By now you’ve no doubt heard that Hillary Clinton won 51% of the vote in the Nevada Democratic caucuses this past weekend, but Barack Obama took home more national delegates (one more, to be precise) than she did. Confused? Hurt? Burning sensation when you pee? Political blogger Marc Armbinder feels your pain:

Based on the demographic/turn-out sensitive delegate allocation formula, Obama won 13 delegates to Clinton’s 12. This process is neither democratic, in that the power of one person’s vote differs from another’s, nor republican, in that the person who is preferred by the largest number of Nevadans can, in the end, not receive the majority of the delegates.

Sucks for Clinton. However Obama might not have the victory he’s claiming, either.

The Obama campaign also points out that because the nomination can only be secured if a majority of national delegates are accumulated, it matters who wins the delegates. Ok. But zero delegates have actually been pledged… so if, by the Obama campaign’s own definition, the winner of Nevada ought to be determined by delegates, we’ll have to wait until April 19 to see how the national convention delegates are apportioned. If Obama and Clinton are still in the race at that point, then those delegates are pledged to Obama.

Which is confirmed in the Nevada Sun when journalist Steve Friess reports a conversation he had with state Democratic party boss Jill Derby:

I don’t know why [Obama’s camp is] saying that,’ a confused Derby said. ‘We don’t select our national delegates the way they’re saying. We won’t select national delegates for a few more months.’”

Once again, media coverage of the early caucuses is largely sensationalism. Let’s all keep our eye on Congress’ big, Black, televised caucus tonight and keep studying the issues, dear reader (as we know you are!) Vote according to your conscience with the realization that someone with more power than you will most likely ignore your will anyway. Happy MLK Day.

Common Sense, From Nevada [Marc Armbinder]
Obama claims delegate win but party officials say no [Las Vegas Sun]