Of course, this isn’t the end as Team Coleman will continue to argue whatever they can to steal it if they didn’t win.
Thanks to the invaluable service The UpTake has been providing, thousands of people watched the end of recount live. As of moments ago, Franken leads with 225 votes. While there may be some changes between now and when the results are certified, there is little that Team Coleman can argue to do to that would give them a realistic chance to close the gap to their favor.
225. Eat it, naysayers. Very fair and open process. Franken would have won by a larger margin if Coleman hadn’t gamed pile five.
Supreme court will likely slap down his last feeble attempt easier than a fly in late October.
So Coleman won round 1, on election night, and Franken won round 2, the recount. When does the tiebreaker begin? Best of three, right?
I haven’t heard much from those naysayers that thought we should have endorsed JNP last summer….I think we made a great choice, and as people get to know the Al Franken I know, they will love him…he cares and will do what’s right for Minnesota and the country!
As someone who votes Republican about 80% of the time, I have no problem seeing good, capable, civil public servants represent me in DC even if they are Democrat. I can name several Democrats who I think do a good job when going to Washington to represent the citizens of Minnesota. Amy Klobuchar comes to mind. So does Tim Walz. Collin Peterson, too.
But I have to say, I have the same pit-in-my-stomach feeling sending Al Franken to DC on behalf of Minnesotans as I did two years ago when we first sent Michelle Bachmann. And it turns out that my instincts about Bachmann were right.
Let’s hope I’m wrong on Franken. But only time will tell. I’ll be able to tell you in about 2011 if he is a respectful and reasoned voice for Minnesota. For tonight, all I know is that Hollywood is happy.
I thought we needed to dump Al last summer because it looked to me like his campaign was DOA. I was wrong.
This seat is a lightning rod and a few GOPers bought 6 year calendars. Can Pawlenty find something to do to keep him the public eye for 4 years?
Thanks for your reporting on the Senate race Aaron!
WOO HOO!!! One less criminal Republican in office! The whole world won today. And the war criminals lose power in 20 days. A sigh of relief for us all (except war criminals!)
Better take some zantac, Dan.
Franken is going to represent Minnesota very well. We are a left of center state, no doubt. Franken is very much the centrist. We’re going to have to drag him left to where the average Minnesotan stands.
Lojasmo - Statistically, there is no need to worry about Zantac Dan being wrong, his track record is in our favor 100%! What he represents scares the living shit out of already chickenshit, chickenhawk rethugs!
“Franken is very much the centrist.”
If he is, he’ll have my full support. You might be the first person I’ve heard say that, and I hope you’re right.
As a diehard DFLer Franken the candidate for the Wellstone Seat scared me.
Bottom line, Al Franken has guts and he’s an SOB about being compassionate for the regular people. Greedy corporations and heartless capitalists fear those qualities. Crazy that we got someone like him in, could you imagine my personal favorite Michael Moore running in Michigan?
DtM
Speak to any Dean supporter from 2004 regarding Franken’s support of Kerry.
Franken is a left-centrist, at the very leftiest. I’d peg him as a centrist, for sure. I really only got on board because he was a friend of Wellstone’s, and because my wife is 100% sold on Frannie and Tomasin.
I like him, and I think he stands for some good democratic values but I think you’re going to be more pleased with his legislation than I will, Dan.
Dan, your fears about Franken confuse me. He’s never presented himself as a radical of any kind, only someone who is passionate and speaks what he believes. If that angers you, if that hurts you…well, we know you voted for someone else. But it hardly makes someone to be embarrassed about.
Al will be a good Senator. He cares deeply about people and will fight hard to promote the best of Minnesota and the United States.
Veterans should be very happy with Al’s election, because he will be one of the greatest friends they will find in Congress. He takes Wellstone’s legacy very seriously. A notable veteran friend of mine used to say whatever you thought of Wellstone’s politics on some issues, he was the best friend a veteran ever had, and I expect Franken to be in the same mold.
Al will speak truth to power, no matter who holds it, and that’s a good thing for everyone.
He’s not a perfect person (and he knows it). But he’s passionate and works hard. He tries to do what’s right every day. He’s smart and stubborn and puts the little guy first. That’s the kind of person I want as a Senator, and Al will do great.
The real question: will Norm step aside, or will he try and drag this out as long as possible and hang on to power? Will Norm show some class and dignity? Will he show respect for the result or contest it? Will Norm try to bring Minnesota together, or will he do everything he can to make divisions between republican and democrat as deep as possible?
To this point, everything has been dictated by law. the recount was mandatory. A contest is strictly at the will of the candidate in question. What will Norman do?
Who cares what this Dan character, who obviously has no life since he spends most of it hanging around this blog, and whose insecurity in his masculinity is painfully obvious in his need to assert it each time he posts, thinks? Go ahead and spend your time trying to hash out exactly where Franken stands on the political spectrum. No one cares what you think. Bottom line is Franken won, too bad for you.
Shouldn’t the headline be, “Franken All But Wins ELECTION”?
“Will Norm show some class and dignity? Will he show respect for the result or contest it?”
Say Josh have you read a Minnesota newspaper or had a conversation with a knowledgeable and politically astute Minnesotan in the last oh, 24 years? Just asking because putting the words “class” and “dignity” in the same sentence as Norm Coleman is kind of pointless. Perhaps a few minutes googling will clear that up for you?
I’m prepared to watch Norm Coleman embarrass himself, the Republican Party, and the human race in his efforts to hold onto money and power.
/joke
DanTheMan said:
“So Coleman won round 1, on election night, and Franken won round 2, the recount. When does the tiebreaker begin? Best of three, right?”
The recount is not a separate contest. It is an process to verify the results from the actual election. Coleman didn’t win anything on election night because that was not indicative of the votes cast. Franken didn’t “win” the recount, the recount showed that Franken won the election. Saying anything else is dishonest and casts unwarranted doubt on our electoral process. Point to one moment when the recount wasn’t entirely fair and open. Both campaigns had the exact same opportunities and every ballot was counted with full access given to both campaigns and every single challenge was resolved in an open, broadcasted meeting. So no Franken didn’t win the recount, the recount shows Franken won the election. Franken 1, Coleman 0. And that’s the game.
Franken is a muslim, wasn’t born in the U.S. of A. and is a baby killer. I know it’s true because I saw it in an email and then I did some follow-up at the library just like that fine lady did who spoke up at the McCain town hall right here in Minn. She found out Obama was an Arab and I found out that Franken is one, too. Be afraid Minnesnowtons, be very afraid. I think the Lizard Person would have made a safer Senator than this scary man who calls himself Franken. What do we really know about him???????
I hope in the years to come, people look at what we did here in Minnesota and contrast that with what happened with the Washington guv race in 2004 and the presidential race in Florida in 2000. To me, much of the grumbling in the state about the recount process comes from the fact we set the bar really high for electoral integrity. National pundits have, for the most part, raved about how the entire process has been handled.
That being said, I do hope that when the proverbial dust settles, we can look at the areas in our election law that need fine tuning. Adopt early voting, take a serious look at IRV, and continue to upgrade out counting machines. Unrealistic to expect that? Perhaps. But hey, we can hope, right?
Archer, well said.