# Never mind counting the votes, we have a winner! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 10, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077 "2008-02-10T21:40:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/21 "2008-02-11T03:04:30Z")
WA state Republicans can be a bit bizarre. Sometimes, Pat Robertson wins the caucus. Sometimes yoga gets banned. It will be interesting to see if the caucus delegate allocation has an effect on the primary voting. If he hasn’t dropped out by the 19th, I could see Huckabee doing much better in the primaries than he did at the caucuses. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/22 "2008-02-11T04:07:03Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I guess if Obama wins at the convention, we can go ahead and inaugurate him since he’s projected to beat McCain. [/QUOTE] Can we hold off until the [Sweaty Goat Veteranarians for Truthiness get through with McCain, first?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=9462305) 'Cause that looks to be some first-class foot shooting, and I’d sure hate to miss it. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/23 "2008-02-11T04:20:27Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] Not to be a smartass, but we aren’t talking about Afghanistan here… [/QUOTE] Ohh, my bad. 😉 As of now, the [Huckster’s only behind McCain by 242 votes](http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/02/mike_huckabee_battles_on_in_wa.html) out of 12,500 or so, and 1500+ ballots remain to be counted. This spread is not in the range of reliable statistical prediction. The uncounted voters of a single church with a Huckabee backing minister could easily turn McCain’s ‘victory’ to defeat. Statistics cannot say that such a church does not exist. ---
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/24 "2008-02-11T06:53:47Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] Interesting. I dropped my mail-in ballot in the box at the courthouse on the 5th, but unless I seriously misread something, the ballot deadline is the 19th… [/QUOTE] You’re confusing the caucuses with the primary. You indeed have unti Feb. 19 to mail in the ballot. The count they’re talking about is of caucus votes. The state GOP decided to allocate about half of its delegates based on the caucus results and about half on the primary results. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/25 "2008-02-11T07:22:45Z")
[QUOTE=Digital Stimulus] I’m in Okanogan county (but did the Democrat caucus). From what the guy running the caucus said, the vote-by-mail was because our county had neither the funds nor the infrastructure to maintain so many polling places (in such an expansive area). I doubt that King County could claim a similar thing. [/QUOTE] I’m down here in Chelan County. > [@JonScribe](#): > > You’re confusing the caucuses with the primary. You indeed have unti Feb. 19 to mail in the ballot. The count they’re talking about is of caucus votes. > > The state GOP decided to allocate about half of its delegates based on the caucus results and about half on the primary results. Huh. I must not be clear, then, on what, exactly, a caucus is. I’ve always been under the impression that states used _either_ a primary _or_ a caucus system. Never heard of using both, and to tell the truth, in my 24 years as a registered voter I’ve never heard of the Washington GOP using a caucus. But then, I don’t pay a great deal of attention to politics. ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/26 "2008-02-11T07:33:32Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] Not to be a smartass, but we aren’t talking about Afghanistan here. I’m sure that even in the remote backcountry of Washington State they have cars to transport the ballots to the county courthouse and they have phones, faxes, and emails to report the results.. [/QUOTE] Washington’s dealing with an unbelievable amount of snow throughout the middle of the state right now. For the last week, the only reliable way to get from Spokane to Seattle was to drive south to Oregon, west to Portland, then North up I-5 back into Washington. The major passes[just opened today](http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/350814_pass11.html) for the first time. I can easily imagine the smaller counties are still stranded. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/27 "2008-02-11T11:19:44Z")
Is it possible that the remaining districts are from far flung rural locations and have too few voters in each to change the result? Just a thought from a know-nothing foreigner. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/28 "2008-02-11T11:52:56Z")
I’m going to get this quote so WRONG but didn’t Huckabee say something like “I didn’t study math, I studied miracles” Heee heee. Silly man! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/29 "2008-02-11T12:12:44Z")
[QUOTE=calm kiwi] I’m going to get this quote so WRONG but didn’t Huckabee say something like “I didn’t study math, I studied miracles” Heee heee. Silly man! [/QUOTE] Yes he did, and yes he is. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/30 "2008-02-11T13:10:09Z")
[QUOTE=Leviosaurus] Washington’s dealing with an unbelievable amount of snow throughout the middle of the state… [/QUOTE] Last I heard, it snows on Democrats and Republicans alike. The Democrats managed to count their caucuses. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/31 "2008-02-11T13:39:37Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] This spread is not in the range of reliable statistical prediction. [/QUOTE] And of course, just to clarify explicitly, statistical prediction has no business actually determining the winner. It’s only a talking point. Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/32 "2008-02-11T14:44:42Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] Never heard of using both . . . [/QUOTE] It’s very rare, but delegate-hunting season is nothing if not a spur to creativity. Washington Republicans are choosing half of their delegates via caucus and half via primary, but Democrats are choosing all via the caucus. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/33 "2008-02-11T14:49:02Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] [A stinkier stink:](http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/2008/02/huckabee_challenges_dubious_caucus_count_sends_lawyers_here.html) > [@](#): > > All Republicans should unite to demand an honest accounting of the votes… [/QUOTE] It’s really kinda cute to see a GOPer get all upset about this sorta thing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/34 "2008-02-11T14:56:54Z")
[QUOTE=t-bonham@scc.net] Oh, come on! Anybody who’s worked in elections, or polling, or sampling, or even sending surveys to members of your church choir, knows that it is quite possible to accurately project the final result based on a small early return. In voting, as long as you know where the unreturned precincts are, and their past history, you can pretty accurately predict the results. [/QUOTE] [However](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/177863.php): > [@](#): > > According to Huck campaign manager Ed Rollins, Esser admitted that he didn’t know which precincts the remaining votes came from. The rest is worth reading too - apparently when Lauren Huckabee (Huck’s daughter-in-law) asked to have one of their lawyers present when the rest of the ballots were counted, Esser hung up on her. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/35 "2008-02-11T14:59:33Z")
[From CBS](http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/02/10/politics/fromtheroad/entry3813882.shtml): > [@](#): > > At a hastily arranged press conference in a hotel room, Rollins was steamed. > > “You don’t get to announce the votes until they are all counted. And obviously, by his attempts to project without any statistical data or even if he had statistical data, it’s irrelevant: we’re entitled to a fair, full count," Rollins said. > > “Our lawyers attempted to contact him today, finally did so about ten minutes ago. He said, ‘Well I don’t know where the precincts, are, I just sort of did it. How dare Mike Huckabee challenge – he has to trust us. We’re going to count the rest of the votes today in the office.’” > > “We asked to have someone go in to the office with them and count the votes and he refused us. He said he would have to notify the other campaigns.” > > “I’m not accusing the McCain campaign of anything. I’m accusing the state party chairman of using very, very bad judgement. We are going to fully pursue this legally." > > "When our lawyer asked them, again, ‘will you say statistically, will you project, what were the precincts?’, he said, ‘well I don’t know, I can’t count that.’ So, basically, he’s making a guess [about the results].” Good times. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/36 "2008-02-11T16:23:33Z")
Wow, the Republicans really are on a self-destructive tear, aren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/37 "2008-02-11T17:01:36Z")
Remember the good old days when they used to call the Democrats _shrill?_ ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/38 "2008-02-11T17:10:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Republican Mike Huckabee’s campaign is sending attorneys to Washington state to investigate what happened with the count of yesterday’s Republican presidential caucus. . . . We are going to fully pursue this legally. Yeah, get the lawyers involved, that’ll speed things up. Send lawyers, guns, and money. ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/39 "2008-02-11T17:24:13Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Last I heard, it snows on Democrats and Republicans alike. The Democrats managed to count their caucuses. [/QUOTE] _Shrug_. Guess the Dems are better organized. Not too surprising - this is traditionally a blue state. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077/40 "2008-02-11T17:26:12Z")
Yeah, thankfully, the united Dems are [holding hands](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=455209) and [singing](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=455202) right now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/never-mind-counting-the-votes-we-have-a-winner/437077.md?page=3)