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Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again

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Mediahohoho
12/20/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
It's nice to know I'm pissing off the right people.
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unclevanya
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
I, for one, welcome this new Al Franken Decade.
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Mediahohoho
12/19/08

@unclevanya: Lyle Cadonia once again ascends the winner's podium.
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Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
This is an artistic dance of his election:

+ Watch video

And if you haven't seen the video of Bailey the "Reindeer" before, CLICK ALREADY.

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Peter Feld
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
You're missing the bad news: Nate wrote that before this number came in. His prediction that Franken wins by 40 votes is based on him being up 430 votes after this phase of the recount, not 250. "I then have Franken losing a net of about 385 ballots once withdrawn challenges are processed" - that's how he came up with 40. So if that expected margin went down by 180 votes (he said the math was fuzzy), the forecast would be revised for Franken to be behind by about 135 votes. However, there is reason to think those 5,0000 uncounted absentees could break in Franken's favor.
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Peter Feld
12/19/08

@Peter Feld: 5000 uncounted absentees.
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Mediahohoho
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
I think it's fitting that the seat the Republicans gleefully won only because they exploited the tragic death of the last politician in America with any integrity they have to give back because somebody finally got to count all the votes without "Il Dunce" Scalia stuck his fat wop nose where it did not belong. Suck it, 'pubs.
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lilbobbytables
12/19/08

@Mediahohoho:

Wellstone, we miss thee.
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DontCallitaComeback
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
Regardless of the outcome, what I find most disconcerting is the pathological need for Minnesotans to vote for politicians who are wholly unqualified for the elected seats they will occupy.

Any jackass, celebrity or other wingnut with a scintilla of intelligence and a healthy amount of political aspiration (dem, rep or independent) need only to move to Minnesota and his/her chance of being elected (Gov. Senator, whatever) is no worse than 50/50.

What is in their collective voting psyche that causes this?
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Heneage
12/19/08

@DontCallitaComeback: I hardly think that this sort of thing is limited to the state of Minnesota. How many times was Ted Stevens elected.

David Vitter

Mark Foley

"Wide Stance" guy

Hell, even Jerry Springer was mayor of Cincinatti. It's not an excuse - just a relatively common experience. The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with an average voter...
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llamalash★
12/19/08

@Heneage: Point well taken. However, in his defense, wasn't Springer the mayor before his talk show ridiculousness? Or do I have that backwards?
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TheUptightMidwesterner
12/19/08

@DontCallitaComeback: If we elect maniacs, then people don't dwell on the other dumb things we do.
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lilbobbytables
12/19/08

@DontCallitaComeback: If you are talking about Ventrua and Franken, the common denominator is Coleman. He sucks, and we do not want him in office. A duck carcass has a pretty good shot against Creepface.
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jasonelias
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
I hope Franken can pull this off. Coleman didn't get in under the most charmed circumstances anyway. He's a retread/politician hack who has weakened the system so I'd like to see him go because he's one of the last of the Rove approved guys left standing.
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lilbobbytables
12/19/08

@jasonelias: R.I.P. Paul Wellstone. I pour some of my beverage on the floor in his memory, which probably annoys my boss.
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Solomon Grundy
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
Wait, so this means Rachel Maddow is going to be my next Junior Senator from New York, right? Right?
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naugahydeinplainsight
12/19/08

@Solomon Grundy: OK by me.
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llamalash★
12/19/08

@naugahydeinplainsight: You should be so lucky!
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eatsshootsleaves
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
The real winner is clearly Caroline Kennedy, who no longer looks unqualified.
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Helman
12/19/08

@eatsshootsleaves: Yes she does.
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hypocriteoath
12/19/08

@Helman: exactly. being qualified is not a relative metric: you either are or you aren't. electing someone else, somewhere else does nothing to change that fact.
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eatsshootsleaves
12/19/08

@Helman: You have a point there.

Maybe she and Franken and Inhofe can caucus together and make themselves all look good in comparison to the people they're surrounded with.

(Which isn't to say that I'm not delighted that Franken appears to be winning.)
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eatsshootsleaves
12/19/08

@hypocriteoath: I was joking, but I'm tired and I phrased it badly and it's clearly not funny, so I forgive you for not realizing that. :)
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Mediahohoho
12/19/08

@Helman: Er, no more than HRC if you think about it.
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Helman
12/19/08

@Mediahohoho: (Easy, blood pressure) HRC was ELECTED. And I know you hate HRC so much that it is basically pointless to respond to you but: do you really think CK is as qualified as HRC was? It's hard for me to take that seriously. I'm sure you will reduce her to being the wife of Bill, and I will be sputtering for a response.
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llamalash★
12/19/08

@Mediahohoho: and plenty of other senators.
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Mediahohoho
12/19/08

@Helman: You're right that I'm not a fan of Hillary, but the point I was making is that Caroline Kennedy has a roughly analogous set of qualifications for the senate now that HRC did when she ran in 2000 (when, I'll have you know, I voted for her).

What are those qualifications? She's a lawyer who has been around executive power. Unlike a lot of people that you'll talk to, I don't think those are discountable qualities--at least they're both people who know how to operate in that milieu.

So, to recap my point: Caroline Kennedy now is as qualified to be a senator as Hillary Clinton was in 2000. That's it.

As for whether I "hate" Hillary, no, not really. For the zillionth time, I was disgusted by the dirtiness of her campaign and incredulous at a lot of the bile spewed on her behalf. I'd probably like her if I met her.
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Mediahohoho
12/19/08

@llamalash: absolutely
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Helman
12/19/08

@Mediahohoho: Well, I disagree that their qualifications are anywhere near equal. True, they both went to law school. But Clinton was accepted on the merits. And Caroline Kennedy sat on a bunch of non-profit boards and was a good fundraiser, notwithstanding the handicap of her last name. Whereas Clinton -- whatever one thinks about the merits of it -- worked with (and learned from) her experience with the whole health care disaster. And you can chalk up her speech in China about women's rights as being akin to getting Mort Zuckerman's daughter into Brearley, but I do not. But even assuming your point, the fact remains that Clinton got herself elected. She persuaded the electorate -- many of which disliked her -- that she should win. ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE.
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Mediahohoho
12/19/08

@Helman: Some day I'll put all my failures on my resume and demand that people respect them as accomplishments. But I've never met anyone who followed the health care debacle who has categorized it as anything less than a disaster, for precisely the things I find off-putting about her political style: her absolute refusal to include other points of view into her decision-making. But I suppose if it's going to follow her around as her biggest disaster, she and her followers may as well try to push it as a plus. I just don't buy it.

Personally, I find the whole CK discussion to be yet another symptom of the paucity of talent within the New York State Democratic party.
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Helman
12/19/08

@Mediahohoho: You have a knack for addressing only that which pleases you. I would think you would find monumentally democracy repressing some of the things we know about CK: her using strings to her advantage (read up on the Zuckerman story, Hoho. It is chilling), her stifling the press, etc. Not to mention your failure to even note the critical distinction of election versus appointment. But I know the merits don't interest you: You are just using this story (I suspect) to take (yet another) crack at Clinton. Have fun.
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Mediahohoho
12/19/08

@Helman: Actually, I find the subject more boring by the second. I made a comment that I found the qualifications of the two people being compared roughly analogous. That's all.
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Helman
12/19/08

@Mediahohoho: Yes, that's all.
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SinisterRouge
12/20/08

@Helman: LOL. No, he doesn't hate her. He just hates the awful dirtiness of her campaign. I mean she was right down grossy! She tried to win! 'Tis terrible. And for Hoho's insistence on being Mr Liberal Bad Ass...he uses a right wing talking point to tell you that HRC is a failure. Healthcare reform failed! Where have I heard that before? OH yeah, from the wingnuts and Clinton-haters that made SURE it failed. (people like Sam Nunn!) Nevertheless, yes, Kennedy is just as qualified. And she endorsed Obama so that make's triply so right Hoho?

How you feel about Rick Warren buddy? He's cool right? Gay rights ain't shit now.
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uninspired
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
2012 cannot come too soon for Mr. Silver.
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hypocriteoath
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
Al Franken never looks like a winner.
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Helman
12/19/08

@hypocriteoath: That is true.
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steveholtsmother
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
Dear God, I hope this is true. Save those poor Minnesotans from the blinding veneers of Norm Coleman!
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lilbobbytables
12/19/08

@steveholtsmother: Thank you! He terrifies me! It makes me want to hide in one of our 10,000 lakes.

EVE HOLT!
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Victor Ward
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
Since when were people in Minnesota allowed to read ballots and vote? People from Minnesota are considered well read if they make it through the Sears Catalog.
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SylviaPlathWasFramed
12/19/08

@Victor Ward: Go home, Iowa.
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Victor Ward
12/19/08

@SylviaPlathWasFramed: It's a Golden Girls reference, so please call me by the more appropriate name - "Gay". Thanks!
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TheHonJudgeSmails
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
This has to be a joke. And in typical Franken fashion, it is an unfunny one.
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Helman
12/19/08

@TheHonJudgeSmails: HE IS FUNNY!
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Nic Fit
12/19/08

@Helman: I agree. He's funny and smart and has good politics. Norm Coleman is a crook who supported Bush/Cheney's criminal and abusive policies the whole way.
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Xylo
12/19/08

@TheHonJudgeSmails: Unfunny in that, it shows the bizarre and arbitrary machinations that can lead to someone, anyone, being declared a winner or loser in a U.S. Senate race. Sheesh.
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Banjo-Sea Kitten
12/19/08

@TheHonJudgeSmails: It matters not whether Franken is funny. Norm Coleman is a major twatwaffle. Some friends of mine from MN said recently that they saw Norm out on the town and he's skeevy, handsy and gross and all over the young ladies in that way that you can sense from a mile away. His politics are just as skeevy.
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Niko Bellic
12/19/08

@TheHonJudgeSmails: Ha, ha... eh, wait a minute. I don't get it.
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Mymoustache
12/19/08

@Banjo Kitten: I salute your timely use of the term "twatwaffle."
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lilbobbytables
12/19/08

@TheHonJudgeSmails: Norm Colman is the asshat to end all asshats. He lost the gubernatorial election to Ventura, and only won a congressional seat in '02 because Wellstone died before the election. Assy McChickletteeth went on to say that he was a better senator than Paul "Cares about the constituents" Wellstone.

And about Ventura - the state has access to Predator. We knew how silly that was. It is still better than Coleman.
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Banjo-Sea Kitten
12/19/08

@Mymoustache: Thx. I will be experimenting with douchewaffle and twatbag soon, even though they sound faintly Dr. Seussian.
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Richard Lawson
12/19/08

In reply to Al Franken Looks Like A Winner Again
And doggone, 250 more people like me.
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