Tiebreakers

Barack Obama seems to be giving Hillary Clinton a run for her money in Indiana, one of her must-win states. Even so, we are going to finish the primary season with a tie. Neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton is on track to win the 2025 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. So it may be time to review the tie-breaking rules:

(1) Number of delegates – Barack winning 1724 to 1589
(2) Number of states won – Barack winning 28 to 16
(3) Money in the bank – Barack has more in campaign account, Hillary more in personal and Clinton Foundation. Tied.
(4) Number of primary elections won (excludes caucus states) – Tied 16 to 16
(5) Number of primary votes – Hillary winning 14,573,074 to 14,285,012
(6) Electoral College votes of states won – Hillary winning 231 to 196
(7) Number of superdelegates signed – Hillary winning 256 to 233
(8) Union rules – seniority trumps – Barack has been in the U.S. Senate since 2004, Hillary since 2000 – Hillary wins.
(9) Yield rules – car on the left must yield to car on the right, and on the issues Obama is slightly left of Hillary – Hillary wins.
(10) Boxing rules – contender has to beat the champ – Barack is the challenger, Hillary is the champ – Hillary wins.
(11) Social etiquette rules – “age before beauty” as my grandfather always said – Hillary wins.
(12) Rock, paper, scissors – it usually comes down to this - more later…