Who deserved to win Game 5 of the NBA Finals? Well, let's look at all the baskets the Celtics scored. They got 22 points in the first quarter, 30 in the second, 18 in the third, and 28 points in the fourth quarter. That adds up to 98 points -- quite a lot! I think it's clear that the Celtics played the kind of game that the winner of an NBA finals game plays.

Oh yeah. Also, the Lakers scored 103 points in that game. But enough about them -- 98 points! Isn't that a lot? Shouldn't that be enough to be the winner?

Posted at June 16, 2008 3:14 PM in response to Was The Media Unfair To Hillary? Here's Our Rundown.

What a goddamned shame. I always enjoyed watching Mr. Russert, either in his interviews or when he was anchoring coverage with the rest of the MSNBC team.

Posted at June 13, 2008 3:52 PM in response to Tim Russert Has Passed Away

A more appropriate headline might be:

"Yet another poll shows Senators Obama and Clinton tied within margin of error nationally."

A good sub-head might be:

"Not that national polls matter, since votes occur state by state, and most states have already voted."

Posted at May 6, 2008 1:50 AM in response to AP/Ipsos: Hillary Takes Seven-Point National Lead Over Obama, Both Beat McCain

Would I be pissing into the wind if I pointed out that the infamous Plouffe Spreadsheet has Senator Obama winning North Carolina by seven percentage points -- exactly what this poll indicates?

Posted at May 1, 2008 9:20 PM in response to Poll: Obama Ahead By Seven Points In North Carolina

There's been more political reconciliation in Iraq than in the U.S.? Really? That's what you're going with, Senator Lieberman? Just days after the government waged an unsuccessful military campaign against the private militia of its chief political rival? OK, if you say so.

Posted at April 8, 2008 2:38 PM in response to Lieberman: Hooray!

Good news, Kentuckians -- it looks like your state will count!*

*Note: Kentucky will not count if Senator Obama somehow manages to close the gap and win.

Posted at April 1, 2008 12:07 AM in response to SurveyUSA: Hillary Ahead 2-1 In Kentucky Primary

If I were a Florida or Michigan voter, I'd be very interested in having my voice heard at the convention. And when I say "having my voice heard," I mean the results of a fair election, not some mumbo-jumbo cooked up to allow the seating of some group of delegates selected in a way that has little or nothing to do with the preferences of the electorate.

Can anyone explain how splitting the delegates 50/50 is any less of a disenfranchisement than locking them out altogether -- or, for that matter, seating them based on the results of an election where there was no campaigning, where people chose to vote (or not) under the assumption that there vote wouldn't count, and where (in the case of Michigan) one of the candidates wasn't even on the ballot?

Posted at March 20, 2008 11:49 AM in response to Florida Pols Float New Plan To Get Delegation Seated

Senator Clinton was at 48 in this same poll less than 2 weeks ago.

Posted at March 17, 2008 2:05 PM in response to Gallup: Hillary Takes Two-Point National Lead Over Obama

The Gallup 3-day tracking poll has had the two candidates essentially dead even for the past month. Today is no different from yesterday, the day before, or the day before that. There's no reason whatsoever to post this, any more than there was reason to post a breathless story a week ago when Senator Obama passed Senator Clinton in this poll, or the week before, when Senator Clinton passed Senator Obama.

Posted at March 17, 2008 2:03 PM in response to Gallup: Hillary Takes Two-Point National Lead Over Obama

There's an easy way for Senator Obama to make this all go away. He needs to have one of his co-congregationalists step up and defend the idea of remaining in that particular church notwithstanding Pastor Wright's incindiary language: Oprah Winfrey. People may believe that the crypto-Muslim politician with the funny name agrees with "God damn America," but they will never believe that America's girlfriend does. Once people hear Oprah explain how she -- and Senator Obama -- can remain in this church even as Pastor Wright says what he says, this will all go away.

Posted at March 15, 2008 1:00 PM in response to Jeremiah Wright Steps Down From Obama Campaign