Democracy in Action

December 17, 2008 12:43 PM

Minnesota recount live!
posted by bonobothegreat (104 comments total)

This is almost as exciting as the first count.
posted by An Infinity Of Monkeys at 12:47 PM on December 17, 2008 [3 favorites]

It's hypnotic.
posted by jquinby at 12:48 PM on December 17, 2008

Wouldn't it make sense to just have a re-vote?
posted by Electrius at 12:48 PM on December 17, 2008

I like the transparency. I'm glad they're doing this.
posted by rokusan at 12:48 PM on December 17, 2008

Wow. I like this. I'm not sure why.
posted by bristolcat at 12:49 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

In fact, I have a "Dan the Automator" pandora station playing in the background, and the two mesh in an oddly interesting way.
posted by jquinby at 12:50 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

You got Fargo in my Twelve Angry Men! You got Twelve Angry Men in my Fargo!
posted by Bromius at 12:51 PM on December 17, 2008 [6 favorites]

St. Cloud Precinct 1 REPRESENT OWOOOOOOOO!
posted by boo_radley at 12:52 PM on December 17, 2008

"If I had to make a call on this one—oh, which I do!"
posted by carsonb at 12:52 PM on December 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

here comes the overvote ballot for franken...
posted by boo_radley at 12:53 PM on December 17, 2008

OH SHIT, FRANKEN TAKES ST CLOUD PRECINT SIX!
posted by boo_radley at 12:53 PM on December 17, 2008

This is better than the Christmas Log.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:55 PM on December 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

I love this. It's ponderous, tedious, and hypnotic. I hope they just recount forever, and I can watch Coleman's lead rise and sjrink for the rest of my life.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:55 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

check that checkmark... when will voters respect the process.
posted by boo_radley at 12:56 PM on December 17, 2008

Electrius: "Wouldn't it make sense to just have a re-vote?"

No, that makes no sense at all. As far as I know, there have been no reports of systemic irregularities, and no one is questioning whether the vote was manipulated or rigged or anything. The voting went fine, so there's no reason expect a re-vote to go any differently. In fact, if they were to have another vote, polls indicate the results would probably be the same. Plus elections aren't free, especially in a state the size of Minnesota. It takes a lot of people and effort to pull off a state-wide election. Not to mention the recount is the legally required mechanism to establish the winner. A re-vote would be an arbitrary effort and there's only one reason to do it: you're impatient to know the answer.
posted by Plutor at 12:58 PM on December 17, 2008

Puppycam of Politics!

Who's the cute one?
posted by The Whelk at 12:58 PM on December 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

Wouldn't it make sense to just have a re-vote?

I'd bet that would cost $10 million.
posted by Ironmouth at 12:58 PM on December 17, 2008

In fact, I have a "Dan the Automator" pandora station playing in the background, and the two mesh in an oddly interesting way.

Sadly it's not working so well with my "Sepultura".
posted by mannequito at 12:59 PM on December 17, 2008

"Oh hey Chad, whatcha doin?"
"Jus' Hangin'"

WHAT, AM I TOO 2004 FOR THE ROOM?
posted by Jofus at 12:59 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

"Where's an X when you need one..?"

......

"HAHAHAHAHAHAOHGODTHISISSOMINDNUMBINGHAHAHA"

But yeah, somehow hypnotic.
posted by pyrex at 12:59 PM on December 17, 2008

all in favor...all in favor...all in favor (turntable scratching) ...say "aye"

"AYE!"

...and the beat goes on.
posted by jquinby at 1:02 PM on December 17, 2008

Firefox no likee. And Coleman is going to win in the end - so it's depressing.
posted by Joe Beese at 1:02 PM on December 17, 2008

WHAT, AM I TOO 2004 FOR THE ROOM?

Wrong election.
posted by billysumday at 1:02 PM on December 17, 2008

What, no Yakety Sax?
posted by SPrintF at 1:02 PM on December 17, 2008

And Coleman is going to win in the end - so it's depressing.

Actually, the Star Trib is projecting a Franken win. So I guess we just have to keep glued to recount feed and wait.
posted by Bromius at 1:04 PM on December 17, 2008

For the candidates there was no real downside to challenging ballots, and because challenged ballots were immediately subtracted from the counts reported by the media, there was a big upside. So they challenged like crazy. For example, Coleman started challenging ballots because they included votes for both McCain and Franken, which he considered impossible.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:06 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

This is about as ponderous as Franken himself. I know nothing about the dude he's running against, but anything's gotta be better than Al Franken.
posted by VicNebulous at 1:10 PM on December 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

BRETT FARVE.
posted by boo_radley at 1:10 PM on December 17, 2008

is that Ron Perlman as chair?
posted by boo_radley at 1:11 PM on December 17, 2008

I know nothing about the dude he's running against, but anything's gotta be better than Al Franken.

The first part of this sentence is clear from the second part.
posted by Pollomacho at 1:11 PM on December 17, 2008 [34 favorites]

American Democracy grinds on. And I mean that in a good way!
posted by Ron Thanagar at 1:14 PM on December 17, 2008

I just saw the movie Recount and I keep thinking of the scene where the counters hid themselves away in what looked like a upper floor utility closet, in order to avoid a unruly pro-Bush mob that was bussed in to disrupt the recounting. Compared to that this looks so damn, oh, democratic and civilized.
posted by tula at 1:14 PM on December 17, 2008

I read Rush Limbaugh Is A Big, Fat Idiot as a kid and dispite the title, it was a really intelligent book. Franken has been a hardcore wonk for a long time. I really hope he wins.
posted by saul wright at 1:16 PM on December 17, 2008 [3 favorites]

THAT'S SENATOR BRETT FAVRE TO YOU, MORTAL.
posted by Rhaomi at 1:16 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

So I guess we just have to keep glued to recount feed and wait.

That's not the Democrat way! Our way is to just get depressed and know in our hearts that we're just gonna lose anyway. Avoids disappointment.
posted by fungible at 1:20 PM on December 17, 2008 [3 favorites]

As someone who works in politics, I can assure you that much more of it is like this video than is like this one.
posted by athenian at 1:20 PM on December 17, 2008

I just saw the movie Recount and I keep thinking of the scene where the counters hid themselves away in what looked like a upper floor utility closet...

I keep thinking of Laura Dern as Katherine Harris. And I like it...

I need help.
posted by Joe Beese at 1:22 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

I know nothing about the dude he's running against, but anything's gotta be better than Al Franken.

Norm Coleman:
Coleman's politics have changed dramatically throughout his political career. In college, Coleman was a liberal Democrat and was actively involved in the anti-war movement of the early 1970s. He ran for student senate and opined in the school newspaper that his fellow students should vote for him because he knew that "these conservative kids don't fuck or get high like we do (purity, you know)... Already the cries of motherhood, apple pie, and Jim Buckley reverberate through the halls of the Student Center. Everyone watch out, the 1950s bobby-sox generation is about to take over."

From the start, Coleman was a strong supporter of the war in Iraq and the War on Terror. He has been a consistent supporter of the war over the past several years, and generally tends to agree with the positions of the Bush Administration on Iraq. He is in favor of the eventual removal of U.S. troops from Iraq, but does not believe in any kind of timetable for the removal of troops until the situation in Iraq becomes more stable.

Coleman has campaigned as a pro-life candidate since at least 1993. Coleman attributes his position on abortion to the death of two of his four children in infancy from a rare genetic disease. He supports limiting stem cell research to adult stem cells and stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood, and, in July 2006, he voted against lifting restrictions on federal research dollars for new embryonic stem cell lines.

Senator Coleman voted in favor of legislative intervention to prolong the life of severely brain-damaged Floridian Terri Schiavo.

Coleman opposes recognition of same-sex marriages by either the federal or state governments. In his 2002 Senate campaign, Coleman pledged support a amendment to the United States Constitution that would ban any state from issuing marriage licenses to people of the same sex. In 2004 and in June 2006, he voted in favor of such an amendment.

Coleman recently made this statement about marijuana legalization: "I oppose the legalization of marijuana because, as noted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, marijuana can have serious adverse health affects on individuals. The health problems that may occur from this highly addictive drug include short-term memory loss, anxiety, respiratory illness and a risk of lung cancer that far exceeds that of tobacco products.[!] It would also make our transportation, schools and workplaces, just as examples, more dangerous."

In late October, 2008, Coleman was listed as a beneficiary of ethically-suspect activity in a lawsuit filed in Texas by Paul McKim, CEO of Deep Marine Technologies (DMT) against Nasser Kazeminy. Kazeminy is a longtime supporter of Coleman and owner of a controlling share of DMT. The petition alleges that Kazeminy used DMT to funnel $75,000 or more to Coleman's wife Laurie through her employer, Hays Companies, in order to enrich Senator Coleman. Exhibits filed with the petition show what appear to be multiple Hays invoices for services to DMT in amounts of $25,000 each. McKim states that Kazeminy threatened to fire McKim if he did not go along with the scheme. McKim's petition covers several issues, of which the Coleman matter is only one. Neither Coleman nor his wife are named as defendants in the suit.
posted by jckll at 1:24 PM on December 17, 2008 [11 favorites]

Really makes you appreciate monarchy.
posted by bonecrusher at 1:25 PM on December 17, 2008

Wow, "Dennis Nelson" is gonna get razzed pretty hard.

And Evil Twins are allowed to vote in Minnesota? Who knew.
posted by rokusan at 1:26 PM on December 17, 2008

That's not the Democrat way! Our way is to just get depressed and know in our hearts that we're just gonna lose anyway. Avoids disappointment.

Don't forget to include in the Democrat Way the idea that any bungling or failing on the Republican side is just a cover-up for a larger master plan towards their victory. Obama's been president-elect for a little over a month now and I'm still half-expecting Bush to declare a state of emergency, a la The Seige.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:27 PM on December 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

I'm still half-expecting Bush to declare a state of emergency, a la The Seige.

Bush wouldn't last a week in Manhattan.
posted by rokusan at 1:29 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

I guess "anything's gotta be better than Al Franken" doesn't carry the same oomph anymore.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:29 PM on December 17, 2008

Bush wouldn't last a week in Manhattan.

Death by Manolo Blahnik.
posted by bonecrusher at 1:30 PM on December 17, 2008

Death by Manolo Blahnik.

Wait. I thought Bruce Willis was supposed to interrogate him. Is Carrie Bradshaw going to beat him to death or something?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:32 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

Nate Silver has been following this with his usual obsessiveness, and had predicted Franken by a hair, depending on the ruling about the a "5th pile" of absentee ballots.
posted by tula at 1:35 PM on December 17, 2008

I figure a more expensive version of this, MSTPT.
posted by bonecrusher at 1:37 PM on December 17, 2008

WE'LL DO IT LIVE

FUCKIN' THING SUCKS
posted by fleetmouse at 1:38 PM on December 17, 2008 [12 favorites]

I CAN'T READ IT THERE'S NO WORDS ON IT.
posted by ALongDecember at 1:41 PM on December 17, 2008

The number of ballots rejected for mismatched signatures (Type 2 on this list) seems a bit high.

I wonder if any two of my signatures match.
posted by rokusan at 1:42 PM on December 17, 2008

I figure a more expensive version of this, MSTPT.

I think a montage of "Carrie Bradshaw at her laptop" scenes ("And I got to thinking ... when is it alright to replace a guy with a pint of ice cream?") played on continuous loop would have him begging to be shoed to death.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:44 PM on December 17, 2008

Lileks? This just got interesting! Before it was just gratifying.
posted by penduluum at 1:50 PM on December 17, 2008

I had no idea what James Lileks sounded like until watching this. I think I like his speaking voice more than his writing voice.
posted by RakDaddy at 1:51 PM on December 17, 2008

Also, dude's got a massive forehead.
posted by RakDaddy at 1:51 PM on December 17, 2008

There is no such thing as a succulent cookie. I reject Lileks' premise.
posted by Lemurrhea at 1:56 PM on December 17, 2008

uneaten tasty cookies and frankenvotes. I like lileks.
posted by 6am at 1:57 PM on December 17, 2008

I know enough now to almost believe that a self-absorbed toolbag like Franken could actually be the lesser of two evils.
posted by VicNebulous at 1:58 PM on December 17, 2008

It seems like all the Franken haters out there really don't know him that well. I listened to his show pretty regularly when he was on Air America, and have a great deal of respect for the guy. He's not self-absorbed, and he's absolutely nothing like a Limbaugh or any other typical radio blowhard. In fact, his show had very little of himself in it - it was mostly a regular rotation through a stable of guests who knew more than he did. The show was like listening in on an intellectually curious person as they try to educate themselves about various current events related topics.

Sure, he would crack lame jokes pretty often, in that rib poking way he does, and I can see how that might get to people. But he's done nothing to deserve all this bile that gets directed at him.
posted by heathkit at 2:02 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

Ah, Norm Coleman ...

FBI Investigating Coleman, Paper Reports.

Coleman To Use Campaign Funds For Defense.

posted by ericb at 2:09 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

I had no idea what James Lileks sounded like until watching this. I think I like his speaking voice more than his writing voice.

There's actually a RiffTrax for Spiderman 2 on which Lileks co-riffs. He's got some great lines in that one.
posted by JHarris at 2:11 PM on December 17, 2008

I...have a great deal of respect for the guy.

As do I. I've always liked his 2002 Harvard Class Day Speech.
posted by ericb at 2:14 PM on December 17, 2008

I keep thinking of Laura Dern as Katherine Harris. And I like it...

Those who haven't seen the film might think of it as Surreal and Surrealer.
posted by rokusan at 2:20 PM on December 17, 2008

I know nothing about the dude he's running against, but anything's gotta be better than Al Franken.

During his days at St Paul City Hall, Coleman was known among my circle as "Mayor Quimby".

1. Northeastern accent (believed to be fake, possibly real)
2. "Kennedy hair"
3. shameless opportunism laced with douchebaggery

His switch to the GOP sealed #3.
posted by gimonca at 3:01 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

Al Franken wrote the book on Rush Limbaugh when everyone else ignored him. If he doesn't win, I am boycotting Minnesota again.
posted by Brian B. at 3:09 PM on December 17, 2008

This is totally awesome. Does anybody know how easy it would be to go observe Friday's final canvassing board meeting? I heard on the radio that there are seats for spectators and that they put the ballots up on huge screens. I'm interested enough in this that I'd really like to go.
posted by baphomet at 3:30 PM on December 17, 2008

Yeah, the blind Frankin hate is rather silly. I mean, I listened to his show for as long as I could stand it, but the guy is undeniably bright, well educated, and with a real love of policy and the governmental process. Those are pretty good traits in a Senator, even ignoring the fact that (1) it's preferable to have your state represented by the majority party and (2) the alternative is another prototypical republican empty suit.
posted by absalom at 4:01 PM on December 17, 2008

I've run through (ha) about 5000 of the original 6700 challenged ballots (the StarTribune has all of them available in pdf) over the last 3 or 4 days.

Based on that I think it is quite likely Franken will come out ahead of the challenged ballot process with a margin between 50 and 250. Which makes Coleman's suit in front of the MN Supreme Court to stop any inclusion of wrongly rejected provisional ballots into the count, kind of funny as they may be his only hope of winning if the main contested ballot allocation fails to go his way.

As to someones comment above to just have a recount. There is no provisions in MN law to hold such a thing, the MN constitution would have to be amended. If it came down to an exact tie the winner could well be selected by a literal coin flip, and it would be legal.

The arguments in the case in front of the MnSC where held today, and while the Justices where rough on the Franken lawyer, they where absolutely brutal to the Colman lawyer. It didn't help that the Colamn lawyer started the hearing by trying to compare this process to FL 2000, the Justices did not like that at all.

In fact I don't think Coleman is winning any friends in the system at this point, the canvassing board is pretty PO'ed, in that quiet MN way with Coleman potentially adding a thousand more possible frivolous challenges.

But, all in all I actually think the process is pretty fair, and even though I'd be pissed if Coleman ends up winning, I think it would be by a fair system, and anyone who talks of either party being able to steal the election is just full of crap considering the ultimate transparency of the process.

Incidentally, there where no Franken challenges in the district I Election Judged in (small source of pride) Duluth, 6th precinct. I'll be interested if there are any Coleman challenges...
posted by edgeways at 4:24 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

What, no love for The Uptake?
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:26 PM on December 17, 2008

But, all in all I actually think the process is pretty fair, and even though I'd be pissed if Coleman ends up winning, I think it would be by a fair system, and anyone who talks of either party being able to steal the election is just full of crap considering the ultimate transparency of the process.

What I think is sad is that, no matter who wins, there's no "legitimate winner" here - this election is well within the margin of error. Even once the recount and challenge process is done, it looks like the margin is small enough that you could probably make the case that "if only x happened, the other guy would have one."

This is something I don't know how to solve. Voting is a sampling process that's always going to have some degree of measurement error. What do we do when the results of the election are within that error range - you can't really say that either candidate won.
posted by heathkit at 4:46 PM on December 17, 2008

I think you try to make it as transparent as possible, which is why this appealed to me. Think of a basketball game. It might come down to only a point difference at the end of the game but that's ok so long as the it appears the rules were applied as fairly as possible. With transparency, neither side will be as likely to feel disenfranchised .
posted by bonobothegreat at 5:10 PM on December 17, 2008

Based on the small part of the (gripping!) video that I watched today, Coleman's margin went up and down, down and up, but ended up higher than it started.

So can someone explain the foundation for so much "conventional wisdom" that Frankin will come out ahead?
posted by rokusan at 5:17 PM on December 17, 2008

If the electorate as a whole shows no preference for one candidate over another, then it doesn't really matter who wins, from a fairness perspective. Sure, the winner won't have a "mandate", but that's reflection of reality, and not a problem with the election process.
posted by ryanrs at 5:18 PM on December 17, 2008

What do we do when the results of the election are within that error range...

There's a sort of consolation prize in the Canadian system, where the number of votes for a party, even a losing party, determines the public funding that party gets in future.

So votes are less "wasted" there. If your favorite Green loses by a landslide, your vote still means the Greens who do get in have an extra $4 (or whatever it is) to work with.

(I think that's how it works. I've been out of the Great White North for too long. Someone smarter can correct me.)
posted by rokusan at 5:19 PM on December 17, 2008

rokusan,
There are a number of factors, paramount: Because the ballots that where handled today and yesterday where all ballots that Franken challenged (~400). Because these where Franken challenges it was expected that Coleman would gain some ground during this phase.

The board finished with all the Franken challenges today (barring further challenges from Franken), and starting tomorrow they tackle the rather larger pile of Coleman challenges (1000+). During this upcomming phase the preponderance of the ballots are going to favor Franken, there may even be an argument that more Coleman challenges are flat out frivolous, challenged for a complicated reason of image projection (which I won't get into here).

Take that with what some observers said today, that Franken out performed during the first part (expect to gain about 5% of the challenges, actually gained from about 15%), then add the intangible factor of Coleman burning any goodwill (which honestly won't amount to anything except increased skepticism towards any Coleman lawyer speaking) by not only having such a disproportionate challenge pile, but also threatening to challenge up to a 1,000 more ballots... well the stars seem more aligned to Franken during this phase.

Tomorrow (most likely) the MnSc will rule in the absentee ballot question.
posted by edgeways at 5:31 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

Thanks, edgeways.
posted by rokusan at 5:38 PM on December 17, 2008

edgeways: "there may even be an argument that more Coleman challenges are flat out frivolous, challenged for a complicated reason of image projection (which I won't get into here)."

To elaborate on this: When the SoS website tallies ballots, it keeps challenged ballots in a category separate from accepted ones. And since each side can challenge the other's ballots for essentially any reason, no matter how frivolous, it is tempting for both campaigns to do so in order to artificially drive down their opponent's official vote total. Of course it's only temporary, since all these challenges will be reviewed and (usually) overruled. But the hope is that if one side is suppressed enough early enough in the process, it would provide the moral and political high ground to the "winner" -- an opportunity to pressure election officials to call the race prematurely by using the inaccurate figures to delegitimize the opposition's case for a recount.

That gambit failed, of course, and now the frivolous challenges are being culled en masse. As others have said, all of Franken's challenges, legitimate and ridiculous, have now been reviewed. Only Coleman's are left. And, assuming that enough of his challenges are without foundation, that would return enough votes to Franken's column to make him the winner.
posted by Rhaomi at 6:10 PM on December 17, 2008

Al Franken failed. He went to negative, too aggressively, and played it way too straight. Minnesotans are a quirky lot, and Franken had a great deal to offer them, on their own terms, with his quirky, quiet humor.

Instead, he got out the mud slingers. You just simply cannot compete with the GOP down in the dirt, especially an incumbent. You have to offer something positive, something upbeat, and counter-punch decisively and judiciously.

To be honest, I think his Air America experience embittered him too much, and took away the qualities that could have seen him waltz into the senate.
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:36 PM on December 17, 2008 [1 favorite]

Minnesotans are a quirky lot

You don't say.
posted by Lizard People at 8:38 PM on December 17, 2008 [2 favorites]

dunno Slap. I genuinely like Franken, I think he is very smart and can be funny and has the compassion needed to be a good Senator, he is great 1:1 and is capable of giving good speeches. However, he really sucked ass in the debates. When they debated in Duluth I had to turn it off because Coleman was wiping the floor with Franken in matters of style.

This was projected to be the tightest senate race this cycle for months previously, even Nate Silver had Franken only at 55% to win at his peak, despite MN being solid blue in the Prez race. The DFL had a contentious caucus, and some of Franken's more lewd past came up and didn't really go away. I am truly hopeful that he wins and has six years to get better at debates, and to win over more Minnesotans for the next cycle.

Rhaomi pretty much nailed the CV surrounding the Coleman mass challenge, I'll only add to it to point out that Coleman was rather vocal in calling for Franken to withdraw during the recount period.
posted by edgeways at 8:58 PM on December 17, 2008

Speaking as an Iowan, Minnesotans may be a quirky lot, but they felt really burned by Jessie Ventura. I don't think they really wanted to vote for someone they thought might be another embarrassment.
posted by delmoi at 9:19 PM on December 17, 2008

Minnesotans are a quirky lot
You don't say.
posted by Lizard People

Heh.

Is there a highlight reel showing the Lizard People part of the hearings?
posted by rokusan at 9:42 PM on December 17, 2008

Frankin is a jackass. A Democratic jackass, but a jackass none-the-less. But a Democratic jackass is at least 10 times better than an honest Republican (if there is such a thing), and 100 times better than a dishonest one. But still a jackass.

Air America deserves no progressive/liberal credit whatsoever. They scoff union agreements. They screwed over Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy. Anyone still working with Air America needs their pro-labor credentials seriously questioned. Or do they just mean that the rules are only for the other guys? Oh, I'm sorry, I thought only Republicans did things that way.
posted by Goofyy at 3:40 AM on December 18, 2008

Air America deserves no progressive/liberal credit whatsoever. They scoff union agreements. They screwed over Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy. Anyone still working with Air America needs their pro-labor credentials seriously questioned. Or do they just mean that the rules are only for the other guys? Oh, I'm sorry, I thought only Republicans did things that way.

Y'know, part of the draw to leftist political thought is that you don't have to march in lockstep with the party. And since Air America isn't an arm of the DNC, they aren't beholden to them, or indeed to any traditional Democrat causes. In fact, the only radio shows that seem to be following these 'rules' are Limbaugh and Savage, so let's be careful what we wish for, eh?

That said, the idea of Franken on the senate floor, absolutely tearing into Lindsey Graham or Chuck Hagel in an apoplectic fit of rage or Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot-esque disgust, is probably the happiest thing I've contemplated all year. I was almost as excited by this senate race as I was by the presidential one.
posted by Mayor West at 4:43 AM on December 18, 2008

Minnesotans may be a quirky lot, but they felt really burned by Jessie Ventura. I don't think they really wanted to vote for someone they thought might be another embarrassment.

You know, I was appalled when Ventura was elected, but he actually wildly exceeded my expectations as governor. He was a little too smitten with the sound of his own voice, certainly, and he reacted to media scrutiny with all the grace of a petulant two-year-old, but when he sat down to do his job, he did it in a basically moderate, competent way. Lord knows I would much rather have "Jesse the Mind" back in office than continue suffering through Pawlenty.
posted by nicepersonality at 6:55 AM on December 18, 2008 [2 favorites]

I'm watching them argue whether the write-in 'Lizard People' is a real person.
posted by spamguy at 7:36 AM on December 18, 2008

..move to allocate this ballot to Franken, say aye... "Aye". Opposed same sign..."(silence)"
..move to allocate this ballot to Franken, say aye... "Aye". Opposed same sign..."(silence)"
..move to allocate this ballot to Franken, say aye... "Aye". Opposed same sign..."(silence)"
..move to allocate this ballot to Franken, say aye... "Aye". Opposed same sign..."(silence)"

..now they're on a roll.
posted by bonobothegreat at 12:48 PM on December 18, 2008

Coleman challenged a ballot because it said "Thanks for counting my vote!" at the bottom. (Challenge rejected)
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:16 PM on December 18, 2008 [1 favorite]

Video of the board debating the Lizard People ballot and a vote for the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Oddly enough, they threw out the Lizard People ballot as an overvote because Lizard People could be a real person, but they accepted Flying Spaghetti Monster because they decided he wasn't real.
posted by TungstenChef at 1:34 PM on December 18, 2008 [2 favorites]

Coleman's margin is currently +12.
posted by boo_radley at 2:47 PM on December 18, 2008

WORK OF ART
posted by boo_radley at 2:56 PM on December 18, 2008

They're stopping for the day at Coleman +6?

You're killing me, Minnesota State Canvassing Board. Just killing me.
posted by Rhaomi at 3:00 PM on December 18, 2008

Coleman +5
posted by boo_radley at 3:00 PM on December 18, 2008

sup live democracy in action buddy.
posted by boo_radley at 3:02 PM on December 18, 2008

In true Minnesota fashion, the Star Tribune announcers are spending a healthy chunk of their time discussing cookies.
posted by decagon at 3:07 PM on December 18, 2008

boo_radley: "sup live democracy in action buddy."

I'm reluctantly putting away my Coleman +1 joke. PERHAPS ANOTHER DAY, MINNESOTA.

(What time do they start tomorrow?)
posted by Rhaomi at 3:15 PM on December 18, 2008

Rhaomi.. 9am CST


BTW they interviewed the fellow who cast the Lizard People vote on MPR this evening.
posted by edgeways at 8:01 PM on December 18, 2008

Thanks, edgeways. I'll be watching...
posted by Rhaomi at 11:54 PM on December 18, 2008

Franken opens first lead in Minn. Senate race.
posted by ericb at 8:49 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Franken by 265.

I am shocked, simply shocked that so many of the Coleman challenges were illegitimate. And I'm sure the Canvassing Board appreciates getting the extra work.
posted by tula at 10:24 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Will The Senate Seat Franken Provisionally?
posted by homunculus at 10:34 PM on December 29, 2008

Coleman Camp's New Strategy In Recount: Attack The Election Officials
posted by homunculus at 6:46 PM on December 30, 2008

So poor Norm has now lost to both Jesse Ventura and Al Franken? Quite the career there.
posted by CunningLinguist at 3:19 PM on January 5

Al Franken stole the election? Prove it or shut up
posted by homunculus at 12:57 PM on January 9

GOP sees Franken as top public enemy
posted by homunculus at 2:12 PM on January 10