Comments on: Primary Popular Vote Totals

By: MSS

MSS — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:26:20 +0000

The context in which I pointed out the popular-vote totals was not one of either surprise or comparison of the fields across the parties. Rather, as I develop in the post (and thanks much for the link), and a later one the same day, the point was that the delegate-allocation process has made all the difference. That's where the interesting comparisons are.

The Republican race is over, due to the bloc-plurality allocation of delegates ("winner take all") used in that party. If the GOP allocated its delegates more like the Democrats do, it is highly unlikely that Romney would have dropped out when he did. It would have still been quite close in delegates, as it was in votes. (As an earlier post showed, the vote was a good deal closer when Romney dropped out than it was in the later post you linked to.) And, given recent news, maybe Romney could have capitalized on the obvious discontent in parts of the party's electorate.

On the Democratic side, it is interesting that Obama has pulled ahead clearly, even though it has taken some time for the media to get off the mantra of it being basically a tie that might go all the way to the convention.

By: DL

DL — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:43:17 +0000

“McCain has yet to crack 40% of Republicans.”

Looks like Mc Cain leading the charge on a white horse alright - with many Republicans preferring to vote for the horse.

Grumble grumble...300 million people...and look what we are forced to vote for..grumble grumble.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:59:48 +0000

The comparison is of percentage of the aggregated popular vote.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:56:23 +0000

Has Paul actually received more votes than Edwards, or just a higher share of his party's primary/caucus votes? The two are not necessarily the same this year