The Minnesota senate election results are still being contested and a final winner has not yet been declared. At this point democratic challenger, Al Franken (of Saturday Night Live fame), leads incumbent Republican, Norm Coleman by a margin of just over 200 votes. And to absolutely no one’s surprise Mr. Franken now wants the recount process halted. Could it be because he has somehow miraculously overcome a 700+ vote deficit to take this slim lead? Or does he feel that all recount efforts have been concluded fairly and completely? What do you think? Is there ANYONE who thinks the outcome of this election still lies in the process of simply counting votes? I know I don’t.
As soon as the initial results showed a close finish this race became the domain of lawyers and judges. And anyone following the recount soap opera knows there is a statistical impossibility in the way additional votes were picked up by Franken, virtually all from heavily democratic precincts! Go figure.
Now I am no fan of Al Franken. Someday maybe someone can tell me how in the world this nouveau-burlesque comedy writer ever got even one vote. Oh, wait…. I live in a state that elected a body builder turned movie star, whose most famous utterance is, “I’ll be back”. Never mind about the comedy writer…
But aside from the individuals involved there is a greater issue at stake-the electoral process. Once again we see the relative ease with which our process of electing leaders can be usurped. All it really takes is a couple of politically motivated people in key positions with a win-at-any-cost mentality. An elections director here, a Secretary of State there…. (see Ann Coulter’s article on this for more details).
The complex legal challenges in this case may go on for many months, maybe even longer. But it seems to me that no matter who is ultimately declared as winner, the loser is the Minnesota voter who will be left to ponder once again…why bother to vote?
