Weigel

In N.H. Dem Primary, “Write-In Hillary” Loses to Paul, Romney, Huntsman

UNITY, NH - JUNE 27: Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and former rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) wave to the crowd June 27, 2008 in Unity, New Hampshire. Obama and Clinton appeared together in a show of unity for Obama’s presidential campaign. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images

The “Write-In Hillary” campaign for president got more than enough hype. In December, the dyspeptic column-writing tag team of Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen called for New Hampshire voters to “organize a write-in campaign for Clinton.” For some reason, their column inspired TV bookers to talk to people who planned to write in Clinton. On election night, New Hampshire Democrats cast 5,908 write-in votes, around 11 percent of all votes cast. The early assumption: Hey, the Hillary vote came out!

I’m so sorry. It didn’t. New Hampshire’s Secretary of State has released the full results from the primary, breaking down most of the write-in votes. Ron Paul won 2273, more than a third, of all Democratic write-in votes. Mitt Romney won 1808. Jon Huntsman won 1228. There were only 759 write-in votes cast for “miscellaneous” candidates; according to the state, that includes Clinton, Biden, Screaming Lord Sutch, and every other name. So at best, if she won every single miscellanous write-in vote – and she didn’t – Clinton could have won 1.2 percent of the vote in New Hampshire. Paul won 3.7 percent.

We have hard, electoral proof that no one listens to the street corner ramblings of two embittered pollsters. I look forward to their next highly-placed columns.

UPDATE: Mark Memoli, one of the best number-watchers out there, is also on top of this. He breaks down the Tebow vote.