The Nevada caucus results are in. Again, it’s going to be a matter of spin. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, with 51% of the vote, leading Barack Obama who received only 45%. A 6% difference is quite large in this instance in that the biggest unions endorsed Obama, there were meetings on casino floors, and there was nothing to stop Obama getting even more votes than he did.

Here is where spin comes in though: Obama still won more delegates with his vote count. He obtained 13, while Clinton only 12. What can still be spun: The Nevada caucus only amassed 10, 555 people voting. A rather low number after record turnouts in the previous three states. And with such low numbers, a 4% shift, or 395 votes (what John Edwards got) to Obama makes this a really tight race. Considering that there are 1, 043, 555 registered voters in the state, 10, 555 is rather shameful. Probably a side-effect of the state never having mattered in the process before.

Only 3 of the 8 superdelegates for Nevada have endorsed any candidates publicly. 2 went with Clinton, while only 1 for Obama. And thus we come to a 14/14 tie for delegates between the two right now. More opportunity to spin. There are still 5 delegates from the state to decide. I think they might be last-minute people, like every state has, to ensure that the party looks united come the convention.

Already the spin is coming in:

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe called the delegate win significant because it pointed to Obama’s support across the state, from Elko to Reno to sprawling Las Vegas, along with the rural counties in between. He called it “a demonstration of what a strong general election candidate [Obama] will be.”

Obama was able to edge out Clinton, Obama aides explained, because two rural regions, sub-areas of one of Nevada’s three congressional districts, apportioned an odd number of delegates, and Obama won the balance of them, taking away a total of three delegates to Clinton’s one. In more populated areas, especially Las Vegas, the districts apportioned an even number of delegates. But Obama was able to come in a close enough second to Clinton to evenly split those delegates.

Plouffe refused to say whether the delegate win cast doubt on Clinton’s claim of victory. “This is a very close contest and we obviously both did a good job at turning out voters,” he said. But, he added, “I do think that increasingly this is going to turn into a contest of delegates, and I think that’s an important measure.”

David Axelrod, another senior adviser, was less equivocal. “We’re not treating this as a loss,” he said. “We’ll keep letting them spin the victories, and we’ll keep taking the delegates.”

Good to see that the Obama camp is taking this delegate win for all it is worth. If they can get it onto the news, and the message of ‘general electability’, then they stand a better chance. But rallies and blogs aren’t powerful enough (yet).

For the Republicans, a romp-home victory for Mitt Romney. 51% of the vote he got. Yes, the same as Clinton, and I wasn’t calling her victory a romp-home one. That’s because second place, in Nevada, was bleeding Ron Paul! And he only got 14% of the vote. That’s insane, because now he gets 4 delegates. Romney gets 18 for his vote. In third place was John McCain, on 13%, and walks away with 4 delegates too. Mike Huckabee was 4th, with 8% and 2 delegates, Fred Thompson was 5th, 8% and 2 delegates, and 6th was Rudy Giuliani, 4% and 1 delegate.

In as-big news, South Carolina is holding its primary for the Republican candidates today. But that’s for a different titled post.

Thomas.