Who REALLY won the popular vote?

[southern_belle]

Real Clear breaks down the vote according to six methods (with Michigan, without Michigan, with the four caucus states where the vote is only estimated, and without those states, and combinations thereof).

In three of the six tallies, Mr. Obama won; in the other three, Mrs. Clinton won.

If you count all states, including Michigan, Mrs. Clinton won the popular vote by 48,519 votes. In this tally, the “uncommitted” votes in Michigan are given to Mr. Obama, whose name was not on the ballot.

All of their tallies include Florida, where the votes are apparently no longer in dispute because the party’s rules committee last weekend legitimized its primary. The popular count in Michigan is still considered illegitimate because Mr. Obama’s name was not on the ballot.

In the overall total without the four caucus states (Iowa, Nevada, Maine, Washington): Mr. Obama won by 41,622 votes.

If you include the caucus states, Mr. Obama won by 151,844 votes.

More at http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/the-long-goodbye-2/
also http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/democratic_vote_count.html

[rurallib]

1. Frankly, who cares? I hope all who voted Dem once will vote

Dem again. Obama won the delegates, that is what counts.

[Diane R]

2. It was always amazing to me that Hillary was quite happy to disenfranchise me; a voter in Wash. St.

[K Gardner]

3. Who really cares? Can we just move on ?

[rzemanfl]

4. John Kerry in 2004. n/t

[Youphemism]

5. Right. Who cares? The margin of error exceeds the difference.

You can bet the republicans will try to stir up this issue, after what happened in 2000.

The difference I've seen in this campaign is that, with obvious exceptions, most of those split voters were voting *for* somebody rather than *against* somebody.

In 2000, when you asked someone why they voted, they would almost always say, "Because I can't stand the thought of Bush/Gore getting to the White House."

In this campaign, they seemed to much more frequently say, "Because I think we need Clinton/Obama in the White House now." It's not universal, of course. But it almost *was* universally negative in 2000.

The fact is, especially in Primaries, there is a margin of error in counting votes. This election was so close, it exceeded that margin of error. Both candidates have a legitimate claim to an incredible amount of support.

What point in arguing over which side that last fraction of a percent favored?

[southern_belle]

6. When Senator Feinstein and Governor Rendall

both mentioned that today, and none of the pundits correct them, I do. (on MSNBC). :(

[L0oniX]

7. "I got the majority popular vote" ...One more Hillary Clinton lie.

:evilfrown:

[MaineDem]

8. I repeat... there is no way to tell. There is no way to count it.

The caucus states CANNOT BE COUNTED AT ALL.