AP And Clinton Jump Gun On Missouri, Hour Before Obama Win

Both the Associated Press and then Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign jumped the gun on Super Tuesday, claiming a Clinton victory in Missouri about one hour before the state was won by Sen. Barack Obama.

"In Missouri, Barack Obama outspent Hillary by $300,000 in TV ads," a Clinton campaign memo read, working off the news service's report. "He also benefited from the endorsements of high-profile surrogates across the state such as Representatives Carnahan and Clay, and Senator McCaskill, all of whom actively campaigned for him and appeared in ads on his behalf. Despite these challenges - and with the help of Kansas City Congressman Emanuel Cleaver and Former Majority Leader Dick Gephardt - Hillary Clinton won this important toss-up state."

Earlier in the evening the wire service had predicted that Clinton would prevail in the state. And, as the memo demonstrated, the Clinton campaign saw Missouri as a demonstration of its ability to fend off Obama's momentum in those states in which he had big-name support.

But, like elections before (see: Gore v. Bush, presidential election 2000), the results were declared before they were finalized. And as the numbers trickled in, news outlets began tepidly declaring an "apparent" Obama win.

At the time of print there were unconfirmed accounts that the AP was retracting its earlier report. And as the Politico noted, apparently similar electoral confusion happened during Obama supporter, Sen. Claire McCaskill's 2006 election night win.

Also, as Marc Ambinder reports, according to Missouri state law the primary loser can request a recount when the margin of victory is less than one percent, approximately Obama's margin.

Comments

[Roose]

07:39 PM on 02/06/2008

I hear Norman Tsu, Billary's fugitive fundraiser, and Marc Rich the other millionaire fugitive are going to give Billary $10 million each.

[PDXTransplant]

05:03 PM on 02/06/2008

There are a lot of pissed off Republicans posting here today. I love their tactics of slander, name calling, and hate mongering against the Democratic candidates, because all they're stuck with grandpa(100 yr)McCain or Flip Flopper Romney for their nominees. Ha! Sad day for the Republicans all the way around.

[Kundera]

03:37 PM on 02/06/2008

I guess there arent't enough bloated drunk driving girl killers out there.

[pheepher]

03:36 PM on 02/06/2008

Grabbing victory from defeat!!!!!!!11

Turn off your television and wait for official counts to be completed. Instant gratifacation is not all it's cracked up to be.

[dr4Will]

02:53 PM on 02/06/2008

Big names full of ultra liberal crap and black racism for Op-Spray---all the money and publicity from thse losers didn't help a bit--get back to your tv show and grab that white money again!!

[Effymens]

02:06 PM on 02/06/2008

I hope Oprah just goes away because nobody wants to buy whatever it is that she is selling.

[ObamaEdwards]

02:00 PM on 02/06/2008

OK, this comments link is provided for both stories, so I am responding to the "Big Names Don't Help Obama" nonsense. Typical media fluff. Since there is no way to know how many people voted because they saw the "big names" endorsing Obama, there's no way to know whether or not he was helped by them--unless the author is saying anything less than a national landslide victory proves that Obama wasn't helped.

Stupid non-news. Feel free to post excerpts from my blog in place of stories like this one, HuffPo!

[Nic1974]

01:30 PM on 02/06/2008

How can anyone vote for Clinton?? I couldn't stand 4 years of that cackle! She is so contrived. At least Obama appears to be sincere. He's interesting and dynamic.

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

01:01 PM on 02/06/2008

Just goes to show ya: Diebold machines are not impressed by celebrity endorsements.

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

12:42 PM on 02/06/2008

Who cares which one wins the nomination? Both candidates are CFR stooges, so "hope" is all you're gonna get beyond endless war and creeping fascism/socialism.

Obama has taken on Zbigniew Brzezinski as his chief foreign policy advisor. He couldn't have chosen a better symbol of our horrendous debacle in the Middle East. Obama also has two war criminals from the Rwanda Genocide. Kind of blows your mind when you remember he's half African.

Hillary is a member of both the CFR and the Bilderberg group and has spent much of her career protecting the "rights" of Mosanto, Tyson, Walmart, etc. to rape, pillage and poison the whole gddmn world. Plus she's pro-war in the Middle East, almost as hawkish as McCain.

But hey! Whatever turns you on.

[eladora]

12:02 PM on 02/06/2008

10 million dems voted
6 million republicans
lets all get together with a clinton/obama ticket and democrats should hold the wh for 16 years. I voted Obama but I think the forward plan should be combine the populous for victory. And I want Edwards to be AG for 16 yrs so he can continue after these crooks after they leave office and cost them fortunes defending themselves. 16 yrs of supoenas from him on their every crooked breath they have taken. Thats the winner. That should be the plan.

[apresdeluge]

11:34 AM on 02/06/2008

I heard Missouri Gov Claire Mccaskill defending Obama's readiness to be president on day one by saying that Ted Kennedy says he is ready. Well, if Ted says it, it must be true. Give me a break.

[yummymaplesyrup]

10:56 AM on 02/06/2008

I know how Obama got his "Hope and Change" idea. Americans have hoped for change for about 7 years. If Obama wins he will continue to let people live for hope and change. He has little experience and if people do not see change quick he will spend his time looking for hope and survival.

[Nic]

10:50 AM on 02/06/2008

If the numbers were reversed,NObama would be calling on Hillary to leave the race. The truth is NObama is an empty suit. Change and hope is well and fine,but NObama has yet to tell us HOW he intends to do it.
Hillary 08!!!

[AnninCA]

10:42 AM on 02/06/2008

Hillary ended up with more delegates in MO.