Franken's deficit: 236 votes

Minneapolis Star-Tribune ^ | 11/7/08 | Patricia Lopez

[steve-b]

Just as Secretary of State Mark Ritchie was explaining to reporters the recount process in one of the narrowest elections in Minnesota history, an aide rushed in with news: Pine County's Partridge Township had revised its vote total upward -- another 100 votes for Democratic candidate Al Franken, putting him within .011 percentage points of Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman.

The reason for the change? Exhausted county officials had accidentally entered 24 for Franken instead of 124 when the county's final votes were tallied at 5:25 Wednesday morning.

"That's why we have recounts," Ritchie said, surveying the e-mail sent in from the county auditor. "Human error. People make mistakes."

The margin in the tightest Senate race in the country bounced like the stock market throughout the day, with the difference between Coleman and Franken dropping, then rising briefly to 590 votes before shooting down to a razor-thin 236 by day's end.

In a reversal of the previous day, when Coleman had declared victory and suggested that Franken should waive a recount, Coleman kept to himself on Thursday, while Franken called reporters to talk about the prospects for a continued narrowing of the count....

[hoe_cake]

You’re right.

Another thing is why folks are so nasty.

I mean, I’m angry as hell and don’t want to take it any more, but I’m not nasty about it.

I don’t think I am.

[copaliscrossing]

It didn't happen with the pubbies in charge either.

I agree. I had one of those "dang, I forgot that part" when I hit the "Post" button but I figured there would be a sharp Freeper out there that would point it out for me. Thanks!

Hopefully the Pubbies have learned their lesson and WHEN they get back in power, they get this taken care of.

[nufsed]

If you can’t fix the election before, do it afterwards.

[chickadee]

And, sad to say, the Republicans are such weenies, they let it happen. I’ve often been tempted to go back to the Democrats since they know how to play hardball.

[Lancey Howard]

There was a very interesting theory advanced that claimed Johnson declined to run for re-election but was counting on getting the nomination anyway at the convention.

[mwl8787]

After Bobby Kennedy was killed, yes. Making of the President, 1968 by Teddy White.

[topher]

Does this take into account the Military Vote.

What is the deadline to counting all Military Votes?

What about lawsuits to allow disenfranchized Military Votes -- coming in late because of "technical problems" -- because they are coming from war zones (???)

[warsaw44]

Every time I think to myself “ these people elected Franken? Are they stupid? “ I need to remind myself that I am from Massachusetts.

[billva]

There is no question as to who will win. It will be Franken. Since the race was a statistical dead heat, any of the corrections should mirror the election results. That they (always) seem to benefit the rat, you can conclude that it is only a matter of time before the democrat machine steals another Senate seat.

I'm betting that Coleman wins.

[billva]

I’ll venture a rare opinion here.

It’s all legitimate. 24 vs 124 would be at the precinct level. That is not recounting votes. That is redoing math. Someone made an error. Some other errors were made during yesterday and fixed and they benefited Coleman.

The recount will be of paper ballots. The machines are excellent and made no errors. The hand count will vary from the machines by about 5 votes statewide.

Coleman will win by approximately the present margin.

Damn it's nice to see a voice of reason rather than complete doom and gloom.

I'm betting that Coleman wins also.

[BlueStateBlues]

But the paper ballots which registered as ‘no vote’ will now be determined, and it’s usually morons i.e.Democrats who make moronic i.e.Democratic mistakes. I put my money on Franken winning while hoping I’m wrong.

[mwl8787]

powerlineblog.com is reporting demonstrable fraud committed by Franken in St. Louis County - Democratic Duluth area.

[MNDude]

Crap. The recount means they are looking for “intent” like if someone was too dumb to fill in the circles and drew a smiley face next to the name.

I think everyone knows who has an edge on dumb voters. :(

[cruise_missile]

I thought his deficit was that he was aL fRanKeN.

[EGPWS]

Every time I think to myself “ these people elected Franken? Are they stupid? “ I need to remind myself that I am from Massachusetts.

Lest we forget those of us in Minnesota who tremored at the thought of "pulling the lever" for such a RINO as Coleman just to keep Franken out.

There are those in Minnesota as there is in Massachusetts who carry the burden of keeping the political dingbat's at bay even at the cost of taking across the board ridicule in doing so.

[fhayek]

OK, I am a “county official” doing my yearly turn as a voting inspector. Important race, the whole country watching. I don’t check my numbers? I mean, its only one small county. 124 votes. I don’t check them, what, six times before I originally submit them? I mean its not like stuffing chicken nuggets into a paper bag, is it?

[fhayek]

Oh, and the stock market “bounced back”? I have never seen such rooting for the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the press in the last three days.

[grace522]

Start Smally is neck and neck......let’s find this man some votes. Another intellectual giant for the Senate. He and Robert Byrd can swap racist jokes.

[calex59]

I find it extremely strange that when they find “lost” ballots they always favor the democrat candidate. I guess all these lost ballots in different races in different states in elections in different years being for the rats is just coincidence. /SAR

[mwl8787]

So that everyone understands, there was not only a Ventura handmaiden who was a third party candidate who received a significant 15 percent of the vote, another Libertarian candidate took another 14,000 votes.

Franken was these voters LAST choice. I hope these idiots have learned a suitable lesson.

It is analogous to Wallace supporters in 1968, who damned near gave us Humphrey instead of Nixon.