Voters, Press and Everyone But Team Coleman Says: Let The Voters Decide The Outcome

Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Coleman’s call for Franken to waive the recount should go unheeded. Let the recount proceed.

Candidates’ claims of victory or concessions of defeat don’t decide elections. Certified vote totals do.

Saint Paul Pioneer Press:

We’re going to have a recount. We need a recount. It is not up to the candidates. It is up to the voters.

Rochester Post-Bulletin:

Sen. Norm Coleman says Democratic challenger Al Franken should accept defeat, renounce his right to an automatic recount and let Minnesota move on. “I just think the need for the healing process is so important.”

We respectfully disagree.

Worthington Daily Globe:

For Coleman to suggest that Franken is wasting state money by allowing a recount to go forward undermines the fact that the recount law was enacted to ensure the fairest election possible.

…

…the tradition of Minnesota’s strong election turnout should by all means upheld by securing a truly accurate result.

Fergus Falls Daily Journal:

Coleman said Wednesday that Franken should consider stepping aside.

We believe that to do so would be wrong.

We agree with Franken, who said Thursday on Minnesota Public Radio that “candidates don’t get to decide when an election’s over - voters do.”

Bemidji Pioneer:

We hope both campaigns just step back, observe and participate in the eventual recount and accept whatever results arise. Minnesota voters do not want to see the vitriol continue to exchange between these two candidates.

Fairmont Sentinel:

It’s hard to believe we’re writing this, but it’s clear that Franken - known for his over-the-top humor and partisan antics - is the one acting with class in this serious situation.

Voters, indeed, deserve to know the outcome of a recount. It’s not up to those who may or may not be the winner.

Comedy Central’s Indecision 2008:

It’s called “Minnesota nice,” and Sen. Norm Coleman is chock full of it! Especially when he encourages his opponent in a razor-thin election to just give up and let him win.

The state’s official election tally has Coleman atop challenger Stuart “Al Franken” Smalley by a mere 477 votes. By Minnesota law, a margin this small automatically goes to a recount, which, given voting irregularities claimed by Franken’s team, could lead to a different final outcome.

Coleman, meanwhile, has taken the gracious step of suggesting the Franken decline a recount so that he (Coleman) can take his leadership abilities, along with his teeth and hair, back to Washington, where they belong…

Regarding the recount, if you didn’t catch Secretary of State Mark Ritchie on MPR’s Midday today, Bob Collins has a full recap as well as the audio. Despite the partisan attacks from Team Coleman, I believe the Secretary of State office has shown strong integrity and I think Minnesotans should be proud of this process.