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

[victim soul]

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

[blackie]

Death To all Tyrant's !!

Snuff Saddam, NOW !!

The RATS Are In Disarray...Eradicate The Rodents !!

Fire Democrats, Hire Republicans !!

GWB Is The Man !!

The Second Amendment...
America's Original Homeland Security !!

Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!

Let's Roll !!

Molon Labe !!

[billhilly]

Gallstone seems more appropriate.

[Hildy]

Oh please. They'll win and nobody will remember this.

[Trust but Verify]

Yes, this has the SinkMeister and the tone-deaf McAuliffe's DNA all over it. It was as shameful a display as I can imagine. But if anyone can plumb the depths of shame any deeper, it's that pair.

[WarrenC]

What the Democrats did was politically stupid. It may just energize Republican voters across the country enough to give the GOP back the Senate.

I completely agree. The Democrats must be regretting that this was televised on C-Span and got national coverage. The problem they've created for themselves may hurt them not only in Minnesota, but in other close races around the country.

[Trust but Verify]

by the juvenille populist cry of "we will win" from the junior Wellstone

What do you think the odds are of seeing this in a campaign ad?

[redhead]

"question is, what happens if when the election results are challenged."

The trick here, then, is to elect Coleman by such a WIDE margin that there will be no doubt left in anybody's mind of the validity of the election. This begs the question: Can we DO it?

[taildragger]

Paul, OK, what did Hillary find in the FBI files on Wellstones kid?

[Jorge]

I hope people also remember the look of utter elation on the faces of Bill and Hillary.

The sight of those two laughing, clapping and yucking it up, was hideous.

[EverOnward]

Re your Post No. 47 -- Very well said.

[Tall_Texan]

Some of the Republicans that I've seen on TV today are desparately trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They are basically saying "No big deal".

No. This is smart. When your opponent is stinking up the joint, the best thing you can do is act like your not that surprised but resist the temptation to "pile on". When the media acts mortified by something their liberal friends have done, you let that speak for itself.

Otherwise, you risk having it turn around to a "see? they're both alike." comment. The last thing you want is to leave the impression that the Pep Rally Memorial is something other than what it was.

[William McKinley]

Thanks :-)

[AGreatPer]

Let me guess. Clinton and Carville wern't in town yet.

McAuliff was. Drudge has it that his job is in trouble. My bet is the McAuliff pulled this thing off in despiration. It was too staged and perfect for this not to be orchastrated.

Ah, I love the backfire of a poorly running maching.

[AGreatPer]

Let me guess. Clinton and Carville wern't in town yet.

McAuliff was. Drudge has it that his job is in trouble. My bet is the McAuliff pulled this thing off in despiration. It was too staged and perfect for this not to be orchastrated.

Ah, I love the backfire of a poorly running maching.

[ladyinred]

You nailed it. I have been trying to put into words and thoughts just what is going on in the party, and until I read your post, I was at a loss. It is indeed the party of Clinton, and I guess that says it all.

[Revolting cat!]

The fallout from Wellstone Woodstock remains to be seen. (I doubt it will be significant.) The message of outrage must be repeated. So far so good, though the pubbies saying "no big deal", as reported above, doesn't help. That's just exactly what the sheeple want to hear, so they can go back to their television induced mental fog and not have any unpleasant thoughts. Doctor Deepak Chopra would not approve, after all! I suspect many of the sheeple didn't notice anything amiss last night being used to as they are to constant love fests and the like on the idiot box. Why, it looked the Country Music Association Awards Show! Where were Brooks & Dunn this year? A somber affair would have looked so out of place on a 35'' colour screen of a home entertainment center!

[Tall_Texan]

The only things missing were the swastikas. Now we know how it can happen here, and like elsewhere, it comes from the left.

I didn't need last night to tell me that. I learned it when the Democrats had their Pep Rally For Perjury on the White House Lawn right after the impeachment vote.

It was then re-inforced during the whole Elian kidnapping, drugging and Fed-Exing back to Cuba. Outside of the Cuban community and a few principled folks, where was the outrage then?

Yes, we could have a Third Reich here on our own shores and the politically-correct multicultural crowd is leading the charge.

[AmishDude]

What I haven't heard said (and maybe it's just implied) but the Democrats seemed actively happy that Wellstone was dead. We all know why, but they made no pretense of trying to hide it.