WSJ
Minnesotans like to think that their state isn’t like New Jersey or Louisiana, and typically it isn’t. But we can’t recall a similar recount involving optical scanning machines that has changed so many votes, and in which nearly every crucial decision worked to the advantage of the same candidate. The Coleman campaign clearly misjudged the politics here, and the apparent willingness of a partisan like Mr. Ritchie to help his preferred candidate, Mr. Franken. If the Canvassing Board certifies Mr. Franken as the winner based on the current count, it will be anointing a tainted and undeserving Senator.
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Coincidence, I’m sure
Vashta.Nerada on January 5, 2009 at 10:32 AM
One of these days, we will get a Republican candidate who won’t assume that everyone else wants to play nice.
MarkTheGreat on January 5, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Franken is a joke
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 10:37 AM
“The Coleman campaign clearly misjudged the politics here, and the apparent willingness of a partisan like Mr. Ritchie to help his preferred candidate”
soo, they’re saying norm IS as big an idiot as has been intimated?!?!?!?
/again, the natl. and mn gop lost SERIOUS face here with this fumble — it takes a very special kind of incompetence to walk out of election nite with over 700 votes and lose essentially TWICE that in a month’s time …
Buckaroo on January 5, 2009 at 10:38 AM
When you have “The ONE” on your side good things happen!
Herb on January 5, 2009 at 10:38 AM
“MarkTheGreat on January 5, 2009 at 10:36 AM”
from your lips …
Buckaroo on January 5, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Wasn’t it someone here at Hot Air who said that the Minnesota recount process was the monst honest in the nation? Just asking.
Percy_Peabody on January 5, 2009 at 10:39 AM
After reading stories like this for the past couple of months, it’s hard to be critical of Chinese corruption.
OldEnglish on January 5, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Republicans have promised to filibuster Franken(stein).
platypus on January 5, 2009 at 10:46 AM
“Percy_Peabody on January 5, 2009 at 10:39 AM”
Ed started crowing all about the glorious MN way of elections and recounts on 11/5. over the next month, ritchie’s astronomically embarrassing franken cheerleading and the mn donks extreme persistence in “finding” votes did little to mute the enthusiasm of Ed’s sunny talk. as december wore on however, and it became clear that the donks were NOT stopping until they dragged al over the finish line, with the canvassing board, the courts, and [of course] ritchie wholly complicit in this, did the tone of the posts finally begin to change, just like the mn gop’s efforts, it was far too little, too late.
/i’m sorry Ed for my consistent snark directed at you on this, but you and every other 10,000 laker blogger should have been HOUNDING the elections folks from moment one on this, and now collectively the gop [and the nation!] loses because of it …
Buckaroo on January 5, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Has this state lost it’s collective mind? Seriously, Franken? I don’t even understand how this got close. He’s a buffoon.
gator70 on January 5, 2009 at 10:51 AM
That’s what you get when a Secretary of State is endorsed by Moveon.org.
KingGold on January 5, 2009 at 10:55 AM
That is the point that keeps rolling around my head…no matter what happens, 50% of the people in that state wanted Franken to be their senator.
right2bright on January 5, 2009 at 10:57 AM
“KingGold on January 5, 2009 at 10:55 AM”
the nutroots identified the importance of state s.o.s.’s after 2000. the gop JUST MIGHT want to understand simple election mechanics and run strong folks in these spots [for those of us fortunate enough to live in a state that elects a s.o.s., not simply has them appointed!]
Buckaroo on January 5, 2009 at 10:58 AM
“right2bright on January 5, 2009 at 10:57 AM”
A-HEM! it was a three way race — a clear MAJORITY voted from Norm or the 3rd parry dweeb — and btw thanks again fer NOTHING you 3rd party morons!
Buckaroo on January 5, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Puff, The Magic Voters, from out of nowhere they came,
Now the Liberal Demos, once again know no shame.
Travis1 on January 5, 2009 at 11:04 AM
reminds me of how Rossi got hosed in Washington in 2004, how does the GOP continually let this keep happening.
and where is Pawlenty on this?
jp on January 5, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Pawlenty is probably too busy making plans to run for President in 2012. What a worthless toolbag of a governor.
Percy_Peabody on January 5, 2009 at 11:16 AM
ACORN (Ritchie) wins again.
Wonderful. Our new overlords are the ACORN-SEIU-Soros-Chicago party.
juliesa on January 5, 2009 at 11:22 AM
The blame lays squarely with Coleman here. He knew who he was up against. He should have been prepared. He wasn’t. He lost.
You’d think a lesson will be learned here. But I doubt it. In 2010 the same thing will happen somewere else, Nevada maybe. And the GOP will be sitting there with its collective thumbs up its asses wondering why the Democrats don’t follow the rules.
Steal one election, shame on the Democrats.
Steal two elections, shame on the Republicans.
angryed on January 5, 2009 at 11:29 AM
The inmates running the show, about as bad as it gets
jp on January 5, 2009 at 11:29 AM
I didn’t know that KoolAid had a Dung-flavored mix….
CynicalOptimist on January 5, 2009 at 11:33 AM
But noted partisan tool Tom_Shipley assured me that everything was kosher… now I don’t know what to think!
joewm315 on January 5, 2009 at 11:41 AM
You’re trying to tell me that dung-flavored KoolAid is KOSHER? I think not!
CynicalOptimist on January 5, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Statistically this is way way WAY beyond impossible.
Look at it this way: you know when they poll 1,200 people and it represents the opinion of a million to within a few percent? Well if you reverse that, and look at a million votes and try to guess how a few hundred would turn, it’s not going to change.
But the American Socialist Party interprets the concept of recount not as a means to correct a systemic error, but as a means to be “fair” to each individual voter. And their definition of the word “fair” is notoriously flexible and self-serving.
logis on January 5, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Minnesota is the first Islamic state in the US.
Get used to this.
No Republican is likely to ever win another state or national election as they’ll simply change the results until it suits them.
drjohn on January 5, 2009 at 12:20 PM
As horrible as Coleman is, Republicans can’t allow elections to be stolen. The Democrats feel that they can do anything they want without any fear of reprisals. The only reason that Gore wasn’t made president in 2000 is that a gang of Republicans crashed the recount party and made Democrats fear for their lives.
Buddahpundit on January 5, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Coleman needs to use the Statistical impossibility of this as a talking point
jp on January 5, 2009 at 12:29 PM
As horrible as Coleman is, Republicans can’t allow elections to be stolen. The Democrats feel that they can do anything they want without any fear of reprisals. The only reason that Gore wasn’t made president in 2000 is that a gang of Republicans crashed the recount party and made Democrats fear for their lives.
Seriously.
anniekc on January 5, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Wow. Sick and wrong.
tartan on January 5, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Regarding the wsj article…
tartan on January 5, 2009 at 4:49 PM