Funny business in the Washington caucus?

The Associated Press

Still a battle?

Featured Topic | Posted 40 weeks 5 days ago

Funny business in the Washington caucus?

Another sign the GOP nominating contest isn't over: Mike Huckabee is protesting the results of Saturday's Washington caucus -- which was called for John McCain with 87 percent of votes counted, even though Huckabee was close behind.

Is the GOP protecting the presumptive nominee? Do the Washington caucus results even mean that much?

Ben likes: Why the controversy is much ado about nothing

Jim Geraghty/National Review

I spoke to the other source in Washington State I trust, Seattle-based radio talk show host Kirby Wilbur.

He too, says the controversy over the Washington caucuses is much ado about nothing.

"There is no legal connection or obligation between the delegates to the county convention that we voted for yesterday and the delegates who go to the GOP Convention in St. Paul. Because Huckabee got 25 percent doesn't mean he gets 25 percent of the delegates to the national convention. Romney got 16 percent, Paul got 20 percent. They could decide to go all for Paul, or some other direction. There's no numerical tie between results of the caucuses and who actually goes to the convention."

Joel likes: WTF?

Josh Marshall/Talking Points Memo

In terms of consequence, Bush v. Gore it ain't. This is a relatively small contest in a nomination campaign that appears to be over. But this is something you'd expect either from Soviet history or a farcical passage in a Faulkner novel. And let's not forget the context. Huckabee starts the day with a blowout win in Kansas. That evening he gets the largest number of votes in Louisiana. Then in the third contest he's neck and neck with John McCain and looks like he may win all three contests of the day -- a shut-out for the all-but-declared nominee. Then as it's going down to the wire, the head of the state party decides he's seen enough and calls it for McCain.

This one looks and quacks like a duck. So someone should give it a much closer look.