How The Media Covers The Nomination Process; Or Did Romney Win The Day Yesterday?

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 09:13:34 AM EST
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Despite the ridiculous, pathetic and shameful attempt by the Obama campaign to spin the undemocratic and outrageous delegate selection system used in Nevada (and Iowa) as a "win," the Media, to its credit, did not bite. As Chris Bowers notes:

. . . [T]he media is instead covering who wins the popular vote of individual states. . . . [T]he media is covering is interesting and closer to the concept of one person, one vote . . .

Chris is strangely upset about this respect for the wishes of voters. I say thank gawd someone respects the voters, because the delegate allocation system sure does not.

The funny thing is if the Media did NOT cover it this way, there would be no reason to give Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, etc. much coverage at all. The delegate results in these states are virtually meaningless. They will have almost nil effect on the delegate count. The only primaries that would have the heft to merit big coverage would come on February 5 and after - when the a great proportion of the delegates will be chosen. These states would get the coverage of Mitt Romney's win in Wyoming.

More . . .

The system that has been set up is, for better or worse, intended to require candidates to campaign vigorously in smaller states where the voters can get an up close and personal view. Let the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire and Nevada evaluate the candidates we are told. If we then ignore this evaluation, what's the point?

Finally, was yesterday Miit Romney's day? He won more delegates than John McCain. Surely that should have been the headline according to Bowers, no?

< Dem Party Revises Statement on Delegates | Nevada: Why Hillary Won >

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How The Media Covers The Nomination Process; Or Did Romney Win The Day Yesterday? | 7 comments (7 topical)

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Here's NYT home delivery headline: (none / 0) (#1)
by oculus on Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 10:54:11 AM EST

McCain and Clinton Capture Tough Wins
Obama 2nd, but Takes 1 More Delegate.

: Addendum: (none / 0) (#4)
by oculus on Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 11:24:05 AM EST

BEWS ANALYSIS
No Quick Knockouts
5th par.:
Also on Saturday, Mitt Romney won the largely uncontested Nevada caucuses, giving him at least the claim of having won two contests in a row. On a more practical and potentially more meaningful level, he also acptured more delegates on Saturday than Mr. McCain did.
[Emphasis added.]

Headlines (none / 0) (#2)
by TheRealFrank on Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 11:05:29 AM EST

The media actually did partly bite. They all mention the delegate count in their articles (but mostly not in their headlines).

So, that's at least a partial success for the Obama campaign in the spin war. The Clinton campaign also tried to make some noises about delegates after Iowa, but that got lost in the media frenzy; noone talked about delegate counts at that point.

I guess they were more receptive to it now. And perhaps they like to point out "negatives" for Clinton more than they do for Obama.

Big Difference is (none / 0) (#3)
by athyrio on Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 11:16:14 AM EST

That after Iowa, Clinton gave a very gracious concession speech....After Nevada, all we hear from Obama is whining....Bad move on his part, because there are a world of democrats watching this....

If I Were Clinton (none / 0) (#5)
by BDB on Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 12:32:22 PM EST

I'd use this to try to fire up her voters - Obama is saying the popular vote doesn't count, I think your vote should count. To the polls! Obama had successfully made some inroads into pushing the idea that the Clinton campaign and teacher's union wanted to disenfranchise union voters. Now, he's totally lost that high ground.

I also can't help wondering how this will play with African American voters. Will they not care? Will they admire him for being so tough and using the rules to his advantage? Will the older ones be upset at seeing someone using rules to disenfranchise voters.

Also, how will hispanic voters see this? Clinton won largely based on their support and now Obama is telling them their votes aren't going to matter as much as other voters.

Honestly, this seems like an awfully big potential gift to Clinton. It gives her the chance to take the high ground and not Mr. Uniter. I'm for the people. I want every vote to count. That seems like a powerful message to democrats after 2000. And why? He's going to get the delegates he gets. Is it really worth a couple of lines in a newspaper over?

: Like Obama's citation of Reagan, (none / 0) (#6)
by oculus on Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 01:02:49 PM EST

do people who don't obsessively read blogs really even know what Obama sd. about NV delegates?

Obama said (none / 0) (#7)
by athyrio on Sun Jan 20, 2008 at 01:21:59 PM EST

what he said....and noone that is a true democrat will like it.....Reagan is a dirty word to working America.....Only the rich and powerful admired him.....many democrats that voted for him initially felt betrayed by him in the end....He was the "father" of conservatism which is this ugly "screw" the middle class philosophy....