Doing the Impossible

Hillary would have to win 69% to 70% of the delegates in every remaining state in order to catch Obama. He [NBC's Chuck Todd] then says that if Obama and Clinton split Indiana and North Carolina on May 6, as expected, then she'd need to win 80% of the delegates in every remaining state. Basically impossible.

[John Aravosis, "NBC's Chuck Todd: Impossible for Hillary to catch up", AMERICAblog, 22 April 2008]

Clearly it is not "impossible", since they say, right there, what has to happen, and that is possible. Very unlikely, perhaps, but not "impossible", not even "basically impossible".

If there's one thing that has irritated me during this Democratic primary is the repeated claim that it is impossible for Hillary to win. I'm afraid that, as a scientist, I have a different idea about what "impossible" means and until one of the candidates has garnered a majority of delegates it is still possible for the other one to win.

If it's one thing I can't stand it's imprecision. Well, imprecision and bad manners. Okay, two things.

Posted on April 22, 2008 at 22.36 by jns · Permalink
In: All, Current Events, Raised Eyebrows Dept.

One Response

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  1. Written by S.W. Anderson
    on Wednesday, 23 April 2008 at 21.52
    Permalink

    Precision is not a hallmark of American English, norms of conversation and even published written material. For just one personal-favorite example that cuts across all three, I will point to that ever popular term, "the general public." As opposed to what, the private public?

    Regarding Clinton's situation, in the universe of all possible things, let's just say that the chances of Mrs. Comeback Kid croaking of natural causes, only to be brought back to life by a bolt of lightning, something like Elsa Lanchester's reawakening in "The Bride of Frankenstein," are also possible but extremely remote. About as remote as we here in the cold, dreary inland NW getting an 80-degree day before, say, mid July.

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