# Wellstone Has A Better Excuse than Toricelli **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 25, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872 "2002-10-25T18:52:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![IzzyR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@IzzyR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IzzyR)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/1 "2002-10-25T18:52:19Z")
Wow, a rare chance to end a debate before it even has an OP. According to [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/10/25/plane.crash.minn/index.html): > [@](#): > > Under Minnesota law, if a nominee in a Senate race dies during a campaign, his or her political party can select a replacement candidate no later than four days before the general election. Election Day this year is November 5. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/2 "2002-10-25T19:03:40Z")
But I guess he didn’t feel like sharing it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/3 "2002-10-25T19:09:03Z")
**Guin** , you should probably read the link **IzzyR** provided. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/4 "2002-10-25T19:12:42Z")
No doubt our friend **Shodan** will be back momentarily to explain what he meant by the thread title. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt in the meanwhile, shall we? ---
**Author:** ![Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@Chance\_the\_Gardener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chance_the_Gardener)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/5 "2002-10-25T19:14:10Z")
A U.S. Senator dies in office and you have a good laugh about it. You must be proud. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/6 "2002-10-25T19:16:01Z")
This is truly horrible. I liked Wellstone a lot. I’m still in shock…the office here went into overdrive about an hour ago when we first heard the news. Horrible, horrible. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/7 "2002-10-25T19:17:41Z")
Not just the Senator, but his wife, daughter, the pilots, and several staffers. A veritable laugh riot. I hope the OP wasn’t as offensive as the title, but I’m not holding my breath. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/8 "2002-10-25T19:49:12Z")
What horrible tragedy. It seems Wellstone is going to keep his promise to serve only two terms after all. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/9 "2002-10-25T20:00:29Z")
Darn! For once, I wanted to be the one to joke about the loss of an OP! ☹ Yes, this is horrible. I don’t know much about Wellstone…but yikes. ☹ ---
**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:** [October 25, 2002, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/10 "2002-10-25T20:06:50Z")
In case you were wondering Shodan, ther will be no “Torricelli” style conflict this time: from the 2002 Minnesota State Statutes: Subd. 2. Partisan office; nomination by party. (a) A vacancy in nomination for partisan office shall be filled as provided in this subdivision. A major political party has the authority to fill a vacancy in nomination of that party’s candidate by filing a nomination certificate with the same official who received the affidavits of candidacy for that office. (b) A major political party may provide in its governing rules a procedure, including designation of an appropriate committee, to fill vacancies in nomination for all offices elected statewide. The nomination certificate shall be prepared under the direction of and executed by the chair and secretary of the political party and filed within seven days after the vacancy in nomination occurs or before the 14th day before the general election, whichever is sooner. If the vacancy in nomination occurs through the candidate’s death or catastrophic illness, the nomination certificate must be filed within seven days after the vacancy in nomination occurs but no later than four days before the general election. The chair and secretary when filing the certificate shall attach an affidavit stating that the newly nominated candidate has been selected under the rules of the party and that the individuals signing the certificate and making the affidavit are the chair and secretary of the party. The dems can pick whoever they want. Senator Ventura anybody? Wellstone was my senator, and probably the only national politician who I truly liked and respected. We’re all in shock here in minnesota ---
**Author:** ![Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fang)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/11 "2002-10-25T20:08:12Z")
Echoing what many posters have already said, this is really a terrible tragedy. I almost never agreed with Wellstone on political issues, he had qualities that very few politicians have: integrity, principle, and idealism. A true patriot. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/12 "2002-10-25T20:10:17Z")
Our condolences go out to his remaing 2 children. A sad day in politics. ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/13 "2002-10-25T20:16:33Z")
Very sad news indeed. I don’t know much about Wellstone and his politics were probably well to my left but he was by all accounts a principled and much-admired politician Here is a nice mini-tribute in Josh Marshall’s blog: [http://talkingpointsmemo.com/oct0204.html#102502246pm](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/oct0204.html#102502246pm) ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/14 "2002-10-25T20:30:19Z")
Where did my OP go? I wanted to ask if this meant that the Senate would now go back into Republican control. If anyone has read anything I have posted that pertains to politics, you may expect that I found little to agree with Wellstone about, but this is still a sad and tragic event. > [@](#): > > The dems can pick whoever they want. Senator Ventura anybody? Talk about a worst-case scenario! Gag! Regards, Shodan ---
**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:** [October 25, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/15 "2002-10-25T20:46:42Z")
Rest easy, Shodan. Jesse the Guv has just unequivocally ruled himself out as a candidate for the spot. The early talk in the dem party here is Fritz Mondale. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/16 "2002-10-25T21:00:11Z")
> [@](#): > > **Shodan** asserts: I wanted to ask if this meant that the Senate would now go back into Republican control. Then why did you accuse a recently killed Senator of base political motives in your thread title ? I think you’re lying. I think you just wanted the pleasure of being as rude as possible to your political foes. Can you prove otherwise ? ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/17 "2002-10-25T21:10:32Z")
Can we not give **Shodan** the benefit of the doubt? Does it in any way honor Paul Wellstone to react with hostility to legitimate political questions? _Dammit!!_ ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/18 "2002-10-25T21:45:46Z")
Yes, let’s discuss the missing OP. What is going to be done? While it is legal for the Democrats to replace Wellstone’s name on the ballot, what about the absentee ballots that have come in already? You can’t assume that just because they voted for Wellstone they would vote for his replacement, or if they voted for Coleman that they wouldn’t vote for the replacement. So what happens? Do they postpone the election until they can print up new absentee ballots? Or do they just disregard the absentees and focus on actual ballots that will have the replacement name on them? I feel so bad for his two kids…☹ ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/19 "2002-10-25T21:47:47Z")
What doubt? The thread title explicitly compares Wellstone’s death to Torricelli’s resignation under political pressure. Pretty disgusting, if you ask me. No, the Senate will not go back to the Republicans. It’s Democrats 50, Republicans 49, and Dick Cheney only votes if it’s a tie. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872/20 "2002-10-25T21:52:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diogenes the Cynic \* > \*\*The early talk in the dem party here is Fritz Mondale. \*\* The Great Mentioner has also lit upon the name of Alan Page, at least per the Washington Post. How popular is the old Purple People Eater / MN Supreme Court Justice up there, really? Would he be a plausible choice politically, compared to the 74-year-old Mondale? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wellstone-has-a-better-excuse-than-toricelli/133872.md?page=2)