From Factcheck.org
On the heels of a big win in Ohio, Hillary Clinton said in an interview that "no person has ever won the White House without winning the Ohio primary, in either party." Her campaign is pushing a slightly amended version: "No candidate in recent history, Democrat or Republican, has won the White House without winning the Ohio primary."
We don't know how Clinton is defining "recent history," but you only have to go back to 1968 to find an exception. That year, Ohio Gov. James Rhodes won the state's Republican presidential primary. But Richard Nixon went on to win the nomination and the presidency.
Of course, Rhodes had the advantage of the "favorite son" factor – as did Ohio Gov. Michael diSalle, who won the state's Democratic primary in 1960. (John F. Kennedy, the eventual nominee and presidential winner, didn't appear on the primary ballot.) In those cases, it's certainly no surprise that a local politician would bring in a number of votes. But foregone conclusion or not, it means that Clinton's statement is inaccurate.
Clinton's claim does hold true for the last 40 years. But it may not carry as much weight as she implies. Ohio's primaries tend to come late in the political season, meaning a narrowed field of candidates and sometimes a clear front-runner for the nomination.
–Jess Henig
On the heels of a big win in Ohio, Hillary Clinton said in an interview that "no person has ever won the White House without winning the Ohio primary, in either party." Her campaign is pushing a slightly amended version: "No candidate in recent history, Democrat or Republican, has won the White House without winning the Ohio primary."
We don't know how Clinton is defining "recent history," but you only have to go back to 1968 to find an exception. That year, Ohio Gov. James Rhodes won the state's Republican presidential primary. But Richard Nixon went on to win the nomination and the presidency.
Of course, Rhodes had the advantage of the "favorite son" factor – as did Ohio Gov. Michael diSalle, who won the state's Democratic primary in 1960. (John F. Kennedy, the eventual nominee and presidential winner, didn't appear on the primary ballot.) In those cases, it's certainly no surprise that a local politician would bring in a number of votes. But foregone conclusion or not, it means that Clinton's statement is inaccurate.
Clinton's claim does hold true for the last 40 years. But it may not carry as much weight as she implies. Ohio's primaries tend to come late in the political season, meaning a narrowed field of candidates and sometimes a clear front-runner for the nomination.
–Jess Henig
Sources
Ohio Secretary of State. Election Results, Accessed 6 Mar. 2008.
"Past Ohio Primary Results." Politics.Ohio.com, 26 Feb. 2008.
"Clinton's Claim Leaves Out Kennedy." Associated Press, 5 Mar. 2008.
"Past Ohio Primary Results." Politics.Ohio.com, 26 Feb. 2008.
"Clinton's Claim Leaves Out Kennedy." Associated Press, 5 Mar. 2008.
No comments:
Post a Comment