Coleman edges Mondale for Minnesota Senate seat

The Startribune ^ | November 6, 2002 | Patrick Howe

[CoolCD]

Coleman edges Mondale for Minnesota Senate seat Patrick Howe Associated Press

Published Nov. 6, 2002 SENA06

Republican Norm Coleman edged Walter Mondale for Minnesota's Senate seat Wednesday, sending the Democratic elder back into political retirement two weeks after the death of Sen. Paul Wellstone threw the race into chaos.

Coleman's victory over one of Minnesota's revered statesmen was part of a national Republican tide, and a symbol of strength for President Bush. Coleman was the White House's chosen candidate, and Bush and Vice President Cheney visited several times on his behalf.

With 85 percent of precincts reporting, Coleman had raked in 877,934 votes, or 50 percent, to Mondale's 825,313 votes, or 47 percent. Three independent candidates split the rest.

Coleman worked frantically for the victory, ending his two-year bid for office with a 3,000-mile travel blitz in the last days. On the final night alone, he campaigned in twice as many cities as Mondale did in his brief campaign.

Mondale, who was trying to reclaim his old Senate seat, said he was unconcerned based on early returns. ``Some of the best looking precincts you ever saw in your life have yet to report,'' he said. Near 2 a.m., his campaign said he had gone to bed.

Hours earlier, Coleman told his supporters to expect a long night, but he talked of a ``Republican wave'' sweeping the party to victories around the country.

``The wave is moving from east to west and we're waiting for it to hit Minnesota,'' he said.

The all-night vote count was the latest chapter in a race thrown into upheaval by Wellstone's death in a plane crash 11 days before the election.

The 58-year-old liberal died in the midst of a tough campaign against Coleman for a third term. Mondale, who served two terms in the Senate and four years as Jimmy Carter's vice president, was lured out of political retirement to try to hold Wellstone's seat for the Democrats in the closely divided Senate.

The GOP hoped Coleman's youth and charisma would overcome Mondale's statesmanlike standing and any sympathy vote the Democrat might receive as a result of Wellstone's death. Coleman, 53, went on a last-minute campaign blitz, repeating in city after city, ``The future is now'' - a not-so-subtle jab at Mondale's 74 years.

Mondale responded with self-deprecating humor. ``I've looked into it and there's not much I can do about it,'' he said of the age question. His campaign aired sober TV ads touting his credentials, including one with the tagline: ``Serious Experience.''

In addition to the Senate and the vice presidency, Mondale's long career took him to Japan as U.S. ambassador. He suffered a landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan in the 1984 presidential race.

Mondale and Coleman held only one debate, the morning before the election, and Mondale went on the attack, questioning how independent a voice Coleman would be in Washington.

Coleman had been looking for his first victory in a statewide election. He ran for governor in 1998, falling victim to Gov. Jesse Ventura's stunning victory.

Elsewhere, Minnesota's gubernatorial campaign, overshadowed by the Senate race, went to Republican Tim Pawlenty, a young, suburban lawyer who climbed through the GOP from college intern to state House majority leader. He defeated Democrat Roger Moe to succeed Ventura, an independent who did not seek a second term.

[The Great Satan]

Bye, bye Fritz! Nice knowing ya!

[MichiganMan]

Hey DNC, I have this great idea! How about Mondale for President?!?

ROFLMAO

These guys just refuse to learn, picking the guy that led them to their worst national election defeat in history. Brilliant!

[The Raven]

Andrew Sullivan:

Wednesday, November 06, 2002

BUSH'S TRIUMPH: I should have trusted my gut. We all should have believed the late polls. We don't have the full results yet, but it seems clear, as I write, that the Republicans will gain in the House and win back the Senate. For a first term president who didn't win a plurality to win in a mid-term election with a deeply troubled economy is, quite simply, an astonishing victory. I guess I'd been too busy telling others not to under-estimate Bush that I under-estimated him myself. Yes, local issues mattered. But the swing is too uniform to be interpreted solely by particulars. This was a vote for Bush, for prosecuting the war on terror, for the tax cut. More important, it was a vote against the hollow negativism, cowardice and mediocrity of the current Democratic Party. They have nothing to say; and that matters. Their predicament is deeper than this result suggests. Since Bush passed his tax cut and since September 11, the Democrats have been cornered. A purely defensive strategy - taking both issues off the table - led them to this result. An offensive strategy - against war and for raising taxes - would have delivered an even worse one. Or they could have come up with a tough but different anti-terror plan and a positive economic message. But they didn't. So they lost. One other factor is the blandness and decrepitude of their leaders. Daschle and Gephardt are pathetic. McAuliffe is a nightmare. When the Dems needed new blood, they found Mondale and Lautenberg. This is not a party with self-confidence or much of a short-term future. Bush, because of what he did and what the Democrats did not do, now has a remarkable mastery over the polity. He has enormous leverage against Iraq; and this vote will deeply strengthen his position abroad. I hope he uses that mandate wisely and bravely. I also believe that that is part of the reason the Republicans did so well. People know we're at war. They trust the president. They wanted to show him support. Many factors contributed to tonight's historically rare event. But the president's conduct of the war was surely the central one, as it will be for the foreseeable future.

[paul544]

Pray for SD, just to make it sweeter!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gore_sux_2000]

Thank you Lord!!!! What a sweet day in Minnesota!!! Prayers for SD!

[chiefqc]

So, so true in all aspects.

[The Great Satan]

But he's a "Democratic Icon," dontcha know? Sort of like Ronald Reagan is a "Republican Icon," only he never won a two-term landslide, fixed the economy, or won the Cold War.

[Samwise]

More important, it was a vote against the hollow negativism, cowardice and mediocrity of the current Democratic Party. They have nothing to say; and that matters.

Big Bump

[GATOR NAVY]

LMAO! You mean he's like a tiger, except he's not orange, doesn't have stripes, and looks like poodle-dog?

[Bahbah]

Praying. What a sweet and wonderful day.

[rintense]

Isn't this incredible! I still have andrenaline running through me. And for the first time in the past month, I SLEPT last night.

[chiefqc]

What do you expect for the Dumb-O-Crat leadership???

No new ideas and no new programs. Their leadership is nothing but lies and slimey deals. They offer this great nation nothing, nada, zero zippo.

While I am elated with the results of this election, the Dumb-O-crats need to have a learedship that will use their brains and rid themselves of the toilet people.

What a great day this is, their taking out the trash and the fat lady is singing.

LETS ROLL

[Bahbah]

Just heard the newsreader on MSNBC say this is a victory for President Bush. Nice. Actually, it's a victory for us all. I am absolutely bouncing.

[MissHardihood]

These guys just refuse to learn...

What do you expect? The Clinton's are running things. They have never had their finger on the pulse of America.

The Clintons are gutting the Demo party.

[Gil4]

Coleman: "'The future is now' - a not-so-subtle jab at Mondale's 74 years." Mondale (about his age):``I've looked into it and there's not much I can do about it''

That's actually a pretty good line - not in the same class as Reagan's "youth and inexperience" line, but still pretty good.

I probably wouldn't appreciate it so much if he wasn't crawling back into retirement today.

[rintense]

I'm going to work with a bigass smile on my face! And my Bush/Cheney sign STILL stands in my garden.

[rdax]

What a great morning!

I'm really happy Mondale is going down.

Losing NJ to another old demorat is a bummer, but 105-year-old Lautenburg has to face a republican majority --- bwa hahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Lizavetta]

Mondale responded with self-deprecating humor. ``I've looked into it and there's not much I can do about it,'' he said of the age question. His campaign aired sober TV ads touting his credentials, including one with the tagline: ``Serious Experience.''

Serious like a gas line, eh Fritz?

[lstanle]

"Hey DNC, I have this great idea! How about Mondale for President?!?"

I Think the position may be filled already, Rush said yesterday that Senator Gary Hart wants to run for the dims.