The Crazy Minnesota Senate Race

The Minnesota Senate race between Senator Norm Coleman (R) and former talk show host and comedian Al Franken (D) has still not been decided six and a half weeks after the elections.

Out of nearly three million votes, Coleman held a lead of about 200 votes for a long time, but now Franken has surged ahead to about an equal lead, and there are observers who think the race will not be decided by January 6, when the new Congress convenes.  There may be lawsuits, and meanwhile, a possible temporary appointment of an interim senator by Governor Tim Pawlenty. 

This mess was created because of the decision of interim Senator Dean Barkley (I), appointed as a replacement for Senator Paul Wellstone who died in a plane crash in 2002, and only served about six weeks in office, to seek the seat as an independent candidate.  He won about 15 percent of the vote and the result is this unbelieveably close contest between the two major contenders.  It could rival the closest election ever, a four vote lead in  New Hampshire in 1974.  It could be that the Senate will refuse to seat either candidate and force a new election, a runoff of these two candidates, with no one else allowed on the ballot.

When one looks at the crazy way many people filled out their paper ballots, it creates controversy as to intent of those voters and makes one really wonder why it is that the simple act of voting is so difficult for ordinary citizens to fathom.  It does not, certainly, promote the belief that many voters have the judgment to follow simple directions and do their duty as citizens in a proper way!

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