Saturday, January 3, 2009
2008 Sen. Al Franken
Posted by Dan Savage on Sat, Jan 3, 2009 at 7:57 PM
On CNN last night some talking head or other described Norm Coleman as the "long-serving Senator from Minnesota." Coleman was elected in 2002—so he's served just a single six-year term. And it's looking more and more like that's going to be Norm's only term. Al Franken is now up by more than 200 votes after absentee ballots were counted today.
Franken's lead now stands at 225 votes after gaining 176 votes more than Coleman in Saturday's review of the formerly sealed absentee ballots. Franken started the day with a 49-vote advantage.The 933 absentee ballots were among those rejected by poll workers but later found to be excluded in error. The campaigns eventually agreed they should be added to the recount.
Unless Coleman wins a pending court petition that seeks to add hundreds more ballots to the recount, the counting is done and the Canvassing Board can sign off on the result on Monday or Tuesday. The result cannot be certified for at least one more week under state law.
Way to go, Al.
Share via
1
Ah, that's great. I really like Al Franken - and I detest Norm Coleman.
But Al would do well to remember that his victory was only possible because of a conservative third party candidate.
But Al would do well to remember that his victory was only possible because of a conservative third party candidate.
3
Well, as someone who voted in MN, I would say Catalina is DEAD wrong. Al won in spite of that third candidate. And we are dancing in the streets here in MPLS. HELL YEAH AL! Also, I saw him in the grocery store around Nov 15th? He looked downtrodden. I am sure he is clinking champagne glasses tonight!!!!
7
ZWBush Dear, it all depends on how you look at it:
Generally, the GOP Candidate gets most of the GOP Votes. The DFL Candidate gets most of the DFL'ers.
The Minnesota Independence Party Candidate, Dean Barkley, was something of an enigma: On the one hand, he was a McGovern supporter. On the other hand, he was a tobacco, casino and prison lobbyist who was campaign manager for the conservative-ish Jesse Ventura
Thus, I believe that GOP Candidate + 3rd party candidate = More voters than the DFL Candidate.
Just as Clinton was helped by Ross Perot, thus Franken was helped by Dean Barkley
Go ahead and do an extra cha-cha down Hennepin for me. I'm not at all saying Al needs to veer to the center, or anything stupid like that. I think his principles and his instincts are right on target. I'm just saying that I think he lucked out. And I'm glad he did.
Generally, the GOP Candidate gets most of the GOP Votes. The DFL Candidate gets most of the DFL'ers.
The Minnesota Independence Party Candidate, Dean Barkley, was something of an enigma: On the one hand, he was a McGovern supporter. On the other hand, he was a tobacco, casino and prison lobbyist who was campaign manager for the conservative-ish Jesse Ventura
Thus, I believe that GOP Candidate + 3rd party candidate = More voters than the DFL Candidate.
Just as Clinton was helped by Ross Perot, thus Franken was helped by Dean Barkley
Go ahead and do an extra cha-cha down Hennepin for me. I'm not at all saying Al needs to veer to the center, or anything stupid like that. I think his principles and his instincts are right on target. I'm just saying that I think he lucked out. And I'm glad he did.
9
Al Franken's eventual victory will still be more respectable than G.W. Bush's 2000 "victory" in Florida.
10
Maybe Al doesn't believe in everything that Judaism teaches, but here's a sample I'd love for Dan to discuss:
According to the Bible, homosexual acts are "to'evah," an abomination.
In Leviticus 18:22, it is written: "And you shall not cohabit with a male as one cohabits with a woman; it is an abomination."
And in Leviticus 20:13, it is written: "And if a man cohabits with a male as with a woman, both of them have done an abominable thing; they shall be put to death; their blood falls back upon them."
Go Al!
According to the Bible, homosexual acts are "to'evah," an abomination.
In Leviticus 18:22, it is written: "And you shall not cohabit with a male as one cohabits with a woman; it is an abomination."
And in Leviticus 20:13, it is written: "And if a man cohabits with a male as with a woman, both of them have done an abominable thing; they shall be put to death; their blood falls back upon them."
Go Al!
11
I can support someone who has silly religious beliefs—so long as they don't seek to impose their beliefs on others, and so long as they don't point to as a justification for stripping other citizens of their rights. Someone can think that I'm going to hell—so long as they don't think their religious delusions require the state to oppress me, Amused, I could give a shit what they believe.
Thank you for playing Slog.
Thank you for playing Slog.
13
Oh, and I have no idea how devout Al is, or how religious he is. And I don't care... so long as... blah blah blah. But, yeah, fundy Judaism, like so many other religions, has its head up its collective butt about human sexuality -- and not just homosexuality.
15
I'm especially interested in hearing what you think about Al's thoughts on this topic:
"I just don’t like homosexuals. If you ask me, they’re all homosexuals in the Pudding. Hey, I was glad when that Pudding homosexual got killed in Philadelphia.’"
"I just don’t like homosexuals. If you ask me, they’re all homosexuals in the Pudding. Hey, I was glad when that Pudding homosexual got killed in Philadelphia.’"
16
Al Franken's run at this Senate seat has been inhumanly long--he must have been so bored, yet he kept at it. I remember when he used to fade out during his AAR show. Kudos to Franken for fighting this long at something so dull, boring and omnipresent. I couldn't have done it.
Norm Coleman shocked me with his attack on the MN flight instructor who turned in Moussaoui. I don't know much about Coleman, but it hasn't been good. My uninformed assumption so far has been that Coleman's success against Franken was due to their relative body fat percentages in the photo ops.
Norm Coleman shocked me with his attack on the MN flight instructor who turned in Moussaoui. I don't know much about Coleman, but it hasn't been good. My uninformed assumption so far has been that Coleman's success against Franken was due to their relative body fat percentages in the photo ops.
17
Don't get me wrong - I want full equality under the law for all people - but I don't blindly assume that Democrats, even with the mythical 60-vote majority, are going to make that happen. Getting involved in another state's politics is too dangerous for me, as I don't know the candidates - or the state-level issues that actually decide those elections - very well. Nor do you, I'd care to venture.
18
The real question is: "Is there anyone he has NOT insulted yet?"
http://kerstenblog.startribune.com/kerst…
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?r…
It doesn't seem to be a religious thing, as in, "Being Jewish Makes Al Homophobic", amongst other bigoted things he's been known to say. He just seems to be an all around jerk. Or his idea of what's funny is so off, he's finally figured out that politics is for people who are NOT funny.
So Congrats Al. Now STFU.
http://kerstenblog.startribune.com/kerst…
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?r…
It doesn't seem to be a religious thing, as in, "Being Jewish Makes Al Homophobic", amongst other bigoted things he's been known to say. He just seems to be an all around jerk. Or his idea of what's funny is so off, he's finally figured out that politics is for people who are NOT funny.
So Congrats Al. Now STFU.
20
Way to go, state of Minnesota!
Glad you finally got a handle on the complicated art of 'counting'.
No wonder Al won.
Send in the CLOWNS.
Glad you finally got a handle on the complicated art of 'counting'.
No wonder Al won.
Send in the CLOWNS.
21
Now Obama has a firm ally to help him ram the gay agenda thru Congress!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Way to go, Gays!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Way to go, Gays!
22
He made that comment about gays in 1976. He was 24 years old. I doubt he was being serious. There are a lot of jokes people could get away with then that they'd never get away with now, including "Jane, you ignorant slut." What passed as humor was very different 32 years ago.
I've read all of Al Franken's books and I've listened to his show. He's not a homophobe. He's not anti-gay rights. He probably cringes every time he remembers saying that Harvard Pudding comment.
I admit the "I'm glad he was killed" comment is awful. I wonder if he's addressed it recently? I'd be interested in what he thinks now about what he said then, joke or not. But if he didn't like gays in 1976 at the age of 24? Come on. It's crystal clear he's grown up a lot since then. I still believed in God when I was 24. I barely understood my own sexual orientation.
I've read all of Al Franken's books and I've listened to his show. He's not a homophobe. He's not anti-gay rights. He probably cringes every time he remembers saying that Harvard Pudding comment.
I admit the "I'm glad he was killed" comment is awful. I wonder if he's addressed it recently? I'd be interested in what he thinks now about what he said then, joke or not. But if he didn't like gays in 1976 at the age of 24? Come on. It's crystal clear he's grown up a lot since then. I still believed in God when I was 24. I barely understood my own sexual orientation.
23
Al mentioned many times on his old Air America show that he doesn't keep kosher, and loves pork barbecue. I'm going to hazard a guess that he also doesn't think homosexuals should be stoned to death.
24
I'm glad that the one political donation I made this year went to a campaign where it might have actually made a difference (Franken) rather than to Obama, who's campaign was going to win anyway. Go Al!
25
For most of his life, Al Franken has been a professional comedian. And deep down, he probably always will be. I'm sure he's said plenty of things in jest that he wouldn't say in a moment of seriousness. That's the nature of comedy, though obviously it can be taken too far.
Regardless, Franken all but explicitly states that he supports full marriage rights for homosexuals in his book The Truth: With Jokes when he takes issue with what he calls John Kerry's "consistent, if in my view misguided, opposition to equal marriage rights for all Americans" (p116-117).
Regardless, Franken all but explicitly states that he supports full marriage rights for homosexuals in his book The Truth: With Jokes when he takes issue with what he calls John Kerry's "consistent, if in my view misguided, opposition to equal marriage rights for all Americans" (p116-117).
27
Doesn't this make anyone nervous about the problems with absentee ballots, as King County moves ever closer to fully embracing this stupid, stupid, voting system:
http://novbm.wordpress.com/why-not-vbm/
http://novbm.wordpress.com/why-not-vbm/
29
28
Surely you jest.
Franken will be the best thing for the Republicans since Cynthia McKinney turned Green.
Surely you jest.
Franken will be the best thing for the Republicans since Cynthia McKinney turned Green.
30
Yeah, 28, that Cynthia McKinney thing really paid out for you guys in the last two elections, huh?
And don't call me Shirley.
And don't call me Shirley.
31
30
Let's be frank and ernest.
I'll be Frank and you be Ernest...
Cynthia was always good for at least one outrage a week, always reminded folks why (around these parts, at least) we don't vote D. Big Al should be good for more of the same.
Let's be frank and ernest.
I'll be Frank and you be Ernest...
Cynthia was always good for at least one outrage a week, always reminded folks why (around these parts, at least) we don't vote D. Big Al should be good for more of the same.
32
10: Eating pork is also to'evah... and Franken has talked about how much he loves him so pork barbecue. He's not what you might call particularly observant.
Most Commented on Slog
-
Stephen Fry v. the Catholic Church by Dan Savage
-
Neologism Needed by Dan Savage
-
Palin's Cheat Sheet by Dan Savage
-
Straight Up by Dan Savage
-
SL Letter of the Day: The Toilet Brush Off by Dan Savage
-
Every Child Deserves a Mother and a Father by Dan Savage
-
Tea Party Crowd Believes That Only Good Spellers Should Vote by Dan Savage
-
Every Child Deserves a Mother and a Father by Dan Savage
-
The Green Police Super Bowl Commercial by Charles Mudede
-
How's That Hopey, Changey Stuff Working Out For Childhood Obesity? by Dan Savage
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (32) RSS