Wednesday, September 29, 2004

They use the "new math" at the Times Union

First the quote:
Soares, who won the Democratic primary by an official tally of 14,909 votes to Clyne's 9,741, was meeting with Attorney General Eliot Spitzer on Monday and did not attend the news conference.

. . . Though he lost the primary by a ratio of 2 to 1, Clyne, 44, will be on the Nov. 2 general election ballot as the nominee of the Independence Party. He said Monday he has no intention of dropping out, even as McEneny and others said it was the right thing to do for party unity.
To be honest, I don't really care who won the Democratic primary for Albany County District Attorney, but why is this journalist claiming that 14,909 is two thirds of 24,650? By my reckoning, it works out at just over 60%. A sizable victory, certainly, but not 2 to 1. Maybe 5 to 3 didn't sound as good?

I presume the journalist's shoddy math is not related to the fact that the Times Union endorsed Mr. Soares in the primary?