# How's Al Franken's Senate bid going? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 12, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239 "2008-02-12T01:57:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 28
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/541 "2009-01-07T01:22:02Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > Anybody can see how that would not be a fair process. I don’t see how it’s unfair. Maybe you can explain it to me? ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/542 "2009-01-07T02:04:37Z")
Somehow I don’t think Coleman will be held in the same esteem as Al Gore for filing a legal challenge to an election result ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/543 "2009-01-07T03:05:24Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > Somehow I don’t think Coleman will be held in the same esteem as Al Gore for filing a legal challenge to an election result Nor should he. Very different situation. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/544 "2009-01-07T03:42:27Z")
Another one of Coleman’s gems from the past. Remember how he pleaded with The Body to seat him early since Wellstone was dead? He told us that would give him seniority over the other incoming senators and that would be a good thing for Minnesota. Now he has placed Franken behind the rest of his class. So what’s good for Minnesota now is not at all the same thing that was good for Minnesota then. It’s good to see the former Senator finally getting all tangled up in his own words. It was never about what was good for Minnesota, it’s always been about what was good for Norm Coleman. ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/545 "2009-01-07T04:34:13Z")
To preface, i’m a Franken supporter. I believe he’ll make a great senator for Minnesota. At any rate… I had initially thought that perhaps… just maybe… Coleman would have conceded the election at 3:00 pm today (Jan 6). However… think about it… where does Coleman have to go now, especially after calling upon Franken to concede the election in November? The way I see it… his political career is over either way. He’s kind of in a pickle. If he concedes the election… the GOP is going to raze him, given the current volatile political climate (from their perspective). He then certainly couldn’t go back to to Dem… as he’s already played that card. He has no hopes in going (I). The last chance he has is to take the long shot and challenge this election, in hopes that maybe… _just maybe_, by some slim chance… he can pull it through. Frankly, I believe he would have been better off conceding the election today for the sake of his career. But calling upon Franken to concede back in November, he really screwed himself. Not only that… if, again by some miracle, he wins the lawsuit and is seated, he’s _at best_ extended his political career for another six years. That is, barring some sort of lawmaker kung-fu, which we have yet to see from Coleman. My $.02 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/546 "2009-01-07T04:51:02Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > It was never about what was good for Minnesota, it’s always been about what was good for Norm Coleman. Whereas with Al Franken, it’s about what is good for . . . ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/547 "2009-01-07T04:58:01Z")
Poor dumb bastard probably believes that the national party holds him in great esteem, and will bring him forward out of loyalty and respect for his sacrifices on behalf of the party. They’ll still respect him in the morning. “Take a bullet for us, Norm, and in a few years, everyone will have forgotten. And we’ll back you to the hilt, next time, or maybe Governor? Right now, its a tossup between you and Batshit Bachmann, but, you know, do the right thing here, and, well, maybe…” ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/548 "2009-01-07T05:00:33Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Whereas with Al Franken, it’s about what is good for . . . We don’t know yet, but at least he’s shown some ideological consistency in the past. Norm never has. Norm has always been whatever he thinks he needs to be to win the next election. When he needed to be a Dem, he was a Dem, when he needed to be a Pub he was a Pub. When he needed to be a Bush cheerleader, he was a Bush cheerleader, when he needed to run from Bush, he ran from Bush. If by some miracle he gets his Senate seat back, he’ll probably become a moderate who reaches across the aisle to work with President Obama – unless Obama’s approval ratings start to tank in Minnesota, then he’ll become a staunch Obama critic. He’s the quintessential reed on the wind. Even if Franken is a traditional liberal weenie, at least we know he’s going to _stay_ a liberal weenie. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/549 "2009-01-07T05:07:45Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Poor dumb bastard probably believes that the national party holds him in great esteem, and will bring him forward out of loyalty and respect for his sacrifices on behalf of the party. They’ll still respect him in the morning. > > “Take a bullet for us, Norm, and in a few years, everyone will have forgotten. And we’ll back you to the hilt, next time, or maybe Governor? Right now, its a tossup between you and Batshit Bachmann, but, you know, do the right thing here, and, well, maybe…” He’s not even first in line on the favor list from Minnesota. They still owe Pawlenty for letting him think he had the Veep spot sewn up, and then leaving him with his dick in his hand while a sitcom character from Alaska got his gig. If there’s another shot at a national spotlight, its going to be T-Paw’s. Don’t forget, he already stepped aside once for Norm Coleman\*, he’s not going to do it again. \*Of course, he did get that order directly from Dick Cheney. It was over the phone, but I suspect Cheney can still do that Darth Vader telepathic choke move over the phone. “Yes, my Lord.” is probably the only thing T-Paw could have said. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/550 "2009-01-07T05:22:16Z")
Won’t much matter, once the Palin/Bachmann buzz starts to build. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/551 "2009-01-07T10:57:20Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > It’s not that cut and dry. The reviewing of the rejected absentee ballots was not a uniform process. Maybe you should have quoted the sentence in my post that started with “With the absentee ballots,” then. > [@](#): > > They were only counted if all three parties involved (the county, and each campaign) agreed that it should be counted. Since atleast 2 of the parties where at odds, only the most obvious ones where agreed upon. The rest are going to be settled in court: As I went on to say in that post, “Coleman could have proposed uniform standards for reviewing the rejected ballots (in addition to the four specific grounds for rejecting absentee ballots, which AFAICT were applied pretty much uniformly statewide), but he didn’t.” Is there any part of that that you disagree with? > [@](#): > > _That_ is why he is filing a lawsuit. So far, each campaign has had a unilateral veto over whether or not a rejected absentee ballot is counted. Anybody can see how that would not be a fair process. It may not be a fair process, but it’s the process that the Coleman campaign negotiated; the Franken campaign wanted them to count every absentee ballot that the counties ok’d for counting. Shorter Coleman: “I created a screwed-up process because I thought it might help me steal a win. Now I’m going to sue because [del]I lost[/del] the process was screwed up. Waaaaaah!” ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/552 "2009-01-07T11:30:18Z")
On _The Daily Show_ last night, they showed video of Norm Coleman, on the night of November 4 (when he came out 400 votes ahead in the initial voting) saying that, if he were 400 votes behind instead, he’d bow out without asking for a recount, rather than delay the process necessary to get a Senator working for Minnesota. Now there’s been a recount, he came out behind, and he’s rethinking that. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/553 "2009-01-07T12:32:27Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > On _The Daily Show_ last night, they showed video of Norm Coleman, on the night of November 4 (when he came out 400 votes ahead in the initial voting) saying that, if he were 400 votes behind instead, he’d bow out without asking for a recount, rather than delay the process necessary to get a Senator working for Minnesota. Now there’s been a recount, he came out behind, and he’s rethinking that. But is he _400 votes_ behind? _Exactly_ 400 votes behind? Huh? Is he? Is he? Why do you hate America? ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/554 "2009-01-07T15:19:50Z")
> [@BlinkingDuck](#): > > I agree, Coleman will concede. My faith in people goes down yet another notch. He emphatically said that if he was behind he would concede and not hurt MN. He then doesn’t concede. I will never vote for Coleman again (I did twice before). ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/555 "2009-01-07T15:24:20Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > We don’t know yet, but at least he’s shown some ideological consistency in the past. I believe that **BrainGlutton** was referencing the famous SNL bit where Franken declared the “Me Deacde” over and the (then upcoming) 1980’s as “The Al Franken Decade.” Paraphrased: “Instead of asking 'what’s good for me?,” you should now ask what’s good for _me_, Al Franken." –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/556 "2009-01-07T17:44:04Z")
[http://images2.dailykos.com/images/user/191280/colemanpetition.pdf](http://images2.dailykos.com/images/user/191280/colemanpetition.pdf) _Daily Kos_ has thoughtfully provided a copy of the Coleman petition. By faith alone I assume that this makes sense, but my faith is sorely tested. I don’t get it. Huh? Wha? WTF? This appears therein, heretofore, and with nonsense aforethought: > [@](#): > > On Election Day, election judges in several precincts failed to initial the backs of Ballots under their control as required by Minnesota law and failed to prevent the deposit of Ballots without such endorsement in the Ballot boxes and voting machines. As _Daily Kos_ notes: > [@](#): > > …In other words, Norm Coleman believes that voters who did everything right should have have their ballots voided – simply because some election judge didn’t initial the back of their ballot… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/557 "2009-01-07T17:52:05Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Won’t much matter, once the Palin/Bachmann buzz starts to build. Are we expressing a fear or a wish here? ---
**Author:** ![Peanut\_Gallery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/838e76/32.png) [@Peanut\_Gallery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanut_Gallery)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/558 "2009-01-07T18:05:37Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Won’t much matter, once the Palin/Bachmann buzz starts to build. Nailin’ Palin II: The Bachmann Buzz is Building ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/559 "2009-01-07T18:06:29Z")
Can Minnesotans really be said to “buzz?” Shiver, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239/560 "2009-01-07T18:13:02Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > As I went on to say in that post, “Coleman could have proposed uniform standards for reviewing the rejected ballots (in addition to the four specific grounds for rejecting absentee ballots, which AFAICT were applied pretty much uniformly statewide), but he didn’t.” He tried to. One of Coleman’s first requests of the SC was to have the Canvassing board enforce uniform standards throughout the counties. The SC ruled that the canvassing board did not have the authority to do that, and that the proper dispute was to file an election contest after the recount. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239.md?page=27) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-al-frankens-senate-bid-going/437239.md?page=29)