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

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

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

[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?

[emailking]

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.

I don't think this is correct. It's 2 different issues. Some ballots that can't go through the machines (because they're crumpled or whatever) or are absentee ballots on normal paper (not thick enough) are copied and the copies are sent through the machines. Coleman is arguing over 100 of these were counted twice in the hand recount, once for the original ballot and once for the copy that was sent through the machine on election night.

[Lunar]

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.

It's not my opinion any more than simple analysis of polls is my opinion.  Everyone knows a generic (D) would have done FAR better than Franken and that Coleman wasn't that popular.

If your point of view represents a substantive minority of this forum (and I don't think it does), I could try and break down the polls for you to prove Franken's personal distaste brought him down.

[Wiz in Wis]

I have an idea... count all of the rejected absentees and find out how much the winner actually won by... This technicality bs is driving me batty. The Minn Sup Court royally f'd up by not just creating some standards by which absentees are rejected. It would have taken only an extra day or two. Now we have this cooperation BS.

[Ronnie]

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

[panda_priest]

Franken down to 48 votes.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Did those 100 ballots all for Franken timestamped two days early get counted?

[Marokai Backbeat]

Franken down to 48 votes.

That was expected.

[Lunar]

indeed, that's not "down" at all.

Especially because Coleman's best argument, which is sketch, at best, results in a net loss of 46 for Franken.

[Lunar]

Supreme Court shot down Coleman's last argument.

Franken winning is an inevitability assuming the rejected absentees don't favor Coleman which would be freakish.

Merry Christmas?

[Lunar]

And Sam's a Blue NY almost instantly

Waiting for the secret info though!

[Sam Spade]

And Sam's a Blue NY almost instantly

Waiting for the secret info though!

Do you have a life outside this forum? 

Just joking...

[Lunar]

And Sam's a Blue NY almost instantly

Waiting for the secret info though!

Do you have a life outside this forum? 

Just joking...

or are you?
it's taken a while to work up the effort to do stuff due to hangoverdom

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I don't normally show up here on Christmas Day, but the thought of watching this "present" unfold is... tempting...

[Ronnie]

I should have invested more.

[Lunar]

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

[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.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I have another reason to go to church tonight!

[ilikeverin]

I have another reason to go to church tonight!

...to pray for the well-being of our fair state

Not that it would have been any different if Coleman were winning, o/c.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Interestingly enough the church I was just at might've contained enough people inside to give Franken his margin of victory (Considering the location, it being basically endorsed by the City Pages, and the overall lean of theology....)

Hell the Lawrence Arms show I went to Friday might've had enough people inside to give Franken his margin of victory. As would've the audience when I saw Milk. My workplace might even...

[Eraserhead]

Six amusing years coming our way!

Merry Christmas everyone!

[opebo]

Hooray!

[Rob]

[Holmes]

Six amusing years coming our way!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Happy Chanukah!