MN Sen Recount (UPDATE: Stuart Smalley certified winner, lawsuit forthcoming)

[Ronnie]

I'm depressed.  This is the one race that I wanted to win, but ended up losing it.  This sucks.

[Ronnie]

I'm proud that I voted for Bill Ayers as a write-in over Lorie Skjerven Gildea.

Dunno if I'm the first person to ask this, but why didn't you vote for Franken?

[Ronnie]

I'm proud that I voted for Bill Ayers as a write-in over Lorie Skjerven Gildea.

Dunno if I'm the first person to ask this, but why didn't you vote for Franken?

I proudly voted for Franken. I also have one of his bumper stickers on my car.

Then for which office was this?: "I'm proud that I voted for Bill Ayers as a write-in over Lorie Skjerven Gildea"

[Ronnie]

Nate Silver has it at Coleman +1 if anyone cares.  But it assumes that the current rates of pick-up continue.

God, I hope this happens.  If Coleman won by one vote, it would mean total chaos.

[Ronnie]

Franken's almost certainly going to win, and I don't think that there's much evidence that Coleman would steal the election (if he wins), especially since this is in Democratic Minnesota.

[Ronnie]

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/36406524.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUac8HEaDiaMDCinchO7DU

Minnesota Supremes rule against Coleman

It's over.

[Ronnie]

This article argues that the ruling could help Coleman.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/minnesota-supreme-court-sides-with-coleman-2008-12-18.html

Hm.

[Ronnie]

The Star-Tribune is saying that Franken will win by 89 votes.

Well, this is a horrible ending.  Life moves on...

[Ronnie]

Does Coleman have a chance or not?  I'm so confused. 

[Ronnie]

What Coleman is referring to is the 113 ballots that simply went missing in a Minneapolis precinct. At first it was assumed those ballots were initially just counted twice, but then it was proven the numbers don't add up. So as strange as it sounds, those ballots did simply go missing. The Canvassing Board has basically agreed to just use the original count in that precinct. Coleman however continues to cling to the argument they were double counted. His arguments really are similar to J. J.'s Bradley Effect arguments and just as taken seriously by anyone besides his campaign, but it's his last argument.

If that is what he is talking about, then I hope he wins his lawsuit and they don't count any absentees because he'll win by exactly 1 vote since didn't Franken gain 47 in that precinct?   Thus the election will be stolen, Democrats everywhere will be outraged, Republicans will look bad, and Franken won't be an unappealing face for the Democrats in national politics.

Luckily for Franken supporters, not gonna happen.

[Ronnie]

I see Coleman was a WAY bigger embarrassment to my state than Franken.

How would you know?  He has never been elected to public office before.

[Ronnie]

If O'Reilly doesn't cover the Minnesota senate race any time soon, I'm considering e-mailing him and asking him what his opinion is of Al Franken becoming the apparent senator-elect.  How would that work out?

[Ronnie]

I see Coleman was a WAY bigger embarrassment to my state than Franken.

Of course.  But Coleman doesn't come across as personally distasteful to the average voter.

This is your opinion. And I'm pretty sure that is irrelevant in the grand scheme. What does matter is what Minnesota thinks of Al Franken, and he, at this point, has received more votes than Norm Coleman.

You do realize that Franken won solely due to coattails, right?  Coleman would have won by 10+ points if the state was 50-50 in the presidential election.

Obviously, this doesn't matter, but Coleman did an excellent job in running 10 points ahead of McCain.

[Ronnie]

There were no coattails. Both Franken and Coleman underran their party's presidential nominees.

Do you actually deny that Coleman would have won if the Democrat didn't win by 10 in the presidential election?

[Ronnie]

Coleman just narrowed the margin by 2 votes...whoopie doo.  At least progress is being made, though.

[Ronnie]

I should have invested more.

[Ronnie]

Well a vote in Minnesota cost $25 dollars - not counting post-election legal fundraising.

But since both sides had 36 million, I'm not sure what the extra money would have done

I probably would have paid an extra 1000 or so if I were to affect a senate seat.

[Ronnie]

Stop depressing me, Lunar.

[Ronnie]

Stop depressing me, Lunar.

As a Democrat, I didn't want him to win either.  But you were the one calling the race for Franken on this thread long before the facts came in.  Might as well get used to it.

Having 59 seats is bad for Dems for another reason - every single race in 2010 will become a referendum on 60.

I understand, it's just that it's so difficult for me to understand why anyone would vote for such a clown to represent their state.  Obviously, I'm bitter, and deservedly so.

[Ronnie]

Well, I guess we disagree.  Like I've said, I've read his books and I  think I understand a bit of how he thinks.

But he's an unappealing figurehead of Democrats and someone prone to general embarrassment or outbursts or other silliness that could catch onto news cycles.

But whatevsky, we'll probably disagree on his effectiveness towards accomplishing a national Democratic agenda, but could we at leasts agree that if Coleman appeared to have "stolen" this election - it would have helped Democrat activism for 2010 and onwards?

Oh yeah, the Democrats did awesome in 2002 after everyone knew Bush stole the 2000 election. Anyways, obviously you personally dislike Franken, but that's probably because he's not right-wing enough for a right-winger like you.

I don't think your definition of "right wing" matters to anyone on this forum but you, 'ol Jfern.

[Ronnie]

I hate asking this, but is there any possibility Coleman gets his request in the court?

[Ronnie]

Congrats, senator-elect Franken.  As disgusting as you are, you will be the next senator.

[Ronnie]

I must say he was surprisingly calm, give than he decided to address it. This man absolutely loathes Franken. It goes back like 5-6 years.

Well, MN is on his "corruption watch" now. lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpOSgT-osHk

Bill: "Hey, SHUT UP. SHUT UP! You had your 35 minutes, SHUT UP."

Good times.

That's exactly why I love Bill O'Reilly.