WTF is UP with Minnesota???

[Labors of Hercules]

Coleman by 700 votes? When Barack won by 11 points? BULLSHIT.

Bachman won? :wtf: :grr:

[polichick]

1. Yes, WTF indeeed!

[fourvahl]

2. She is in a heavy GOP District

[ShortnFiery]

4. They must "talk in tongues" and use "snakes" in their religious ceremonies.

Because Bachman is barking at the moon NUTS! :crazy:

[ShortnFiery]

3. I still thank my Higher Power that we received MOST of what we worked for.

Can't score it all. I do regret no seeing Al Frankin in the Senate but overall, it's OK. :shrug:

[9119495]

8. It's not over...

An automatic recount is on the way. They will find more votes in urban areas than they will in the rural. You may see Franken in the senate yet.

[Thegonagle]

11. Sorry, but they're not going to "find" more than a few dozen votes for either candidate.

I want Coleman gone as much as anybody, but...

Historically, recounts in MN usually differ only slightly from the original tally. The counts aren't going to change by hundreds. Both candidates will pick up a few votes, but I'd be astonished if the final tally differs by more than a couple dozen from the original.

I know this isn't what anybody wants to hear, but I don't hold much hope for Al Franken.

[onenote]

5. No bullshit. Bachman is in a very very red area. And Coleman is only getting 42%

The problem is that a third party candidate is taking a lot of votes.

[Fla Dem]

12. Has 12,100 more votes than Tinklenberg, 100% counted. n/t

[TornadoTN]

That's the thing that many aren't realizing - the Third Party candidate is the spoiler

He's getting as much as 15% of the vote - that's a huge chunk and clearly the difference.

[Occam Bandage]

6. A few points.

1. There was a strong third-party candidate in every contested race this go-around. The IP has a strong presence in MN, and MN IP support does not collapse on election day, despite what pundits predict.

2. Franken and Tink were not good candidates. Franken used out-of-state cash to steamroll his primary opponents; Tink was the kind of schlub you throw out against safe Republican seats (and MN-6 a very red district). Neither were the type of candidate that would be picked by the DFL to run a good race. By contrast, Coleman ran a pretty good campaign, and ended up winning the endorsements of most every newspaper in the state, and Bachmann had a 4:1 financial advantage throughout most of the race.

3. I'm sorely disappointed that Ashwin Madia lost, and for that I blame the DCCC entirely. Ash was running a positive, character-based campaign (not the type I would have picked but whatever). The DCCC came in with a bunch of embarrassingly sleazy advertisements against Paulsen, and the backlash nearly single-handedly demolished Madia's image. That cracked his armor, and the race rapidly became a sad little mudslinging contest. Republicans usually win those.

[gypsylud]

16. 100% 100% 100% agreement with you!

Franken and Tink were not good candidates. Yes, Yes, Yes!

[kickysnana]

18. Observation: No MPR around Pine City

I got home from an evening meeting in Duluth about 11:45p last night and we were listening to MPR but there is a dead area right there where the Duluth MPR does not come far enough south and the Twin Cities MPR does not come far enough north. Right there ALL of the billboards are pro-life babies.

[DemFromMem]

7. It's not over

In an election this close, there will be a recount. And that's when you start looking at those provisional ballots. I was an election protection lawyer yesterday and can tell you that 90% of provisional ballots are cast by Democrats (mostly poor folks who didn't have the right documents with them to prove their new address). I told voters that if the election turned out to be close, they would have the chance to prove that they were, in fact, entitled to vote. That's the whole point of those ballots and many of them will ultimately count.

[xochi]

9. No, it's not over. They'll do a recount.

Even CNN hasn't called it yet. Franken just needs 763 votes to win. Maybe they'll find something under the sofa.
Bummers about Bachmann though. They need to get her out of there.

[JCMach1]

19. Did they ever get to 100%?

What about provisional ballots?

[riverwalker]

10. I am stuck with Bachmann

I just don't understand it.

[TuxedoKat]

22. Sorry.

I can't believe she won either.

[MattNC]

13. Her "Hardball" interview

occurred a little too late in the campaign. Tinklenberg rallied, but I think he could've used another two weeks or so.

[MattNC]

14. Her "Hardball" interview

occurred a little too late in the campaign. Tinklenberg rallied, but I think he could've used another two weeks or so.

[apnu]

15. You think that's bad... AK looks like they're re-electing Stevens.

Apparently being convicted on corruption isn't a big deal up there.

[Rectangle]

17. The independence party just KILLS us in MN

If not for the IP, Pawlenty would not have been Gov.
The IP siphoned off enough so Madia lost.
Bachmann is in a deep deep -red district, ( I know, because I
work with a few of these wingnuts!!)
Think of the MN 6th as the "Bible Belt" of MN.
I think Instant Runoff Voting ( or plain Runoff voting)
would be the answer to this.

:shrug:

[Thrill]

20. Sad that Coleman continues to stay in Wellstone's seat

[uponit7771]

21. Isn't there going to be a recount?!!?!?