Are we like the Soviet Union?

I just read this article about Mike Huckabee's reaction to the Washington state caucuses. The state Republican election official called the race for McCain when he was only leading by a little over 200 votes. Huckabee reacted by saying that this was like the Soviet Union, because he wasn't given a fair shake. I thought this was relevant because we talked about how media coverage has contributed to political apathy. When the race is called before all votes are counted - or even cast - are we doing detriment to the political process? This blog from concernedjournalists.org explains how the networks make the call, but I still think it's important for everyone who wants to vote to feel like their vote will count...even if it doesn't. Any thoughts???