Adam R Brown

Today I had a telephone call from Scarlett Johansson . Yep. She says “hi.”

Okay, seriously, does anybody actually listen to automated phone calls urging you to vote for so-and-so? (In this case, she was urging me to vote for Obama.) Once I hear the recording start, I just hang up.

Hmm. I guess that’s a testable question. Previous research has shown that calls from nonpartisan turnout advocates don’t work , but I don’t recall anything offhand about partisan appeals like this one.

I sense a research project coming up…

I keep seeing sentences like this in coverage of the Republican primaries (source ):

The Republican race so far has been a muddle, with McCain winning New Hampshire and South Carolina, Romney winning his home state of Michigan and Mike Huckabee winning Iowa.

Now, that gives the impression that McCain is leading. Pop quiz: Which states are missing? Reporters seem to have forgotten that Wyoming and Nevada have also held their primaries. (Actually, a caucus in Nevada, a primary in Wyoming, but whatever.)

This is the correct count so far. Why, then, do reporters talk as though McCain is leading?

• Romney has Michigan, Wyoming, and Nevada–67 delegates total.
• McCain has New Hampshire and South Carolina–38 delegates total.
• Huckabee has Iowa (and is fading fast)–26 delegates total.

I’m neither a Republican nor a Democrat. (In California, independent voters like me can participate in the Democratic primary or not participate at all, so I’ll be participating in the Democratic one.) And even if I were a Republican, Romney isn’t my first pick. (Hint: It’s one of the other two listed above.) So don’t think I’m only bringing this up to support Romney.

I just think it’s weird that reporters keep acting like the mountain west doesn’t exist.