Why, To The Mainstream Media, Does Hillary's 9.4 Victory Margin Equal "Double Digits"?

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-g-brant/why-to-the-mainstream-med_b_98214.html

Steven G. Brant
Why, To The Mainstream Media, Does Hillary's 9.4 Victory Margin Equal "Double Digits"?


Posted April 23, 2008 | 12:19 PM (EST)

The official results for last night's debate as of 12noon Eastern time are:

Hillary Clinton - 1,258,278 (54.7 percent)
Barack Obama - 1,042,573 (45.3 percent)

snip//

Hillary won last night. I respect that. But I am as concerned about accuracy in media reporting as I am in about other issues related to the health of our democracy. I'll write more about larger election integrity issues in the future. But for now, I just want to mainstream media to prove that it knows how to count.

9.4 does not equal "double digits".

Those are the facts.

Please, mainstream media, stop playing around with the psychological aspects of this race. Even though I'm sure it's fun and feels cool to say "double digits", there is way too much at stake for you to be doing that.

Please, mainstream media, prove that you know how to count... prove that you know the difference between facts and emotions.

And if you can't do that, then get out of the game. Because you are hurting America.

[Birthmark]

1. Because it's all a horrible plot against the Obama.

Disgusting, isn't it?

[babylonsister]

3. If you approve of the m$m twisting the truth, that's your prerogative.

I don't.

[Birthmark]

4. Honestly

Do you think it's all that important? Is the difference between 9.4 and "double digits" so great that it's worth agonizing over?

Seriously, the amount of crap the media get wrong is phenomenal. Worrying over this seems silly to me.

[Ronnie]

2. I'm guessing it's because

54.7 rounds to 55 and 45.3 rounds to 45.

[BattyDem]

5. It's easy

They rounded 54.7 up to 55
Then they rounded 45.3 down to 45
55 - 45 = 10


Of course, most people use the actual numbers and then round off the difference.

54.7 - 45.3 = 9.4 (which would round DOWN to 9)

[hedgehog]

6. Easy - what are the digits in 9.4?

9


4


two digits = double digits

[unc70]

7. Rounding before comparison - wrong but typical

While this is not correct math, this same mistake has been made many times previously in this campaign alone, starting in Iowa. No complaints from Obama supporters then, nor from Edwards who I supported.

BTW has the SoS state corrected the extra 13,000 votes reportedly given to Obama from one county last night? Lancaster, maybe? Until the final canvas, provisionals, etc. are dealt with, we really don't know the actual margin of victory. Probably between 8-10%, but no surprise that no one knows for sure. (If the 13,000 error has not been corrected, its correction would make it almost exactly 10%.)

Posting all over the net about this just looks like sour grapes. Let it go and worry about real issues.

[mrdmk]

8. 10 = Advertising Revenues for the Corporate Media, lots of revenues

9 = a big fat nothing.

Starting with Pennsylvania, Hilary Clinton needed a 20 - 25 percent win of all remaining primaries to catch Barack Obama. Now Hilary needs a 30 - 35 percent win of all remaining primaries to catch-up. Good Luck!

[zbdent]

9. four letters

NCLB