2008 Senate Matchups: Minnesota

[Adlai Stevenson]

The site of the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota statewide also sees a highly competetive Senate race.  Senator Norm Coleman, a Republican narrowly elected in 2002, faces Democratic comedian, author and President of Air America, a nationwide left-wing broadcaster, Al Franken.

Having faced stiff competetion in the DFL primary, Franken defeats former state Attorney General Mike Hatch and attorney Ford Bell in a surprising upset. Derided by his primary opponents and inexperienced, Franken comes out swinging against Coleman calling him 'incompetent' and a 'conservative wolf in sheep's clothing'.  Despite this, the GOP Senator styles himself a moderate. The central issue of the campaign appears to be the Iraq War.  Franken sharply criticises Coleman for failing to stand-up to George W. Bush and for being humiliated by British MP George Galloway.  Coleman insists he did stand-up to Bush and calls attention to himself as an independent. 

Franken is seen by some as a lightweight, however, he energises the grassroots in a close race.  With presidential polls showing Minnesota leaning toward the Democratic column, the Senate race is tight.  Coleman begins with a 45%-36% lead but by October Franken leads 48%-47%.  The NRSC makes defence of the seat a top priority, with pivotal ads highlighting Franken's lack of governmental experience.  Franken, however, stumps alongside Bill Clinton, Amy Klobuchar and Mike Hatch.  Going into November, the race is rated a pure toss-up.

[Rob]

Rybak would be a far superior candidate, but Franken wins.

[WalterMitty]

Rybak would be a far superior candidate, but Franken wins.

lol

[Rob]

Franken is a joke, but Coleman is a terrible fit for the state. It'll be hilarious to watch lil' Normy scramble for the center over the next two years, only to be Santorumized and humiliated at the polls.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Hutchinson wouldn't be a big factor in this race. He wouldn't do any better than Fitzgerald did.

The only reason he did so well in the Governor's race is there were lots of people who hated both Hatch and Pawlenty.

[WalterMitty]

Franken is a joke, but Coleman is a terrible fit for the state. It'll be hilarious to watch lil' Normy scramble for the center over the next two years, only to be Santorumized and humiliated at the polls.

youre suffering from the brtd syndrome....thinking every election year from here on out will have the same atmosphere as 2006. 

i also think it is a mighty big stretch to compare coleman to santorum.

[Eraserhead]

Coleman. I would love to see Franken speaking on the Senate floor though. It would certainly boost C-SPAN's ratings.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Franken is a joke, but Coleman is a terrible fit for the state. It'll be hilarious to watch lil' Normy scramble for the center over the next two years, only to be Santorumized and humiliated at the polls.

youre suffering from the brtd syndrome....thinking every election year from here on out will have the same atmosphere as 2006. 

i also think it is a mighty big stretch to compare coleman to santorum.

Remember this?

Klobuchar by 8.

lol!

It's also not a stretch to compare Coleman to Kennedy, and well, we saw in this race what Minnesota thinks of moron Bushbots.

[Rococo4]

Franken is a joke, but Coleman is a terrible fit for the state. It'll be hilarious to watch lil' Normy scramble for the center over the next two years, only to be Santorumized and humiliated at the polls.

youre suffering from the brtd syndrome....thinking every election year from here on out will have the same atmosphere as 2006. 

i also think it is a mighty big stretch to compare coleman to santorum.

agreed.....every year is not 2006.  Coleman should beat Franken, in light of what happened last time the state elected a non-politican to such a high office in a major race (Ventura)

[WalterMitty]

Franken is a joke, but Coleman is a terrible fit for the state. It'll be hilarious to watch lil' Normy scramble for the center over the next two years, only to be Santorumized and humiliated at the polls.

youre suffering from the brtd syndrome....thinking every election year from here on out will have the same atmosphere as 2006. 

i also think it is a mighty big stretch to compare coleman to santorum.

Remember this?

Klobuchar by 8.

lol!

It's also not a stretch to compare Coleman to Kennedy, and well, we saw in this race what Minnesota thinks of moron Bushbots.

well i reckon those minnesota senate seats are just 'gone for good'  eh?

if norm coleman can beat an icon (in delusional democrat's minds) walter mondale, he sure as hell can beat a failed radio talk show host and comedy writer.

[Adlai Stevenson]

2002 was a different though, the most recent GOP equivalent of a 2006.  I think Franken would barely beat Coleman, something in the region of:

MINNESOTA SENATE
Franken (D) 49%
Coleman (R) 48%
Fitzgerald (I) 2%

[WalterMitty]

2002 was a different though, the most recent GOP equivalent of a 2006.  I think Franken would barely beat Coleman, something in the region of:

MINNESOTA SENATE
Franken (D) 49%
Coleman (R) 48%
Fitzgerald (I) 2%

it most certainly wasnt the gop equivalent of 2006.

2002 had a slight gop lean. 

[Keystone Phil]

2002 was a different though, the most recent GOP equivalent of a 2006.  I think Franken would barely beat Coleman, something in the region of:

MINNESOTA SENATE
Franken (D) 49%
Coleman (R) 48%
Fitzgerald (I) 2%

it most certainly wasnt the gop equivalent of 2006.

2002 had a slight gop lean. 

Exactly. If anything, 2004 was more GOP.

[Adlai Stevenson]

The national vote was slightly more GOP in 2002, 2004 was almost dead even.  If the Colorado Senate race between Salazar and Coors had taken place in 2002 - Coors would have won, for example. 

[nini2287]

Coleman (R) 49%
Franken (D) 42%
Hutchinson (I) 9%

[WalterMitty]

  If the Colorado Senate race between Salazar and Coors had taken place in 2002 - Coors would have won, for example. 

i disagree.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I hope the people who are voting for Franken think its someone else:

Coleman 59%
Franken 34%
Hutchinson 7%

[Alcon]

I hope the people who are voting for Franken think its someone else:

Coleman 59%
Franken 34%
Hutchinson 7%

Yeah...no.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I hope the people who are voting for Franken think its someone else:

Coleman 59%
Franken 34%
Hutchinson 7%

Yeah...no.

Well see, still a long way off, this prediction I actually believe

[© tweed]

Coleman with over 50%

[Alcon]

I hope the people who are voting for Franken think its someone else:

Coleman 59%
Franken 34%
Hutchinson 7%

Yeah...no.

Well see, still a long way off, this prediction I actually believe

It could happen.  But there's no real indication that it will.

[DownWithTheLeft]

I hope the people who are voting for Franken think its someone else:

Coleman 59%
Franken 34%
Hutchinson 7%

Yeah...no.

Well see, still a long way off, this prediction I actually believe

It could happen.  But there's no real indication that it will.

Again, but what's the fun of making a mainstream prediction?

[Alcon]

Again, but what's the fun of making a mainstream prediction?

Why is a non-mainstream one any more fun?

[DownWithTheLeft]

Again, but what's the fun of making a mainstream prediction?

Why is a non-mainstream one any more fun?

Because if you just have people spewing out the same boring prediction there's no debate

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Franken is a joke, but Coleman is a terrible fit for the state. It'll be hilarious to watch lil' Normy scramble for the center over the next two years, only to be Santorumized and humiliated at the polls.

youre suffering from the brtd syndrome....thinking every election year from here on out will have the same atmosphere as 2006. 

i also think it is a mighty big stretch to compare coleman to santorum.

Remember this?

Klobuchar by 8.

lol!

It's also not a stretch to compare Coleman to Kennedy, and well, we saw in this race what Minnesota thinks of moron Bushbots.

well i reckon those minnesota senate seats are just 'gone for good'  eh?

if norm coleman can beat an icon (in delusional democrat's minds) walter mondale, he sure as hell can beat a failed radio talk show host and comedy writer.

I'm not saying Franken is a good candidate (which he certainly isn't). Just pointing out that your Minnesota prediction this year was so laughable you aren't exactly in the position to make definitive statements on it.

And the predictions with Hutchinson doing better than he did in the Governor's race are rather ridiculous. Barely anyone knows anything about the guy. The only reason he did so well is there were tons of people who hated both Hatch and Pawlenty.