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How to Count Delegates: Associated Press Changes Method
by jaurez | February 20, 2008 at 02:56 am | 598 views | 4 comments | 32 recommendations
Trying to get an accurate delegate count for the Obama-Clinton race to the nomination can be difficult for the person relying on published information the media provides. The world's largest news agency, the Associated Press (AP), published and re-published by over 1,700 newspapers, has been publishing a count that includes the super-delegates - those who decide their vote in August - despite earlier endorsements.
Fot the first time in the race for nomination, on Tuesday, after the Wisconsin win, the AP reported the numbers by counting pledged delegates which shows a more significant lead by Senator Obama over Senator Clinton. His lead of 145 delegates would seem smaller or less significant when totals include the super-delegates. That method would give him a lead of 70.
The Illinois senator's Wisconsin victory left him with 1,303 delegates in The Associated Press' count, compared with 1,233 for Clinton, a margin that masks his 145-delegate lead among those picked in primaries or caucuses. It takes 2,025 to win the nomination at the party's national convention in Denver.
Counting the super delegates now is misleading for two important reasons. First, they can and often do change their minds. Just last week at least three super delegates left the Clinton camp and went over to Obama. Second, at this point, it appears unlikely that they will vote against the interests of the Democratic voters, so their endorsements do not indicate how they will actually cast their ballots at the convention.
The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, and is the world's largest such organization. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staffers. Many newspapers and broadcasters outside the United States are AP subscribers, paying a fee to use AP material without being contributive members of the cooperative.
February 20, 2008 at 02:56 am by jaurez, 598 views, 4 comments
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (4)
at 06:43 on February 20th, 2008
jaurez, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 09:34 on February 20th, 2008
Jaurez, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 16:07 on February 20th, 2008
jaurez, I like this story. It's good stuff. Very interesting indeed.
at 17:00 on February 20th, 2008
jaurez, thanks for this contribution. You raise some very important issues and remind us to always look behind the numbers we are being fed.