Rediscovering Franken-Coleman

Posted at 4:13 PM on March 10, 2009 by Bob Collins (6 Comments)
Filed under: Politics

The nation's heavyweight political bloggers have rediscovered the Minnesota Senate race for some reason this week. It comes on the day Al Franken took a semi-victory lap around the Capitol, and the day before Franken's team ends its case in the election trial.

The Hill reported that Sen. Harry Reid discussed committee assignments with Franken.

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, who writes The Fix says the average Minnesotans "wants to move on from this story, the better for Franken -- thanks to the fact that he currently leads the race. Voters pay only marginal attention to elections in the immediate run-up to an election, and generally see politics as tangential (at best) to their daily lives."

Maybe, but that's what people were saying a week after the election, too. But ask almost any Web editor how their Web traffic is for a Franken-Coleman story, compared to almost any other story, and it's almost certain that the Franken-Coleman race remains a high priority for news consumers, even though they are, indeed, sick of it.

The L.A. Times also weighed in on the race in its Top of the Ticket blog, taking a whack at Franken for sounding like a politician, and using this clip as evidence:

Franken, for the average Minnesotans back here, stopped being a comedian almost two years ago, and has been a politician ever since because, well, that's what people who run for political office are.

The Left Coast also makes a funny over an old-timer's observation that they should just flip a coin, oblivious to the fact that Minnesota law requires exactly that in the case of a tie.

And finally, Michael Barone has just posted a column on his US News & World Report page saying it's time to revote the race, apparently oblivious to the fact there's no provision in Minnesota law for such a thing, according to Secretary of State Mark Ritchie.

(MPR file photo/Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

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Comments (6)

Luckily for the citizens of MN, the sniping at Franken from out of state will not have an effect on the deliberate (albeit maddeningly slow!) legal process of the confirmation and certification of Franken's win in the election. However much Coleman and the RNC try to draw it out, once the process arrives at its conclusion, Franken will be seated.

Posted by Joanna | March 10, 2009 5:06 PM

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Josh Marshall at TalkingPointsMemo has been covering the recount almost daily, and I certainly consider him a heavyweight political blogger.

Posted by David W. | March 10, 2009 8:21 PM

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Voters may be feeling disenfranchised by tangential politics, but it is not disinterest that Minnesotans are expressing...

Minnesotans are frustrated by the fact that the state has been underrepresented in national politics during uncertain times; when it is most important for every constituent to have full representation.

Minnesotans are disappointed with how this election process has unfolded - regardless of where the blame may, should, or does fall. Decision makers and judicial minds would have done well to take a page from those of a more pragmatic book.

The mud slung in heaps by two politicians in heat covers Minnesotans.

Posted by Tyler Suter | March 11, 2009 12:18 AM

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OMG is that really true that in case of a tie, a coin shall be flipped? PLEASE tell me that's in some way metaphorical.

Posted by Drawnlines Blog | March 11, 2009 9:07 AM

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That's right, a game of chance is the law for breaking a tie in Minnesota.

Posted by Bob Collins | March 11, 2009 9:17 AM

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How dare a (soon-to-be) politician sound like a politician. That's absurd.

Posted by Joel | March 11, 2009 3:50 PM

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