If numbers don’t lie, the Democratic presidential race is proving they can confuse: Both campaigns claim they are ahead in the popular vote.
Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that she now has more votes than anybody who has ever run for president in a Democratic primary. Not so fast, said Barack Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe. Obama has a comfortable lead.
So who is right? It depends on how the votes are counted.
Clinton is including Michigan and Florida, primaries she won after candidates agreed to boycott them for holding their votes too early.
“I’m very proud that as of today, I have received more votes by the people who have voted than anybody else,” Clinton said at a rally in Indianapolis. Including Michigan and Florida, Clinton has 15.1 million to Obama’s 15 million. Without Michigan and Florida, Obama has 14.4 million to Clinton’s 13.9 million. Neither total includes caucus states that don’t record a popular vote — all but one won by Obama. The Associated Press
