hillary has over 500 more than Obama.

[humbled_opinion]

14. Obviously the Clintons don't need to be in the WH

To get a BJ they can just come on over to DU......

Spin, Spin...

[Benhurst]

15. From what I've read, you are right.

But it's very disappointing that Obama would try to pull a fast one. So much for the "new politics" and "bring us all together" bullshit.

Depressing, especially since he may be our nominee.

[medeak]

16. You're incorrect

Obama overwhelmed the rurals in NV (had 63% to 30% in my county) and rurals recieve more delegates per vote than metropolitan areas to encourage candidates to visit us. Obama has one more delegate than Clinton. I actually threw my caucus vote to Hillary after Edwards was not viable... am not a partial observer here.

[Maribelle]

28. I am correct. A message for you from the Nevada Democratic Party

http://www.nvdems.com/go/homepage-rotate/%2a%2aclarification%2a%2a-of-statement-by-nevada-democratic-party-chair-jill-derby/

**Clarification** of Statement by Nevada Democratic Party Chair Jill Derby
(Las Vegas, NV) "The Nevada Democratic Party and its officials have taken great effort to maintain our neutrality in the presidential campaign and the integrity of our process. Today, two out of three Nevadans who caucused chose a Democrat instead of a Republican for president. That is an overwhelming majority vote for a new direction. Just like in Iowa, what was awarded today were delegates to the County Convention, of which Senator Clinton won the majority. No national convention delegates were awarded

[msongs]

10. Obamanistas embrace the george- bush-won technique - pop. vote vs electoral (delegates) nt

[rodeodance]

12. yes, lots have noticed that. All of a sudden the people's vote is mush.

[sunonmars]

17. last time i looked

51% meant you had more than half the vote.

Silly me.

It means means you lost Bozo when you only have 45 and some ones has 51, same way it means you lost when you only had 36 and someone else had 39.

I guess his counting comes from his Chicago days, when you play dirty to win and that money is your bank account is only resting and is for charity 4 years later.

[Brrrp]

18. Look again.

Nevada has a screwball system of proportional representation that gives extra delegates to rural areas where Barry did well.

[Matteon]

26. Spin?

CNN is still reporting that Obama wone more delegates. It's only spin if it is false or misleading.

The race to the nomination is a race of delegates. If one candidate gets more delegates than the other then it is a victory, plain and simple. Pointing to the popular vote seems much more like spin because the popular vote is not what determines who wins. If Nevada handles its delegates in such a manner, that has nothing to do with the candidates. It would be stupid for Obama or his camp to ignore the fact that they got more delegates. Delegates are the key to victory.

[Maribelle]

30. CNN is not reporting this accurately, either by choice or sheer stupidity.

In either case, they need fix their misstatement.

[rayofreason]

19. Delegates...

...ah, now we get to the nub of the question.

The person who can deliver a majority of delegates will be the nominee. Votes has, in the end, only a some to do with the number of delegates. There are the superdelegates - almost 20% of the total. They are representative of the party establishment, so who do you think they will support?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdelegate

[cloud75]

22. so he lied! he'll be losing a lot of respect for doing that n/t

[Matteon]

27. No.

If Obama claimed that he got more delegates then he told the truth.

[Maribelle]

29. The Nevada Democratic Party said .....

**Clarification** of Statement by Nevada Democratic Party Chair Jill Derby
(Las Vegas, NV) "The Nevada Democratic Party and its officials have taken great effort to maintain our neutrality in the presidential campaign and the integrity of our process. Today, two out of three Nevadans who caucused chose a Democrat instead of a Republican for president. That is an overwhelming majority vote for a new direction. Just like in Iowa, what was awarded today were delegates to the County Convention, of which Senator Clinton won the majority. No national convention delegates were awarded


http://www.nvdems.com/go/homepage-rotate/%2a%2aclarification%2a%2a-of-statement-by-nevada-democratic-party-chair-jill-derby/

[Elspeth]

23. OK, which is it? I have been trying to get a straight answer on this since yesterday.

Did the majority of the delegates go to Obama or Clinton?

[Abacus]

24. As I understand it,

Clinton received more county delegates, but Obama will receive more state delegates which is what the final vote is based on. I believe a majority of the superdelegates will go for Hillary, eliminating Obama's chances. If that happens, I'll not be backing the Democratic nominee.