Comments on: Franken-Coleman Recount Update, 12/21/08: Mea Dopa!

By: JohnEmerson

JohnEmerson — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:46:14 +0000

A lot of the “stolen election” talk traces back to John Lott. Lott has been famously wrong before, and he’s wrong about Coleman-Franken.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/c.....7/franken/

http://www.minnpost.com/braubl.....rong_again

http://www.minnpost.com/braubl.....t_misleads

By: bnau

bnau — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:24:40 +0000

Cross-posted at TPM
This was an election about which I felt really disappointed on election nt. I was very excited about having Al in the senate, a very funny but articulate true progressive. And when have we ever had one of those. I’ve been so heartened by the discussion and projections of the recount (thanks Nate), but again the actual process at first seemed to be going in the wrong direction. Finally Al is ahead and apparently is going to win.
Now it seems even more important to have Al in the senate, what with all the MSM, blue dogs, Bayh and his idiot followers and their “center right nation” bull crap. Also given the rather less than progressive cabinet and things like the Warren fiasco, it should be fabulous fun having Al speaking out on the tube if the MSM actually puts him on. (Not that I’m that upset by Obama’s picks for his cabinet in general) I do believe Al will be invited on the squawk shows as a DEM spokesman even if he does upset the “Village” because he’s just too damned entertaining to keep him off.
“Because he’s good enough, he’s smart enough, and doggone it people like him!”

By: JohnEmerson

JohnEmerson — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:56:53 +0000

It looks like things are going to get nasty now. Coleman is talking to one of Bush’s Florida 2000 experts (a guy involved with the Swiftboaters too).

By: Phoenix Woman

Phoenix Woman — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:10:47 +0000

Dear Norske:

The Supremes are if anything mightily ticked at Norm Coleman for wasting their time. Plus, one of them is Alan Page (yes, that Alan Page) and he is a good egg.

Never fret, Norske! Now go dish yourself up some rommegrot!

Dear LetterMan:

It is, indeed! And you’re welcome!

By: LetterMan

LetterMan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:56:02 +0000

Excellent news, PW!

With luck, you Minnesotans will be getting a new Senator, just like we Alaskans did when we showed Uncle Ted the door.

(thanks for the Christmas card, by the way!)

By: NorskeFlamethrower

NorskeFlamethrower — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:49:24 +0000

1,864 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Phoenix Woman and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

Thanks for the post Sister PW but from my igloo over here in western Wisconsin I find I’ve missed a bunch the last couple a weeks…what happened to the wrongly rejected absentee ballots, isn’t the prospect that the Supreme Court is gunna hafta make a detremination on those too and it looks ta me like the Supremes ain’t enthusiastic about takin any of their holiday time with the task…might they jest be cranky enough about it to to sumpthin stupid?

And as long as I gotcha here, when is the Minnesota DFL gunna come to its senses and make a frontal assault on the Independence Party and tatoo those bastards to Coleman and Pawlenty? As long as the Independence Party survives, the Republican Party of Minnesota will not be able to take its rightful place with the No-nothing Party and the Whigs.

MERRY FUCKIN’ xMAS AND…

KEEP THE FAITH AND DON’T LET THOSE BASTARDS INTO YER YARD!!!

By: JohnEmerson

JohnEmerson — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:28:07 +0000

I was pointing out how close the election was, cinnamonape.

There really weren’t that many bad ballots (1000 or less out of 2.9 million). People keep forgetting that it was a freakishly close election and for that reason, everything is important.

By: cinnamonape

cinnamonape — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:20:15 +0000

A coin flip trial? These are votes…not tests to see if a coin is “true”. That said, trying to infer the voter intent of many of those ballots is an exercise that defies the skill of anyone. There are many very difficult decisions even when the canvassers are trying to be utterly fair to the voter. I’d say that both candidates and parties can point to this race and say…”if you really want your vote counted…don’t treat the ballot as a joke.” As well people need to be educated that if they make an error on their ballot they need to obtain a new one.

I’m not much a fan of a run-off, though. Generally it brings out a different set of folks than voted in the original election, though it would give “voice” to those who may have voted for the 3rd Party candidate.

By: eCAHNomics

eCAHNomics — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:23:18 +0000

Heh. Palmieri’s big foot on ThinkProgress underscores ThinkProgress’s editorial independence, according to ThinkProgress.
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/.....ependence/
Here’s Teddy’s post on the subject from earlier today.
http://firedoglake.com/2008/12.....-yglesias/

By: JohnEmerson

JohnEmerson — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:22:41 +0000

When the margin is 0.007%, counting the votes is going to be tricky. Most coin flip trials with 2.9 million flips will show a bigger gap than that.

Contrary to all the lame scuttlebutt, this election has gone along routinely and almost on schedule, with no serious problems. This isn’t an entertainment event arranged for the viewer’s pleasure, and there’s no real urgency. (The republic can survive with 99 Senators). The bogus urgency in Florida 2000 was a big part of the reason why that was such a horrible mess.