September 3, 2008

Huckabee's Wrong About Palin and Biden's Votes

@ 9:44 pm by Walter Alarkon

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) received one of the loudest cheers from GOP delegates Wednesday night when he joked about the few votes Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) got in his run for president.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States," Huckabee said.

But that's wrong.

Palin received 909 votes in her second and final run for mayor in 1999. Biden received the support of 2,328 delegates in the Iowa caucuses. Biden dropped out of the race after his fifth place finish there.

UPDATE: The number of caucus delegates that Biden received don't reflect the actual turnout in Iowa, according to the Assocated Press.

But according to another metric, Biden still received more backing than Palin. About 239,000 people turned out to vote in Iowa's Democratic caucuses. Biden received the backing of nearly 1 percent of delegates. If delegates were doled out roughly proportionally to the raw vote totals, Biden received the support of approximately 2,390 caucus-goers.

For the record, Palin got 617 votes in her first run for mayor in 1996. Combined with her re-election bid in 1999, Palin received 1,526 votes for mayor.

Archived under: Campaigns, News, Presidential Campaigns
Tags: Joe Biden, Mike Huckabee, Republican National Convention, Sarah Palin

4 Comments »

1. Another lie associated with Palin's "credentials." Whaddyagonnado?

   If Palin is so qualified to head the nation, why has it been so necessary to embellish, outright lie and coverup to such a degree?

   Said 'no' to Congress on Bridge to Nowhere?… Nope. Based her race for gov. office on support for the bridge; but Congress cut the earmark (though not the funding). Congress said 'no' to Palin and Alaska on the bridge.
   Has opposed earmarks?… Nope; fully riding that gravy train.
   Stood-up to Ted Stevens?… Nope. In fact, worked closely with Stevens, headed-up a 527 for him, hired a lobbyist closely linked with Stevens, etc.
   Tax cutter?… Not as much as she raised taxes, especially on the working class.
   Fiscally prudent?… Ummm… Took over Wasilla with ZERO debt, and left 'em with $20+ million in the hole. OUCH!!

   The media has done a VERY poor job of vetting this candidate. Given her meager resume, all these lies and distortions should carry a LOT of weight is discrediting the manufactured facade. Only time will tell.

   Comment by plooger — September 4, 2008 @ 4:26 am

2. It's not a lie by technicality. It's meant as humor. Biden got 0 votes for running for the President of the United States. He never made it that far (only votes in primaries /caucuses to become the party nominee). Get it?

   Comment by Jamie — September 5, 2008 @ 8:09 am

3. Wow, that's got to be in the running for Rationalization of the Year, Jamie. You've got a GOVERNOR speaking from a prepared text presenting information that anyone listening would clearly understand as meaning to convey the impression that Gov. Palin received more votes running for mayor than Sen. Biden received as a candidate in the Democratic primaries. Yet, despite the huge chasm between what might technically be true and the truth as people are most likely to interpret it, Gov. Huckabee delivers the information anyway??? Come on, now, that's just despicable. I don't know ANYONE with a shred of moral fiber who would have delivered that DISTORTED comparison to a national audience of MILLIONS, when it is so blatantly obvious that it MISREPRESENTS the facts, again, as people are most likely to interpret them. Sure, it may not technically be a lie, based on a bastardized interpretation. But, it's a really sad commentary on anyone, Republican or not, if they believe that this is legitimate public discourse. It's one thing to put the best face on the facts, it's another to manipulate the facts to a point where they are no longer seated in reality. Without exception, every person I've spoken to about this particular comment has agreed that Gov. Huckabee should be ashamed of himself for having delivered it. Republicans love to present themselves as standing up for decency and integrity. Well, how about walking the walk and not just talking the talk?!

   Comment by Mark — September 7, 2008 @ 3:59 am

4. Huckabee could have been talking about Biden's bid for the Dem nomination in 1988 in which he dropped out before the primaries and caucuses even began. So again, technically not a lie, but still pretty weak.

   Comment by Chris Schandevel — September 15, 2008 @ 8:22 pm

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