If we were to grade the two remaining candidates' campaign for delegates on the standard grade scale:
As of this morning, and according to the record-keeping on Demconwatch.blogspot.com
Grade Plan for 2,025 points
Senator Barack Obama has earned 1,916 points out of a possible total score of 2,025
1,916 / 2,025 = 94.62%
Result: Grade of A
Senator Hillary Clinton has earned 1,719 points out of a possible total score of 2,025
1,719 / 2,025 = 84.89%
Result: Grade of B
If we use the scale including two exams that were previously tossed out of the grade plan (Michigan and Florida):
Grade Plan of possible 2,209 points
Senator Barack Obama has earned 1,995 delegates out of a possible total score of 2,209
1,995 / 2,209 = 90.31%
Result: Grade of A
Senator Hillary Clinton has earned 1,912 points out of a possible total score of 2,209
1,912 / 2,209 = 86.56%
Result: Grade of B
Note: the students have earned 3,907 points out of the 3,982 tracked so far. 75 points are in "other" - 20 points in the Edwards column and 55 votes in the Uncommitted column
Teacher's note: One of the exams (Michigan) should not be considered because most of the students were handed blank sheets of paper instead of the test - only Senator Clinton received the actual test questions. The other exam (Florida) should not be considered because only Senator Clinton attended the pre-class review session, and unfortunately, no other students were permitted to attend the review.
Senator Clinton has lodged a complaint with the Dean about the inclusion of grades for four (4) of the exams (covering caucuses), and she does not include those in her own grade calculations -- stating that she didn't feel that the grades were fair for those four exams because they covered her weakest area of knowledge and that she does not approve of how those four exams were scored.
Even if we grade the entire class on the curve, and award Senator Hillary Clinton a final grade of "A" for effort (taking into consideration "extra credit" points for strong finishes on some of the final exams, and also considering that she did finish far above the rest of students Biden, Richardson, Kucinich, Dodd, Gravel and Edwards) - I can still only award one student with the
Honor of Best in Class.
Senator Barack Obama has earned his A and the Best in Class title for his consistent, solid work in homework and for consistently scoring the top grade on 32 exams out of 49 exams and quizzes (quizzes in Guam and other territories) offered so far.