Franken reportedly ahead by 22 votes in recount.
By on Dec 3rd, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Franken reportedly ahead by 22 votes in recount.
Democratic senatorial candidate Al Franken has “unexpectedly picked up 37 votes due to a combined machine malfunction and human error on Election Day.” Today, Franken’s counsel Marc Elias said Franken is now up 22 votes, with “approximately 138,000 ballots left to count.” “This would be the first time that Franken has claimed a lead in this drawn-out process,” notes TPM.
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51 Responses to “Franken reportedly ahead by 22 votes in recount.”
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Heh. Keep it up, Al!
December 3rd, 2008 at 3:55 pmone can dare to dream. then again on the pragmatic side, this is the state that voted batshit crazy bachmann in for another term. i wouldn't expect too much.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:00 pmI'm really curious to see what the reaction will be if Nate Silver's (fivethirtyeight.com) "Franken by 27 votes" projection bears out. Seems likely that, with 138,000 or so to go, that Franken will overshoot Nate's 27 vote call by a fair bit, probably. I'm pulling for Nate, though.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:03 pmI voted for 'Lizard People'
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:04 pmYeah Al! Steal that election!
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:05 pmi just hate counting chickens before............
hope this didn't jinx it.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 pmHypothetically speaking, if I found some more votes for Franken that turned up in my dishwasher in Louisiana, who would I contact about including them in the recount?
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 pmSo, counting all the votes cast by eligible voters in Minnesota represents stealing?
I weep for democracy.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:09 pm“approximately 138,000 ballots left to count.”
- - Geeze, Minnesota's vote tally is making Alaska's Iditarod Ballot Roundup look like high-speed online voting from your home.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:10 pmal franken, better than a taliban.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:10 pm"...(votes)...in my dishwasher in Louisiana, who would I contact about including them in the recount?
I would suggest the Army Corps of Engineers, as flood water issues are their responsibility.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:11 pmDon't kid yourself, your cardboard box doesn't have a dishwasher.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:12 pmIt just makes me shake my head when I hear about Republicans whining about counting votes.
You'd think they don't want our votes to be counte--- oh, wait....
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:13 pmI think what concerns them is that all close votes are supposed to go Republican. The machine isn't working properly if the Democrats win the close ones....
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:14 pmGo Stuey!
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:14 pmIronically, I spent the holiday weekend in Minnesota with friends. My friend (a moderate who happened to vote for Obama and Franken) is still scratching his head regarding the Bachmann reelection.
He also informed me that in case of a tie, the breaker is a coin toss.
A fcking coin toss!
I love the state, the people are nice, but man, their politics up there....sheesh!
Anyways, I digress.
Go Stuey!
pjburke Says:
I’m really curious to see what the reaction will be if Nate Silver’s (fivethirtyeight.com) “Franken by 27 votes” projection bears out. Seems likely that, with 138,000 or so to go, that Franken will overshoot Nate’s 27 vote call by a fair bit, probably. I’m pulling for Nate, though.
I am amazed at Nate's accuracy. I was a regular luker there until after election night and he nailed it. "Franken by 27 votes" seemed like a shot in the dark but Nate has proven to me that he has night vision goggles on!
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:18 pmGee, Mandolin, I think you were just as vehemently voicing your outrage when the 2000 and 2004 elections were stolen, right?
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:19 pmmandolin Says:
Yeah Al! Steal that election!
Yeah, god forbid a state law requiring a recount should actually be followed, and the will of the voters should actually be determined. That smacks of Democracy!
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:20 pmI don't understand why there is a dispute about counting all the ballots in the first place.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:38 pmIsn't that what a recount is? Absentee ballots, must be included in a recount of all votes or else it isn't a full recount-- why isn't that right?
I am pleased of course that Franken has pulled ahead, and I hope he wins (538.com predicted +27 votes) but what is the problem with counting votes?
mandolin Says:
Yeah Al! Steal that election!
Why does mandolin hate Democracy and making sure each vote is actually counted?
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:46 pmWell, what do you know - Statistician = Psychic. Nate Wins!
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:49 pmCan't wait for the phrase "Senator Al Franken" roll off the tongue of one Bill O'Reilly.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:51 pmThat Lieberman reconciliation is looking smarter by the second. Obama is a much wiser man than I am. I would have booted Traitor Joe from the Party, which would have prevented any chance for a fillibuster-proof majority.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:51 pmI suppose so folks may have voted for Franklin just because they were impressed that he could count to 10 and tie his shoes.... When you think about it that is sort of impressive what with being a turtle and all...
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:54 pmsome
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:54 pmIt looks like the strings on that particular mandolin are busted and frayed.
That will happen with extended storage in the closet.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:54 pmO'Racist is too much of a cowardly punk to say that. O'Racist is too afraid to even say "Olbermann". What a coward.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:55 pmGo Al!!! Don't let the cheating, lying Repukian Scum steal another one.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:58 pmCall it a draw. Let them take turns.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:00 pmAs I understand it, the problem lies in the 6,000 votes that need an impartial arbiter to determine the intent of the voter.
The MN SoS doesn't want to count them at all. Franken does.
So, regardless of the man hours (read cost) involved, shouldn't all votes be reviewed and counted, discarding only those that are impossible to determine.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:17 pmDoes Antonin Scalia know they are counting votes? Where is James Baker III when you need him?
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:52 pmmandolin, why do you hate democracy?
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:54 pm"Unexpectedly"?... Ha, ha! Good for some laughs. Thanks TP. Ha, ha!
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:17 pmCant the Supreme Court stop them from counting? Isnt that how it is done? Oh crap, Jeb and Ms. Harris are in the wrong state!
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:34 pmDoesn't matter. The Dems have no chance for a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate!
THANK GOD
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:45 pmWith respect to recounts in Florida, what you people conveniently forget is that Al Gore only wanted to count the votes in heavily DEMOCRAT counties!!!
Then candidate George Bush was right to fight the DEMOCRAT candidate's effort to steal the election!
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:47 pmHow to elect a Democrat in a close election? Keep "finding" ballots and counting until you get the result you want!
Hahahahahahahahaha
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:47 pmTim Vaculik Says:
Hows your prediction that McCain would win working for you lately, troll?
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:50 pmTim Vaculik Says:
How to elect a Democrat in a close election? Keep “finding” ballots and counting until you get the result you want!
You have a problem with a recount that was required by law?
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:53 pmHow Republican of you...
Wayne,
If you would simply quote me properly, you would relate that I said I HOPED he would win. I never predicted he would, dimwit.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:07 pmWith respect to recounts in Florida, what you people conveniently forget is that Al Gore only wanted to count the votes in heavily DEMOCRAT counties!!!
What you people conveniently forget is that if ALL the votes in Florida had been counted, Al Gore would have won.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:16 pmCounting both under and over votes that clearly show the intent of the voter resulted in a Gore victory every time...
belac,
Funny that in the counties where recounts were done Al Gore was NEVER ahead in the vote count.
Facts are SO inconvenient!
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:30 pmTim Vaculik Says:
belac,
Funny that in the counties where recounts were done Al Gore was NEVER ahead in the vote count.
Now you have proven that you are a lying POS.
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:51 pmThanks for confirming, troll-face
Strange how these votes favor Franken and not the repug. Looks like there's somethin fishy is going on. Looks like the repugs knew tossed off votes favored Franken.
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:22 pmTim Vaculik Says:
How to elect a Democrat in a close election? Keep "finding" ballots and counting until you get the result you want!
Hahahahahahahahaha
ha ha my ass. Nope dope, wrong again troll, we keep on checking on the cheating repugs count until the truth is told.
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:24 pmWayne,
Well, you are free to attempt to refute what I have said, but you can't because it is TRUE.
REmember, you can't have you own set of facts!
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:10 pmmandolin Says:
Yeah Al! Steal that election!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
No one is stealing anything. YOU are a moron.
December 4th, 2008 at 2:29 pmTim Vaculik Says:
Doesn’t matter. The Dems have no chance for a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate!
THANK GOD
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
That will probably come next election. Especially if the GOP is stupid enough to filibuster at a record rate and show themselves as opposed to the change CLEARLY voted for by the electorate. If they are dumb enough to appear to be obstructionist enough you guys may go the way of the Whig party. THAT would be a true blessing.
December 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pmTim Vaculik Says:
How to elect a Democrat in a close election? Keep “finding” ballots and counting until you get the result you want!
Hahahahahahahahaha
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Timmeh you ignorant PUNK. You truly amaze me with your constant ability to show yourself to be stupider and stupider by the day. You are living proof that Einstein was right when he said human stupidity is infinite. Your ignorance is a well with no bottom.
December 4th, 2008 at 2:33 pmTim Vaculik Says:
With respect to recounts in Florida, what you people conveniently forget is that Al Gore only wanted to count the votes in heavily DEMOCRAT counties!!!
Then candidate George Bush was right to fight the DEMOCRAT candidate’s effort to steal the election!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
My GOD they could erect MONUMENTS to your stupidity. Targeted recounts are the usual way recounts are done. Gore went on National telivision and asked for a statewide recount I SAW HIM DO DO. Your second paragraph is vintage ignorance. You really dont know ANYTHING that Rush didnt tell you to know do you. My GOD you must be the stupidest person who ever lived. BUSH STOLE THE ELECTION that has been PROVEN. All the votes WERE COUNTED BY NORC. When all valid votes were counted in Florida Gore won by ANY COUNTING SCENARIO.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEEDB1338F931A25752C1A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=3
If all the ballots had been reviewed under any of seven single standards, and combined with the results of an examination of overvotes, Mr. Gore would have won, by a very narrow margin. For example, using the most permissive ''dimpled chad'' standard, nearly 25,000 additional votes would have been reaped, yielding 644 net new votes for Mr. Gore and giving him a 107-vote victory margin.
But the dimple standard was also the subject of the most disagreement among coders, and Mr. Bush fought the use of this standard in recounts in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. Many dimples were so light that only one coder saw them, and hundreds that were seen by two were not seen by three. In fact, counting dimples that three people saw would have given Mr. Gore a net of just 318 additional votes and kept Mr. Bush in the lead by 219.
Using the most restrictive standard -- the fully punched ballot card -- 5,252 new votes would have been added to the Florida total, producing a net gain of 652 votes for Mr. Gore, and a 115-vote victory margin.
All the other combinations likewise produced additional votes for Mr. Gore, giving him a slight margin over Mr. Bush, when at least two of the three coders agreed.
So Timmeh do you only post here to show how uninformed and ignorant you are? Is it your mission in life to PROVE that you NEVER know what you are talking about? You DO know you are a moron right?
December 4th, 2008 at 3:17 pmTim Vaculik Says:
Facts are SO inconvenient!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For YOU facts are not only inconvienient but unknown. You wouldnt know a fact if it bit your nutsack, moron. Belac is right and you are just incomprehensibly stupid
December 4th, 2008 at 3:20 pm