Sunday, January 20, 2008

Delegates or Headlines?

The results of the Nevada Democratic caucuses present an interesting question: Who really won, Hillary or Obama? While Obama picked up 13 delegates to Hillary's 12, news headlines gave the victory to Hillary for winning the "delegate equivalent". In an age in which people rely on headlines and soundbites rather than read into the meat of a story, I would argue the victory goes to Hillary, especially since she is presenting herself as a candidate who stumbled in the beginning but has since "found her voice" thus allowing her to regain the confidence of the American people and regain the momentum. The public wants a quick decision and news outlets gave it to them. Furthermore, in the wake of the 2000 elections, in which Bush won the presidency despite the popular vote, there may be a particular sensitivity to the will of the people, particularly among Democrats.

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