Why, it’s almost like a victory. Except for the fact that he lost the popular vote by six points, lost the culinary worker sites he had banked on, lost hugely among Hispanics, lost in a caucus state, where he figures to do better than in states with secret ballots, and now has to deal with headlines like this with South Carolina suddenly a must-win. TalkLeft is slightly over the top, but not by much. To believe the spin you have to believe that one extra delegate is worth more than the momentum and buzz Hillary earns from outpolling him. Anyone not in the tank for Obama want to make the argument that it does?
In fact, we don’t know yet for absolute sure that he did win that extra delegate. A friend sends this:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kirsten Searer
Saturday, January 19, 2008 (702) 236-1498
Statement by Nevada Democratic Party Chair Jill Derby
Regarding the Nevada Caucus
(Las Vegas, NV)
“Today, two out of three Nevadans who caucused chose a Democrat instead of a Republican for president. That is an overwhelming majority vote for a new direction. Just like in Iowa what was awarded today were delegates to the County Convention. No national convention delegates were awarded. The calculations of national convention delegates being circulated are based upon an assumption that delegate preferences will remain the same between now and April 2008. We look forward to our county and state conventions where we will choose the delegates for the nominee that Nevadans support.”
Exit question: I wondered in the other thread if Obama will use this defeat to appeal to black voters in SC to be his firewall. Can he do that or is it too risky, lest the Clintons seize on it to start depicting him as the “black candidate” ahead of Super Ultra Mega Tuesday? I bet he lays off.
Update: First the spin, then the delegitimization of the result.
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