It looks like Norm Coleman's going down. Even though the Coleman campaign will continue to mount "legal challenges", it's pretty clear from tactics like whining about procedures that the whole effort is just an attempt to de-legitimize Al Franken's victory. We've seen this play before here in Washington State, where Chris Gregoire (D) won on the second recount and sustained that victory in court after Republican attempts to gin up "fraud". Apparently "recount procedures" are this years' "fraud".
It should be noted that these water-muddying tricks down't work. Al Franken is no idiot; if he wins by 49 votes, he knows he's going to need to reach out to Coleman or Barkley voters in some fashion in order to win reelection. Gregoire did just that with her "business climate" initatives. Rather than blindly cut taxes or deregulate, the now has a number of staff members whose job it is to help small businesses wade through regulatory barriers, especially during the business's startup period. She won the rematch with Rossi by more than 6%, proving "we wuz robbed" is not a winning campaign platform.
2 comments:
Nick, is he really gonna have to compromise himself though? I mean, this is Paul Wellstone's seat. I assume that any Democrat except an ex-SNL writer might have been a shoo-in. Wouldn't all Franken need to do is prove himself a competent statesman (which of course might just mean doing what you suggest, regardless of voting record) and then coast to re-election?
But really, Stuart Smalley is gonna be a fuckin' Senator. How cool is that? I love this country.
Happy New Year, Donkeylicious!
I don't think Franken will have to compromise him self, no. As with Gregoire you just have to demonstrate to about 10% of the people who didn't vote for you that yes, your ideals and their goals are perfectly compatible. Progressive growth and all that.
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