MAJOR DEMOCRATIC DAMAGE (Why the "Memorial Service" will cost Mondale the election)

RealClearPolitics.com ^ | October 30, 2002 | John McIntyre

[Timesink]

Wednesday October 30 2002
MAJOR DEMOCRATIC DAMAGE: "TV networks and radio stations have been bombarded with angry calls. The Democrats greatly overplayed their hand and violated the tradition of "Minnesota nice." The only two Democrats who seemed to instinctively realize how overboard they had gone were Gore and Daschle. It is also being talked about around the water coolers at businesses and schools, and people across the ideological spectrum did not like it. In all, it gives Norm Coleman a fresh start.

State GOP chair reported late last night that Coleman brought in over $150,000 last night alone from angry moderates and conservatives across the country. I was also informed that the phones continue to "ring off the hook" at Coleman headquarters" This from a reader of ours in Minnesota and we have gotten many more emails exactly like this one. With only five full days between now and the election Mondale may not be able to recover from this fiasco. The sympathy vote for Wellstone may have been completely incinerated in 3 1/2 hours last night. JM 5:14 pm

MORE MINNESOTA: "I feel used. I feel violated and duped over the fact that that turned into nothing more than a political rally. Like in the case of Senator Lott flying all the way up here and being booed when he is supposed to be going to a memorial service. I think the Democrats should hang their head in shame." Independent Governor Jesse Ventura

"What a complete, total, absolute sham. The DFL clearly intends to exploit Wellstone's memory totally, completely and shamelessly for political gain. To them, Wellstone's death, apparently, was just another campaign event." Fmr. Rep. Vin Weber (R)

Last night has turned into a disaster for the Democrats. Powerline has delved deeper into the Star Tribune's poll showing Mondale up 8 and has found out that the poll sampled 51% DFL/Democratic supporters and only 36% Republican or GOP leaning supporters, a total of 11% more Democrats than their previous Wellstone/Coleman poll.   JM 4:49 pm

MINNESOTA: My initial feeling that Coleman was going to be swamped by the sympathy vote for Wellstone is beginning to fade, and quickly. While it hasn't gotten huge play in the national media, the "memorial service" for the late Senator Wellstone and the other victims was so over the top, and distasteful, it has the real potential to backlash hard on the Democrats. Our friends at Powerline have been all over this story and they report that the "rally" is getting a lot of coverage in Minnesota.

"There is a lot of buzz this morning about the fact that television cameras showed Jesse Ventura and his wife, Terry, getting up and walking out on the Democrats' pep-fest at Williams Arena last night. I heard Ventura being interviewed on the radio this morning. He said that he found the Democrats' misuse for partisan ends not only of Wellstone's death, but of the families of the other victims of the crash, to be deeply offensive. He said that his wife was so shocked and offended by the Democrats' conduct that she was brought to tears, prompting their walkout."

When NPR and William Saletan at Slate also characterize the event as more a political pep rally rather than a memorial service it is clear it isn't just Republicans who think the Democrats went too far. Not to mention I don't take the recent poll from the Star Tribune showing Mondale up 8 as terrible news for Coleman. That poll of 47%-39% may very well be the high water mark for Mondale from here on out. It's reasonable to assume that the sympathy factor is going to be at its peak immediately following the tragedy. Furthermore a poll done by the NRSC, the same time as the Star's poll, had Mondale up only two points, with the Star Tribune's polls long time poll bias for Dems that puts Mondale up 5 points averaging the two polls. The clear politicization of Wellstone's death by the Democrats last night is not going to play well among the average Minnesotan and it will definitely serve to energize Coleman's base. Expect that five point gap to close.

The bottom line is I am close to doing a complete 180 on this race. I think the offensive nature of the "memorial service" last night has put this seat right back into play. And the trump card in Coleman's hand are all those absentee ballots that can not legally be counted for Mondale. This can very easily be a potential 2%-5% boost for Coleman and if he can get this race close in the polls, which I suspect now he will, that absentee difference will be enough to give him the win. The Dems lawsuit to get those Wellstone votes counted for Mondale shows just how seriously the Democrats think those absentee ballots might be.

If Coleman can run a positive, mistake-free, proactive campaign these next few days (and there's no reason to think he can't) these polls will close and this will be a nail-biter. With the absentee ballot edge I think Coleman now will win. But, hey, this is a very fluid situation and Coleman's got to close the poll numbers. I have to give credit to Hugh Hewitt and Ramesh Ponnuru who dismissed the conventional wisdom, including my own, that Coleman couldn't win. JM 1:02 pm       Comments

[Zebra]

Ok, so the rhyme is strained, but not much rhymes with Wellstone. Hailstone. Hell's tone. Bell tone. Mail phone. parsy the hurried.

Tail Bone?

Quayle moan?

[Zebra]

Ok, so the rhyme is strained, but not much rhymes with Wellstone. Hailstone. Hell's tone. Bell tone. Mail phone. parsy the hurried.

Tail Bone?

Quayle moan?

[michaelt]

You are very astute. It seems like the Republicans are learning how to play politics.

This news that the Star Tribune poll oversampled Democrats is an important point to remember - but its too inside baseball for regular voters. Thank God the Dems showed their true selves last night. That got everyone's attention.

[pfflier]

the "memorial service" for the late Senator Wellstone and the other victims was so over the top, and distasteful,

Doesn't that describe the whole Clintoon style?

[varon]

The death of Welstone is now the democrat party talking point.

What is with the socialists and their obsession with death?
In places like Detroit, Chicago etc they have the dead voting for socialists.In other places like Minnesota, Missouri etc they vote for the dead.

[Fabozz]

"And, if Coleman wins, the Governor may simply appoint him to finish the remainder of Wellstone's term."

Actually, the minute Coleman is certified the winner, that's it—he succeeds to Wellstone's seat immediately under Minnesota law, with no input from The Body needed or allowed. The question is, what happens if when the election results are challenged. Theoretically, if the courts don't take firm action, it will be left to the Senate to vote on whether to accept Coleman or Mondale. Ventura has said that he will then appoint some third Minnesotan to temporarily fill Wellstone's seat, so that Minnesota gets two votes to determine the succession.

Now, yesterday the smart money said that Ventura's appointee would be a Democrat: firstly, because Ventura is left of center, and secondly, because it would have struck his sense of "fairness" as appropriate. However, it now seems likely that Ventura will pick either an independent or an outright Republican, rather than choose anyone connected in any way to last night's ghoulish carnival of hubris. So then things get really interesting. If the Senate maintains its current 51-49 balance of power, as seems likely (sigh), then whoever Ventura picks will in effect wield the deciding vote on whether to seat Coleman or Mondale.

[William McKinley]

Right. The kids taking part just adds to it. I said this on another thread, but it fits here too.

When a caller asked what the problem with the "service" was, if this was what the family wanted, he said that her question was indicative of the problem itself, that we used to have common standards of decency, of "how to go on" in certain situations, and we have lost that.

What this did was slap a cold hand of reality across the romance stricken faces of the voter who had bought into the myth of Wellstone as being this great principled liberal of conscience. Although it isn't really being said much, everyone realizes that the problem isn't that Wellstone would have been appalled at the display; quite the contrary, had Tom Harkin been the one dead instead we likely would have seen Wellstone leading the partisan display. This is who they are. This is what Democrats teach their kids about respect and dignity and propriety, as shown by the juvenille populist cry of "we will win" from the junior Wellstone. The problem is that the Democrats don't know any better, can't see what was wrong with what they did, and simply don't understand that America not only doesn't share their outlook and attitude, but that America is repulsed by it whenever America sees it clearly.

Last night was Paul Wellstone's legacy, and it put the progressive liberalism of the Democratic party into clear focus, and the people are repulsed.

[GailA]

I didn't see any mention of cueball carville being with Wellstone's sons the day after to plot this garbage. Our talk host in Memphis mentioned that, and that mondale was for privatization of SS when he was in office.

[Bonaparte]

If somebody like Ventura was offended, the dems must have set a whole new standard for tackiness.

[RogueIsland]

Thanks for finding that pick of the former Rapist-in-Chief displaying his usual "class".

[DoctorMichael]

Why the "Memorial Service" will cost Mondale the election

Damn, lets hope so!

[niteowl77]

It was awful- even for something awful. Thomas (Dungheap) Harkin was absolutely frightening to behold- I've always thought he would have made a good stand-in for Josef Goebbels, but last night showed me that he could play the lead without a hitch.

The Democrats had a real Nuremburg rally last night... they have their Fuehrer-in-exile, and they played the Horst Wessel card. The only things missing were the swastikas. Now we know how it can happen here, and like elsewhere, it comes from the left.

"Scary, kids, real scary."

[ffrancone]

IT'S 6 DAYS 'TIL THE ELECTION

GOOD INTENTIONS DON'T WIN ELECTIONS.

YOU CAN HELP, TODAY. GO TO:

TakeBackCongress.org

A resource for conservatives who want a Republican majority in the Senate

[Mo1]

Daschle looked absolutely stricken last night. He didn't smile, in fact he was very somber the whole evening.

I guess you missed the part where Tommy and Teddy were having a good little chuckle between each other

Tommy maybe was somber today, but last night he was a happy little camper

[BluH2o]

I watched Peter Jennings tonight, and I have to admit that ABC was balanced in its coverage, which means that it was SO over the top that they couldn't ignore that angle.

Good perspective ... when Jennings and the crew at ABC are aghast at democ"rat" tactics it speaks volumes. These people are Clinton democ"rats" ... not much more has to be said!

[adingdangdoo]

Thanks for that clarification.

[bushfamfan]

The Demonrats sure did show their true selves last night and dished out the most hateful, partisan tone that was truly inappropriate and mean spirited. It's amazing how they look at the death of someone and they obviously aren't touched by the loss of life because they have no problem living what they have left with their lives in cheating and lying. It's looked at as nothing but a political opportunity to them. They are sickening. So much of that rally was a disgrace that it's way beyond one incident there. They were all jovial and seeking political opportunity and I'm glad at least some people are seeing them for what they are.

[kcar]

Like to see some kind of juxtaposition of these "Memorial" shots, like the XX-POTUS slapping the back of Mondale and laughing hilariously with XX-FLOTUS with a somber picture of grief-stricken family members watching a casket being lowered and the picture of the plane crash, all with the caption, "Why are these people laughing?"

[Palladin]

The DemoTRASH has gone too far this time. But what do you expect from a party that has absolutely no respect for human life? They vote over and over again for the rights of women to have their children's brains sucked out while they are birthing them.

Eight people crushed, burned, and dismembered in an airplane crash--40,000,000 babies crushed, burnt, and dismembered in the womb. It's all the same to a Democrat.

[VetoBill]

Tommy maybe was somber today, but last night he was a happy little camper

Hangovers do that.