Why doesnt Minessotta do a re-election? That will be faster instead of the circus going on now.

[TheCoxwain]

Before you go for my throat ... Imagine if Franken was losing by 100 votes ...

I think if the margin is less than some random level ( say 0.5%) then you should have an automatic re-election

[babylonsister]

1. It's very expensive, for starters. nt

[ogneopasno]

2. Because it would cost millions of dollars that the state doesn't have. But the main reason is

it's going through the system the way it should.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Because the law is not that way

that is why

If you are a citizen of Minnesota lobby for that

[Stellabella]

4. Too expensive, many people wouldn't vote,

and it's not necessary. Whiny Coleman (R-Jerk) should have conceded after the recount, which was fair and honest.

[tekisui]

5. Wanting an automatic revote is fine, but it is not the law.

Maybe it could be changed for the next election. For this election they are following the law and there is no reason for a re-vote.

[atreides1]

6. You volunteering to help pay for it?

This might have been a viable solution before it went to court, but now it's too late and it would cost too much.

Besides, is the option of a re-election even listed in Minnesota law?

[sinkingfeeling]

7. State law required a recount. Most states don't do run-off elections for federal office.

[MadBadger]

8. So what happens if everytime, Franken wins by 100?

Have a re-election every time? Do you know how expensive that is? And why would there be a re-election when somebody was fairly elected?

[Kittycat]

9. $3.5-5M for one... Two, why should they?

There's a valid election on the books. The problem is that an asswipe is trying to have himself awarded the title.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/flashback-coleman-said-to-spare-state-cost-of-recount----but-is-now-angling-for-multi-million-dollar.php?ref=fp1

[Cleita]

10. It won't be. It will just start the circus all over again from the beginning. n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. Ah, Franken WAS losing by 100 votes, before the recount.

Now he is winning, by a greater margin than the initial count showed him losing.

The RECOUNT is the proper medium for resolving close elections. A re-vote is not an option.

[geek tragedy]

12. Elections are about choosing a winner.

There's no such thing as a 'virtual tie' in a two-person election. There is a winner, and there is a loser.

[MineralMan]

13. It's bone simple. There is no provision for such a thing in

Minnesota law. The process going on now is exactly what is provided for in MN law. If it were an exact tie, it would be decided by a coin toss. No runoffs.

[TheCoxwain]

17. are you serious about the coin toss?

[MineralMan]

23. Yup. In the case of ties, it's decided by a coin toss.

I know of at least one local race that was so decided in the past election. City council or something. I think you'll find that similar coin toss rules are in effect in a lot of states. Now, that's with a numerical tie, something that really can't happen in a statewide election, statistically.

The recount laws in MN are very specific and clear. The process that is going on right now is an exact use of those laws, and there's no way to hurry it up, unless Coleman drops the case.

Franken's going to win. It's just a matter of waiting out Coleman's patience and the willingness of the GOOPers to fund him.

Like I said in an earlier thread, I expect Franken to be seated around April 1.

[gratuitous]

14. There's no provision in the law for a do-over

The messed-up part of the current law in Minnesota is that it doesn't allow for provisional seating of a winner certified by the state election board. As long as a legal challenge keeps staggering along, nobody can be seated. Coleman has shown the weakness of this law (which I believe contemplated good faith challenges, not the kind of pettifoggery Coleman's indulging here), and the legislature ought to change that part of their election law.

For Coleman, there's no downside to keeping his challenge going, from a purely selfish standpoint. If he loses the challenge, the game's over, but as long as he keeps it going, he doesn't lose, and his opponent doesn't get to take his seat. And the judicial panel doesn't seem to have any compunction about having to rule on contradictory motions that Coleman is filing, taking each and every one of them under advisement and affording it a full briefing and argument schedule. Coleman stipulates to one thing on Monday, files a motion against the stipulation on Tuesday, files another motion arguing exactly the opposite on Wednesday, asks for reconsideration of the decision on Thursday, then raises more money to keep the whole thing going on Friday.

If Franken had lost by a hundred votes, I'm sure he would have availed himself of his legal remedies, but once an issue was decided, I'm pretty sure he would have quit bringing it up. Coleman shows no such consideration for the process, and the court is allowing itself to be abused by Coleman's shysterism.

[WI_DEM]

15. dupe

[WI_DEM]

16. I believe Franken would easily win a re-vote in a race between just he and Coleman

I think that people in MN are disgusted by Coleman's efforts on this recount.

[GreenTea]

21. One never knows-Money, media lies, distortions, republicans-Could all easily change & impact things

Why take the chance when Franken has proved he's the winner?

Even with Coleman prolonging this process and every bullshit slimy tactic Coleman's lawyers have thrown in during the court proceedings...Why take the chance of that six year seat going to the republicans...No one knows for sure how a new election would turn out and the republicans would keep that Dem vote (59th) from voting for many more month's or maybe even for six years or more with a Coleman victory!

[sandnsea]

18. You can never "redo" an election

You can't recreate the campaign and the environment in which the election was held. When they finish litigating, someone will be seated, probably Franken. This is what should have been done in 2000.

[GreenTea]

19. That's EXACTLY what the Republicans want, they would be cheering & doing somersaults, this is

what the republican strategy is all about, get the last election tossed, because everything is in Franken's favor and the republicans knowing this are prolonging it in the courts, the republicans will appeal every ruling & appeal them again.

The republicans are just hoping for a new election, their wet dream.

The republicans will pour hundreds of millions into Coleman's campaign just as they have been doing during this recount & trial....Will the Dems come out to vote in droves as in the presidential election and spend hundreds of millions as needed, doubtful...Why take the chance, the republicans have nothing to lose, only to gain...Republican thrive on low turnout elections...why give the the chance?

This is Franken's seat, by all agreed to counting process, Now Coleman's team has gone back on wht they agreed on...hoping for a special election....

If one has kept up with the proceedings one would know that the republicans are just keeping Franken from voting, that 59th demo vote, and hoping to get another special election out of it....and hopefully grab that six year senate set and 59th Dem vote back to the republicans....

The republicans are ecstatic with the thought!!

[Noodleboy13]

20. The idea is floating around up here. But...

I'm pretty sure it's illegal under our constitution. (BTW, why is it that state constitutions tend to look like phone books, yet the The Constitution is small and succinct enough to fit on a pamphlet)
Also, the public up here is sooooooooo sick of all this, and election negativity in general that we kinda just wish it would all be over, whoever wins. And this is coming from a guy who's owned a "Fuck Coleman" t-shirt since 02, and was eyeballed by his goons for making fun of the gap in his teeth (whistling my "s" sounds loudly)in a bar on St. Paddy's day in 99.

Peace.
Noodleboy

[Occam Bandage]

22. Minnesota law doesn't call for it, and it would take much longer.

[azmouse]

24. Because Franken WON the election held in Nov.

It's time to seat him.

[GreenTea]

25. !!!

[MrSlayer]

26. That's what the R's want. Without the Obama draw they probably win.

That's why the Senate runoff wasn't close in Georgia. No Obama draw.

[ljm2002]

27. Silly IMO...

...Minnesota has a process and they've followed it to the letter. When Coleman seemed to be ahead by a hundred votes or so, he thought Franken should quit fighting and wasting the taxpayers' money. When it turned the other way, wow, look at him scrabble and scrape and fight it tooth and nail -- funded by the Republican party so they can drag it out and keep Franken from being seated.

The results are from a very spelled out election process that Minnesota went to the trouble of enacting. If you or someone else wants to change the damned election laws in Minnesota then go right ahead and attempt to do so. Until the law has been overturned, the procedure has been followed to the letter and when it's over it's over, according to the rules in effect at the time of the election.

Damn I get tired of people deciding that "Oooh, this is too hard, this is too drawn out, I know, let's have a whole new election!" Not to mention the initial expense of a new election, not to mention that fewer people would vote this time because it's not a presidential election (and lower turnout tends to favor Republicans), but just the damned principle is wrong: no, the idiots don't get to have a do-over just because they don't like the results.

It reminds me of something a friend and I talked about years ago, with regard to software releases. Software releases often end up being late. And as it becomes evident that the release will be later than planned, the sales people start getting antsy, and they start remembering all of the nifty features that didn't make it in to the upcoming release. And the first thing they do is, they start suggesting that these new features get added in now. "Well, if it's going to be late anyway, why don't we just add these few little features...". Which, of course, could only make the release later.

Just follow the damned law, see it through, and seat Minnesota's new Senator. Looks like we're coming up on the end anyway. And if Coleman keeps appealing all the was to the US Supreme Court, so f'in what? He'd do it anyway. It is in their interest to drag this out, and that is why they're doing it. This is not a time for hand-wringing, it's a time to buck up and go nose to nose with the f***ers and WIN this thing. Considering the two noses in question, Franken should have a distinct advantage ... (sorry, those of you who read the Rude Pundit's rant yesterday will know what I mean)

[stray cat]

28. We don't want to pay for it