Obama for America

Fact Check on Clinton Claim That They Are Ahead in Popular Vote Total

ABC NEWS: Clinton Camp Misrepresents ABC News Report, April 23, 2008 10:09 AM

In today's edition of "The Note," ABC News' Rick Klein wrote that "By one (rightly disputed) metric -- the popular vote, including Florida and Michigan -- Clinton has pulled ahead of Obama. But without the rogue states, Obama is still up by 500,000 -- and if you can find another objective measurement by which she's in the lead, let us know."

Including the popular votes from Florida and Michigan -- which were not sanctioned Democratic National Committee primaries, where the candidates did not compete, where Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois was not even on the ballot in Michigan -- is a sketchy notion, and Rick was conveying that with the proper air of skepticism.

Somehow, the Clinton campaign took his report and twisted it into this: "ABC News reported this morning that 'Clinton has pulled ahead of Obama' in the popular vote."

That is a false reflection of what ABC News reported.

Clinton Camp Cites Real Clear Politics To Say They Are Ahead in Popular Vote--Counts FL and MI, Which the Clinton Camp Was Clear Don't Count. The Clinton campaign claims that the popular vote stands at 14,973,720, or 47.4% for Obama, and 15,095,663, or 47.8% percent for Clinton.

Real Clear Politics Makes Clear This is Wrong--Obama Leads by 500,000 in the Overall Popular Vote; 600,000 When Caucus State Estimates are Included
• These totals count Florida and Michigan, which the Clinton campaign was clear, until they began to lose, do not count
• The raw popular vote tally is 14,397,506, or 49.2% for Obama, and 13,896,368, or 47.5% for Clinton
• These totals do not include the caucus states of Iowa, Nevada, Maine or Washington, which do not report popular vote totals. Real Clear Politics' estimate with those states is 14,731,590, or 49.3% for Obama, and 14,120,230 or 47.2% for Clinton [RCP Popular Vote Tally]

BUT IT'S A RACE FOR THE DELEGATES

Harold Ickes Said "It's Useful To Win States, But States Don't Vote--Delegates Do" And Said "This Is Very Much A Race For Delegates At This Point." "It's useful to win states, but states don't vote -- delegates do," said Harold Ickes, who is heading up the delegate operation for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton. "This is very much a race for delegates at this point," said Ickes, a longtime Clinton insider and aide to President Bill Clinton. [Reuters, 1/31/08]

Wolfson: This Is a Race for Delegates, Not Individual States. "This is a race for delegates," said Howard Wolfson, communications director for Clinton. "It is not a battle for individual states. As David knows, we are well past the time when any state will have a disproportionate influence on the nominating process." [Washington Post, 1/16/08]

CLINTON SAID "IT'S CLEAR" THAT THE MICHIGAN PRIMARY WON'T "COUNT FOR ANYTHING"

Clinton Said "It's Clear" That The Michigan Primary Won't Count For Anything. Clinton, on why she stayed on the ballot for the Michigan primary said, "Well, you know, people in Michigan are flat on their backs. They have the highest unemployment rate in America. They are now grappling finally with what they are going to do with the auto industry. 1 in 10 jobs in America is tied to the auto industry which is – the American auto industry, which as we know is centered in Michigan. You know, it's clear this election they're having isn't going to count for anything. But I just personally didn't want to set up a situation where the Republicans are going to be campaigning between now and whenever. And then after the nomination we have to go in and repair the damage and be ready to win Michigan in November 2008." [NHPR Interview, 10/11/07]

Clinton Campaign Said She Was "Not Participating in the Michigan Primary." Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said, "Clinton signed a pledge saying she will not campaign. She is not participating in the Michigan primary because she is not campaigning there. She is honoring the pledge." [New Hampshire Union Leader, 10/11/07]

CLINTON BACKER BOB KERREY, ON WHETHER TO COUNT FL AND MI, SAID "YOU DON'T CHANGE THE RULES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME"

Clinton Backer Bob Kerrey, Asked If the Delegates From FL And MI Should Count, Said "You Don't Change The Rules In The Middle Of The Game. Period...No New Vote And No New Caucuses, Either. Just Stick To The Rules They Agreed To." "You don't change the rules in the middle of the game. Period," said former Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey, The New School's president, when asked if the delegates from the Florida and Michigan primaries should be represented at the Democratic National Convention in August. Scoopy ran into Kerrey on Sunday at Chelsea Piers, where Kerrey had taken his young son and a friend bowling. "No new vote and no new caucuses, either. Just stick to the rules that they agreed to," Kerrey said firmly. The Democratic National Committee stripped both Florida and Michigan of all their delegates because, defying party rules, they held their primaries before Feb. 5. The candidates all agreed to abide by that decision and not campaign in those states. Barack Obama withdrew his name from the ballot in Michigan and didn't compete in Florida. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote in both states and now says their delegates should be counted toward the total. Although Kerrey endorsed Clinton in December, he clearly doesn't endorse her position on the Michigan and Florida delegates. [The Villager, 2/13/08 ]

POLITICIANS AND EDITORIAL BOARDS ARE CLEAR THAT MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA DELEGATES DO NOT COUNT

Nancy Pelosi Said That Florida And Michigan Delegates Should Not Be Seated If Those Delegates Would Decide The Nomination. Nancy Pelosi had one more stunner in the interview: She said the Florida and Michigan delegates should not be seated if those delegates would decide the nomination. "Well, I don't think that any states that operated outside the rules of the party can be dispositive of who the nominee is. That is to say they can't make the difference because then we would have no rules," she said. Pelosi added, "But I do think that the best outcome for us is if one of the candidates pulls ahead and this issue is disposed of long before we get to the convention. We certainly don't want to ignore Florida and Michigan, but we can't ignore the rules which everyone else played by." [San Francisco Chronicle, 2/15/08 ]

Tom Harkin Said He Staunchly Opposed Seating The Delegates From Michigan And Florida. Tom Harkin said he will staunchly oppose seating delegates chosen in the Michigan and Florida primaries for the same reason he will uphold the superdelegates' independent vote: It's the rules. Michigan and Florida Democrats broke the rules when they moved their primaries ahead of Feb. 5 without permission, Harkin said. "No way I'd ever be in favor of seating them," the senator said. [TH, 9/17/08]

Al Sharpton Said Seating Delegates From Florida And Michigan At The DNC Would Be A Grave Injustice. Seating delegates from Florida and Michigan at the Democratic National Convention would be a grave injustice, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Wednesday in a break with prominent civil rights leaders. "I firmly believe that changing the rules now, and seating delegates from Florida and Michigan at this point would not only violate the Democratic Party's rules of fairness, but also would be a grave injustice," Sharpton said in a letter to Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. [AP, 2/13/08 ]

TNR: As Soon As It Became Clear That Clinton Potentially Faced An Extended Battle For Delegates, She Began To Demand The Rules Be Changed In The Middle Of the Game And Her Campaign Has Been Arguing That The Non-Contest Elections In Michigan And Florida Should Be Made Retroactively Meaningful And That Clinton Should Be Handed A Gift Of Nearly 200 Delegates. "But as soon as it became clear, in the wake of Iowa and on the eve of South Carolina, that Clinton potentially faced an extended battle for delegates, she began to demand that the rules be changed in the middle of the game. Her campaign has been arguing that the non-contested elections in Michigan and Florida should be made retroactively meaningful--and, therefore, that Clinton should be handed a gift of nearly 200 delegates. The Clinton team has wrapped its case in the logic of voter disenfranchisement. ‘I hear all the time from people in Florida and Michigan that they want their voices heard in selecting the Democratic nominee,' Clinton has said. There is a perfectly cogent case to be made that Floridians and Michiganders deserve their say. (Some of our best friends and elderly relatives reside in those states.) The way to address this complaint is to schedule new elections so that candidates can advertise, make speeches, organize voters, distribute yard signs--you know, do ‘democracy,' a concept Clinton seems not to understand. The DNC, if it does decide to redress Clinton's complaint, needs to do so immediately." [Editorial, TNR, 2/8/08 ]

Ø TNR: "Knowing That Their Ballots Meant Nothing, Many Voters [In Michigan And Florida] Stayed Home." "Without ads and stump speeches--Obama's name wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan--the actual primary votes in these states were meaningless beauty contests, and perhaps not even that. Knowing that their ballots meant nothing, many voters stayed home. And, as everyone expected, Hillary romped to victory on the basis of her brand name and voters' lack of familiarity with the alternatives." [Editorial, TNR, 2/8/08 ]

NY Post: "No Changing The Rules In The Middle Of The Game." "No changing the rules in the middle of the game. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean must be prepared to deliver that message to Sen. Hillary Clinton and her allies. With a razor-thin delegate margin separating them and ever-fewer states left on the campaign calendar, Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are working all angles to get to 2,025 - the number needed to win their party's presidential nomination. Which is why the Clinton forces are looking at Michigan and Florida." [Editorial, NY Post, 2/11/08 ]

Austin American Statesman: Clinton Wants To Seat The Delegates From Michigan And Florida. "That Would Be Patently Wrong" and "Grossly Unfair To Obama...The Only Fair Thing For Democratic Officials To Do Is Stick To Their Guns And Ignore The Michigan And Florida Delegations Or Redo The Primaries." "Clinton, who won the most votes in the outlaw primaries in Michigan and Florida, now wants those delegates recognized and seated at the Democratic Party national convention in Denver in August. One of her top advisers, Harold Ickes, a Democratic National Committee member who voted to strip delegates from those states, now wants them seated. That would be patently wrong. Party officials told the legislatures in both states they would lose their delegates if they moved their primaries ahead of Super Tuesday, Feb. 5. And the party's presidential candidates agreed not to campaign in states being punished by the Democratic National Committee for setting early primaries. ... Seating the 156 Michigan and 210 Florida delegates would be grossly unfair to Obama, who, unlike Clinton, didn't go to Florida...The only fair thing for Democratic officials to do is to stick to their guns and ignore the Michigan and Florida delegations or redo the primaries." [Editorial, Austin American Statesman, 2/18/08]

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Clinton Wants To Seat The Michigan And Florida Delegates And The Obama Campaign Dismisses That As "Hogwash"; The Obama Campaign Is "Right About That." "Clinton says Michigan and Florida should be seated and their delegates divided in accord with the primary vote. She's won support from NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, who says the party is disenfranchising minority voters. The Obama campaign dismisses that as hogwash. They say Obama ignored both states at the national party's request and shouldn't be penalized for playing by the rules. Even if we hadn't endorsed Obama for the Democratic nomination, we'd have to say he's right about that." [Editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer, 2/22/08]