Here's a fun thing about Democrats' delegate math.
If the result somewhere is Bernie 30%, Biden 25%, Warren 20%, Pete 15% — that means, Bernie gets 1/3 of the delegates.
But if it's Bernie 30%, Biden 20%, everyone else sub-15% — Bernie gets 3/5 of the delegates.
If the result somewhere is Bernie 30%, Biden 25%, Warren 20%, Pete 15% — that means, Bernie gets 1/3 of the delegates.
But if it's Bernie 30%, Biden 20%, everyone else sub-15% — Bernie gets 3/5 of the delegates.
That's because delegate allocation is determined not based on your share of the total vote, but based on your share of the viable candidates' vote.
So you clear out everyone below 15%. Then your share of what's left will be your share of the delegates.
So you clear out everyone below 15%. Then your share of what's left will be your share of the delegates.
Bernie has the exact same 30% share of the vote in both of my examples.
But in the first, the viable candidates' vote share is larger (90% when added together). So 30% is only 1/3 of that.
In the second, the viable candidates have just 50%. 30% is 3/5 of that. Much bigger haul
But in the first, the viable candidates' vote share is larger (90% when added together). So 30% is only 1/3 of that.
In the second, the viable candidates have just 50%. 30% is 3/5 of that. Much bigger haul
