Wouldn't you say that an important part of any election story would be the numbers involved, especially in the case of landslides? Perhaps someone should give a heads up on this to Los Angeles Times writer Noam N. Levey of the Times' Tribune Washington bureau. Although he does report that Missouri voters, whom he labels as "Republican voters," voted to approve Proposition C yesterday which challenged ObamaCare's requirement that Americans must purchase health insurance, the all important margin of the lopsided victory was noticeable by its absence. Reading Levey's article you wouldn't know if Proposition C was approved by 51 or 52 percent of Missouri voters or was the actual figure so much higher that Levey found it painful to relay that information?
Reporting from Washington — Striking a largely symbolic blow at President Obama's healthcare overhaul, Missouri voters approved a ballot measure Tuesday challenging the new law's requirement that Americans buy health insurance starting in 2014.So what was the actual size of the number of "Republican voters" who approved of Proposition C in Missouri? Since Levey won't provide that detail, let us turn to the Wall Street Journal for that information:
The proposition, which sought to deny the federal government the authority to penalize people for not getting insurance, is expected to have little practical effect on implementation of the healthcare law.
But the Missouri measure represented the first electoral test for the landmark legislation that Obama signed in March. And it underscored continued hostility to the law from Republican voters.
With all precincts reporting, 71% of voters supported Proposition C, establishing a state law that says Missouri cannot compel people to pay a penalty or fine if they fail to carry health coverage. Twenty-nine percent voted against the proposition.So an overwhelming 71% of Missouri voters supported proposition C and they were "Republican voters" according to Levey. No wonder he was embarrassed to reveal the actual number. 71% would mean a lot of voters other than "Republican voters" cast their ballots in favor of proposition C. Despite this obvious fact, Levey continues with his Republican obsession:
Opposition to the law has remained particularly intense among Republicans, with nearly 8 in 10 in a recent national USA Today/Gallup survey saying it was a "bad thing."So it's all the fault of "Republican voters" who must make up 71% of the Missouri electorate according to Levey's premise. Of course, the absurdity of that premise is probably the reason why he declined to report on the actual details of the Proposition C landslide yesterday.