Breaking: Al Franken Takes The Lead In Minnesota Recount!
This is big: For the very first time in the Minnesota recount, Al Franken has taken the lead in the running vote count from Minneapolis Star-Tribune. As of 10:18 a.m. ET, Franken now leads by four votes.
This is big news, and it couldn't have happened at a better time for Al, with the state canvassing board is just now winding down the process of sorting through all the challenged ballots. So he's not just pulling ahead, but it's happening at a point very close to the finish line.
Now, there are any number of variables left. For all we know, Norm Coleman's challenges could suddenly begin to be meritorious, getting himself some new votes and throwing out ballots that might have gone to Al. But it doesn't seem too likely, because almost all of his challenges so far have have been frivolous attempts to throw out votes for Al, which the board has been easily dispensing with.
The Star Tribune's running analysis of how the remaining challenges could work out -- a number that has been fluctuating all over the place, so take it for what it's worth -- predicts that Franken will be ahead by 89 votes once all the challenges are resolved. A whole host of legal issues would remain afterward, but the winner at the end of the day today is nearly certain to be the Senator-Elect once it's all over. So things are looking good for Franken.
Late Update: As of 10:50 a.m. ET, Franken is ahead by 44 votes, with the Strib's analysis currently predicting a final Franken lead of 83 votes.
Late Late Update: As of 3 p.m. ET, Franken now has a nominal lead of 283 votes, but this does not take into account the allocation of many challenged ballots that have been withdrawn -- and Franken has more of those that haven't made their way through the system. The Strib's current analysis is that Franken's true lead is 73 votes.
I can't wait to hear the words "Senator Al Franken"
:)
December 19, 2008 10:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Especially coming out of Bill O'Reilly's mouth.
Kiss the ring, Bill.
December 19, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
I might have to decline to attend the holiday parties I'm invited to tonight. Senator Franken will bring a torrent of raging bluster from that idiot O'Reilly tonight! Suck this, you jerk!
December 19, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'd imagine both him an Sean Insanity will be in straight jackets yelling ACORN, stolen election and frauds as they are dragged off their sets.
December 19, 2008 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
At break Franken up 122 and newsroom says literally thousands of challenges dropped by Coleman.
Momentum building for Franken......
December 19, 2008 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Franken now up 144 votes
this is getting much more than the Star Tribune predicted
December 19, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hahahahaha. Yessss.
December 19, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Before leaving the house for work today, my kids got a kick out of me chanting "Al Franken! Al Franken!" every so often, at random times. Sen. Al Franken will be the cherry on top of the Nov. 2008 election results.
December 19, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
In less than a half hour, Franken has gained +30. It's amazing how trivial most of Coleman's challenges are. I'll be surprised if Franken's not up by triple digits by the end of the day.
December 19, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
"It's amazing how trivial most of Coleman's challenges are."
Not really, He's a Republican. Abiding by the rules, and playing fairly and ethically, are for suckers.
December 19, 2008 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let me be the first to call upon Senator Coleman to concede. After all, he is behind, and he could save the state a lot of money by not forcing it to complete the recount.
December 19, 2008 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
That would require Coleman to think about the interests of the state of Minnesota, rather than his own interests, and I think we can safely say that he doesn't know how to do that.
December 19, 2008 11:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have heard and read from a number of sources that Franken probably would have won easily except for the fact that a lot of Minnesota liberals and Dems simply "don't like" Franken.
Not being that familiar with either Franken or Minnesota, I'm wondering why this is the case. I know Franken mainly through his book, and am aware of his USO work. Nothing in that gave me much of a negative impression. I never saw him on SNL much.
Can someone enlighten me as to why many Minnesota liberals seem to "not like" Franken?
December 19, 2008 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know why that's the case but I do know that a lot of Senate Dems in DC didn't really want Franken to win and didn't really get behind his candidacy. They worried that if he won, the field would be flooded with celebs who think they can "do their job."
Well, hell. Sometimes I think a shit-chucking ape could do Harry Reid's job!
December 19, 2008 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
You mean, do it better. After all, better to be throwing shit than eating it.
December 19, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
LOL.
I really am convinced that the Dems are afraid that Franken will be able to demand more media attention than your run-of-the mill freshman Senator, and he may call that rickety old scarecrow Harry Reid out on his total impotence in the face of 41 or 42 Repubican senators.
The Democrats seem to enjoy their weakness, and someone with real conviction, and a media platform from which to make his case, scares the hell out of them, even if that someone would be on their side the second they demonstrate they have a single testicle amongst them.
December 19, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think Al ran a particularly good campaign. The ads were extremely negative and he seemed afraid to show his personality at all. Plus, he got dinged by the Strib, who endorsed Coleman, let their right wing hack of a local columnist run a hit piece on him, and then they didn't allow their columnists to be "partisan" from that point until after the election.
December 19, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I'm a liberal MN Democrat and I'm not crazy about the guy. Put nicely, he's rather full of himself. And as a campaigner - indeed, as a public speaker in general - he's extremely wonkish, frankly, boring as dirt. He brings the funny on paper - in person, not so much.
That said, at least he's not oozing corruption from every pore in Slimy Norman's way. And I doubt he's ever sent his wife to an ER with unexplained facial bruises.
December 19, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think Al was humorless and wonkish on the campaign trail because he was trying to counter the notion that he was not serious, just a comedian running for office. I think he over compensated too much, though.
December 19, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Al is great. He was trying to tone things down while running. The irony is the Celebrity is a Good Thing For Republicans, but for Dems is "unserious". To Al had to contain himself.
Wonkish = Good
For christ sakes... we've had 8 years of very unwonkish assholes who've run the country into the ground on their "gut feelings" and ideaology that's proven to be a failure. We need wonks.
The reality is that Al will combine the ability to wonk with the ability to communicate with the fearlessness to wack the Lying Liars of the other party over the head. He's made a second career out of doing that, and in this his third career, he's highly unlikely to shy away for poking bullshitting Republicans in the eye when they're laying it in thick.
We need that. Not just Minnesota, but the rest of the country.
John
December 19, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, to clarify for both of you: I don't much care for Franken personally, to the extent of my (limited) contact with him. I regard him as an adequate candidate, and at the same time a terrible campaigner. There is a difference.
It's also why John Kerry was not elected President in 2004. Good candidate, bad campaigner. And the rest of the field back then was far, far worse. By comparison, Obama was both a very good candidate and an outstanding campaigner, which is why we're all looking forward to January.
And after all that, I will be very happy when Senator Franken takes his seat in the Senate chamber, even if only because on that day, Slimy Norman will be a civilian - a sad, bitter, loathsome civilian.
And there's no reason I couldn't grow to appreciate Franken - I just need to see a positive effect or two, over & above the removal of a festering human Quimby-pustule.
December 19, 2008 1:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Try reading one of his books. You will be a convert. He is wonderful.
December 19, 2008 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
'I'm not crazy about the guy. Put nicely, he's rather full of himself. And as a campaigner - indeed, as a public speaker in general - he's extremely wonkish, frankly, boring as dirt. He brings the funny on paper - in person, not so much."
Old Grouch, I agree with you. I met Franken the night Obama won the caucus and I was UNIMPRESSED. He comes across as a cold fish. He did not extend himself at all, despite my telling him I really enjoyed his book Lying Liars and the Lies they Tell.
In fact, had I not read his book and simply met him I would have voted for that Bradley guy.
Franken is an odd duck.
I get the sense that folks did not vote for Franken so much as they voted against Coleman which accounts for all those votes for the other guy.
December 19, 2008 2:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's because many of them are 'purists' who would rather lose an election and adhere rigidly to their principles than support someone who they agree with only 85 or 90% of the time. There was another candidate running for the DFL nomination who was a very good candidate and, in a perfect world, he might have been the ideal candidate. But, he had no name recognition, no fundraising capability, and he would have been slimed just as much as Franken by the Coleman campaign. After all, the GOP doesn't really concern itself with facts went they try to ruin a person's good name.
The thing that bothers me about these purists, apart from their self-destructive nature, is that they so easily dismiss Franken's contributions to the progressive cause. Franken was the first person to really get out there and start pushing back against the right-wing domination of the media, talk radio in particular. And he did it with great humor and cold hard facts. Kicking O'Reilly's ass in court was especially gratifying.
It took guts, a solid message, and a bit of showmanship to get himself heard over Limbaugh, Fox News, etc. Until then, the opposition might as well have been whispering their dissent. I'm looking forward to hearing his voice on the Senate floor and seeing him stick his neck out to fight for worthy causes.
December 19, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't get it. On what issues do Franken and the "purists" disagree?
December 19, 2008 5:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
see chimpale's comments, which perfectly summarize and analyze the Minnesota peculiarity where so many Democrats refused to support Franken. I would add to the equation the fact that Norm Coleman is himself an amazingly adroit politician---knows how to employ all the shifts and tricks and maneuvers of the craft; understands how the levers and gears of power work; possesses at least an adequate measure of that personal charm and charisma so valuable inb politics; and was never going to be easy to beat.
There were no top-of-the-line experienced DFL contenders willing to tackle Norm---so give Franken credit for making a race out of it.
Fact is, a lot of Al's past work as a satirist left him vulnerable to sulphurous attacks. Had the Republicans just tagged him a "smutty comedian" it would have been unhelpful, but they actually accused him of being an outright "pornographer," which is not a label which wins popularity contests in Minnesota (or anywhere.
Minnesota, chock full of midwestern Lutherans and Catholics (the home state of Cong. Volstead of Prohibition Act fame), was fertile ground for a smear campaign against Franken rather than an argument over issues and policies. And that's how the campaign went. For his part, Al decided to hit back and go negative against Norm. That was encouraging to those of us who were tired of unanswered Thug smears---but it may have been less smart than what Obama did so successfully, that whole "rise above it" approach.
Probably it's the difference between a wrestler like Al and a basketball player like Barack. (Al Franken was a high school grappler. Paul was one in college.)
If Franken wins---it's far from decided yet---it will be the finest posthumous vindication of the life and career of Paul Wellstone, who truly believed in democracy and people power.
December 19, 2008 2:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Looks great. But can someone clue me in, I'm a bit confused.
What is the significance of the end of the day today?
It appears from the running count at the Star-Tribune that there are thousands of ballots yet to count, and it doesn't seem like they are going at a pace to get through them anywhere near that quickly.
Thanks.
December 19, 2008 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
As I understand it, there are about 5000 votes which the campaigns challenged and then conceded. These will be added in on Monday. My guess is since Coleman challenged more ballots that these will break for Franken.
There are also approx. 1000 (guess?) absentee ballots which were rejected for impermissible reasons which will be counted. I would also guess that these will break for Franken.
Say hello to Senator Al. (crosses fingers)
December 19, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Everyone, I hope this adds to your enjoyment of the holidays.
December 19, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
11:00 AM -- FRANKEN BY 55 VOTES!!!!!
December 19, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Franken by 70.
December 19, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
11:11 AM -- Franken by 75!!
December 19, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
My guess is Coleman just challenged as many as possible and was hoping to somehow tie up all the challenges in courts and get them all discounted in the end. It seems like a good strategy if you know you're going to loose honestly. Honest? No. But this is GOP politics in a heated race. Take nothing at face value.
December 19, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not just trivial challenges, but nonsensical. I thought that the challenges would be for things like marks on the ballot in the general vicinity of Franken's name, or something, but I just took a look at the Star-Trib's very cool feature where you can see a pic of each of the challenged ballots-- and Coleman's challenges (at least the several I looked at) were all filled in ovals for Franken- just that the voter didn't fully stay within the lines (ie didn't do a perfect job filling in the oval). Wow. The state of MN should charge the Coleman campaign for frivolously wasting their time and taxpayer dollars!
Go Al!
December 19, 2008 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
They take their skills learned in Kindergarten very seriously in MN. You know, staying in the lines and all.
December 19, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
But Coleman's not from MN. Maybe they teach staying between the lines in Brooklyn too?
December 19, 2008 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
I am from brooklyn and...........that's debatable.
December 19, 2008 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Franken by 87 with 5,741 ballots left to be counted.
December 19, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
11:23 -- franken by 90
December 19, 2008 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
This must feel like a really bad dream to Coleman. I'm guessing he's looking for somewhere to curl up into the fetal position and suck his thumb for the rest of the afternoon.
December 19, 2008 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good. I wish on him as much misery as this can possibly provide. When it's over, I want him contemplating self-exile as the torment burns in what passes for his soul.
December 19, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Franken's lead is now into triple digits
December 19, 2008 11:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Could someone post the web address where we can follow the results throughout the day?
December 19, 2008 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
startribune.com has the count on the front page and automatically refreshes it.
December 19, 2008 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
see www.startribune.com, they've got a link to the video on the front page.
They'll be taking a break immediately.
December 19, 2008 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
live : http://theuptake.org/
best count (i think this count adds in the expected 5000 extra unchallenged votes): http://senaterecount.startribune.com/ballots/index.php?review_date=2008-12-19&index=7
December 19, 2008 11:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
projected margin down to franken +79
with 186 more challenged ballots by Coleman to go thru
and 100-150 incident report ballots
its closer than it looks
December 19, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
11:36am EST: Franken +120
December 19, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Franken by 110 with 5,712 votes left to be counted. What's great about all this is the challenged ballots are being posted on the Star Tribune's website for everyone to see. I swear to God two things must happen before the good people of MN go back to vote on paper for the next election:
1. Take a eye test so you know your actually voting for the right candidate.
2. Read the directions. It clearly states that you must fill in the entire bubble. Not write squiggly lines or a X or even creating your own bubble.
I'm not trying to be rude or anything, just making a suggestion.
December 19, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're being rude.
So you've got Parkinsons? This doesn't mean that you shouldn't be allowed to vote.
Hey, it's voting on paper - this is a LOT better than a Diebold election. And goddess knows where we'd be if Florida had been as thorough in 2000.
Remember that democracy is dirty, ugly, and unmanageable - it's just better than any other system of government.
December 19, 2008 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey I agree with you. I know voting on paper is much much better then voting on electronic machines for the obviously. I just look at some of these ballots and scratched me head in confusion. But yes this is a whole lot better when voting on a machines where these ballots could be erased.
December 19, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
My idea of the ideal method would be to use computers for entering the voterโs choices. The computer would then print out a paper ballot that would be readable by both human and machine. The ballot would then be submitted to be counted by a different machine after the polls close.
This would eliminate overvotes and all of the ballots should be easily readable by the counting machine. The paper ballot could be verified by the voter before submitting it, and would be available for recounts and verifying the validity of the machine count.
December 19, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
My idea of the ideal method would be to use computers for entering the voterโs choices. The computer would then print out a paper ballot that would be readable by both human and machine. The ballot would then be submitted to be counted by a different machine after the polls close.
This would eliminate overvotes and all of the ballots should be easily readable by the counting machine. The paper ballot could be verified by the voter before submitting it, and would be available for recounts and verifying the validity of the machine count.
December 19, 2008 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Eric, I don't believe this is "the very first time in the Minnesota recount, Al Franken has taken the lead."
According to your post on December 3, 2008, you noted that Franken had taken a 22 vote lead.
Just sayin.
December 19, 2008 11:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not looking at the post you are talking about, those numbers probably were the numbers that Franken's camp were tabulating and not "official" (ok, these are Star Tribune #s, but I believe that they are following the official count) results. I can't remember any time that anyone other than Franken's people were saying that he was ahead.
If you have a link to the old post and I'm wrong, tell me! (just don't have time to look it up)
December 19, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
TPM CONTINUES TO GET THIS STORY WRONG
Do they ever read the comments? There are about 5,000 votes out there that haven't been counted. We are not at the finish line and its very hard to tell who will have the lead in the end.
The ballots that were challenged but had their challenges withdrawn have not been counted yet. They'll be easy to count because they revert back to what the local boards said they were, so there is no judging.
But we don't even know how many withdrawn challenge ballots each side has because Coleman keeps adding and subtracting challenges. We don't know, unless somebody takes the time at the Minnesota Secretary of State website to count, whether the withdrawn challenge ballots go to the candidates or if they were rejected.
Franken has had a couple of great days but this is far from over.
December 19, 2008 11:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
agreed.
But i think http://senaterecount.startribune.com/ballots/index.php?review_date=2008-12-19&index=7
is the best count we have.
franken +79 minus any more accepted coleman challenges.
December 19, 2008 11:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
nate just guessed ending up at franken +40
December 19, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Eric, I don't believe this is "the very first time in the Minnesota recount, Al Franken has taken the lead."
According to your post on December 3, 2008, you noted that Franken had taken a 22 vote lead.
Just sayin.
December 19, 2008 11:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's kinda fun to watch. :) It's been all Al. +139
December 19, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Franken 146
December 19, 2008 12:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
The only thing that will top Franken winning will be Norm and his wife in prison.
December 19, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Word.
December 19, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Franken by 148 with 5,668 ballots left to be counted.
December 19, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Alternative URL: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/mnhouse.asx
December 19, 2008 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
And henceforth the junior senator from Minnesota shall be known as Landslide Al
December 19, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Squeaky clean!
December 19, 2008 3:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Franken: 175+
December 19, 2008 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Franken +192
December 19, 2008 12:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
THIS IS SO EXCITING!!!
Heh. Sorry.
December 19, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Question, does anyone think there's even a chance that the remaining 5k+ votes not yet counted will break to Slimy Norm? B/c if they don't -- and I don't think they will -- then it's over. Does anyone think there's even a chance of that?
December 19, 2008 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
No. They're all challenges that have been withdrawn, and Coleman has more of them.
December 19, 2008 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Al Franken +233
December 19, 2008 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I eagerly await Coleman's conceding the race. After all, before the state mandated recount began Coleman has asked Franken to conceded -- you know, to "let the healing process begin". I'm sure that Coleman doesn't want to continue to "hurt" Minnesota.
December 19, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Al Franken +265
December 19, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
For all you quitters out there: Coleman purposely made tons of frivolous challenges to stir up right wing nutrage when the tally was reversed, and in the hopes that we would quit before then.
Count Every Vote.
December 19, 2008 1:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since no one else mentioned it, I will: The MN State Sup Ct yesterday threw out Coleman's challenge on absentee ballots, and so about 1500 absentee ballots that were not counted, due to 'clerical' errors, will be back in play also. These counts will be at the counties that received them, and the final results of these won't be known until the end of the month.
They may end up as icing on the cake if Al pulls it out in the current recount/challenge festival, but since the absentee vote broke strongly for Al statewide, I'll assume the same for these. So even if his current margin narrows or goes slightly negative by the end of the recount, these'll probably save the day.
December 19, 2008 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since no one else mentioned it, I will: The MN State Sup Ct yesterday threw out Coleman's challenge on absentee ballots, and so about 1500 absentee ballots that were not counted, due to 'clerical' errors, will be back in play also. These counts will be at the counties that received them, and the final results of these won't be known until the end of the month.
They may end up as icing on the cake if Al pulls it out in the current recount/challenge festival, but since the absentee vote broke strongly for Al statewide, I'll assume the same for these. So even if his current margin narrows or goes slightly negative by the end of the recount, these'll probably save the day.
December 19, 2008 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Poetic Justice
I watched to Minnesota canvasing board for a little over one hour. During that time Franken gained 105 votes, Coleman gained 5 votes, and another 21 votes were under votes, over votes, went to others or were duplicates. Most of Coleman's challenges are very weak and current vote totals shows that.
Just before the lunch break, a Coleman challenge came up on an absentee ballot that had the voters passport number written on it. Ultimately the ballot was rejected by the board because of an identifying mark on the ballot, as Coleman's team wanted, but the board also reopened one ballot they settled yesterday. One that they had designated as a Coleman vote. Out of consistency then the board took that vote away from Coleman.
December 19, 2008 2:05 PM | Reply | Permalink