Franken Takes Lead In Minnesota Senate Race
Posted by Ashish on 10.09.2008
Stunning new numbers...
With the general election basically in a stalling pattern now as Obama holds a comfortable lead and McCain more or less recycles the same things he has been doing for weeks, I'm going to pay a bit more attention to some of the key Senate races.
One of the big ones is in Minnesota where Democrat and former SNL star Al Franken is challenging Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. The latest numbers from Rasmussen have Franken opening up a 6% lead, 43% to 37%. That is the biggest lead Rasmussen has ever found for Franken.
Right now, Democrats are in position to add at least four new Senate seats as Democrat Warner will beat Republican incumbent Gilmore in Virginia, Democrat Udall will beat Republican incumbent Pearce in New Mexico, Democrat Udall will beat Republican incumbent Schaffer in Colorado, and Democrat Shaheen will beat Republican incumbent Sununu in New Hampshire. There are no Democratic incumbent Senators in any danger of losing a seat.
If Democrats want to reach 60 seats and a commanding majority, they will need to have Franken win his race, Democrat Hagen beat Republican incumbent Dole in North Carolina (which seems likely right now), Democrat Merkley beat Republican incumbent Smith in Oregon (polls have Merkley up right now), Democrat Begich beat Republican Stevens in Alaska (polls have Begich up right now), and one more win, possibly Democrat Musgrove beating Republican incumbent Wicker in Mississippi (Wicker is up right now).
Basically, Democrats will end up with 56-58 seats in the Senate fairly easily, and could reach 60 if Franken and Musgrove win their races.
A small correction to this article. In the Virginia Senate race, Gilmore isn't the incumbent, JOHN Warner is, but he is retiring. So while a Republican does currently have the seat, its not Gilmore. We will have a new Senator in VA, and based on the polls it will be MARK Warner (a Democrat and no relation to John) who will squish Gilmore and get the seat.
Posted By: Bramtic (Registered) on October 09, 2008 at 03:18 PM
Go Al!!!!!
Posted By: Lawrence (Guest) on October 09, 2008 at 03:20 PM
Bleh, Franken is such a putz. If this clown can win a seat in the US Senate, anyone can.
Posted By: RTL (Guest) on October 09, 2008 at 03:39 PM
Isn't 60 a filibuster-proof majority and 67 would be a veto-proof majority?
Posted By: Guest#6014 (Guest) on October 09, 2008 at 03:59 PM
Watching Stuart Smalley deliver an address on the Senate floor would be surreal.
"The stock market...had a bad day. It isn't responding to the bailout. And that's...OKAY."
Posted By: UkraineNotWeak (Registered) on October 09, 2008 at 04:08 PM
Bleh, Franken is such a putz. If this clown can win a seat in the US Senate, anyone can.
Posted By: RTL (Guest) on October 09, 2008 at 03:39 PM>>
We've already had a bigger putz and clown in the White House for the past 8 years so Franken has some pretty "big shoes" (get it clowns, big shoes...ha ha) to fill if he will be the next clown in DC...
Posted By: CB2379 (Registered) on October 09, 2008 at 04:08 PM
In the Minnesota Senate race we're trying to figure out which guy that we dislike the least. It's hard to find a die hard Franken or Coleman supporter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R65RtP-wm7c
Posted By: Caleb (Registered) on October 09, 2008 at 04:17 PM
Obama's one thing, Democrats, but Franken? I could live with Obama, as much as I wish he'd lose, but seriously...how far have our standards fallen if Al "Stuart Smalley" Franken can get elected? I can hear the Four Horsemen galloping ever closer...
Posted By: Guest#4430 (Guest) on October 09, 2008 at 07:59 PM
CB2379, good point.
Posted By: RTL (Guest) on October 09, 2008 at 10:26 PM
and another correction, steve pearce is not the incumbent in new mexcio, that would be retiring senator pete domenci, as both udall and pearce are both currently members of the house battling for an essentially open seat. plus i do not see franken winning, as if he did, that would just show that minnesotta is quirky but still out of touch
Posted By: coby preimesberger (Guest) on October 10, 2008 at 01:53 AM
He's good enough, smart enough...and doggone it, people like him!
Posted By: Constructicon (Guest) on October 10, 2008 at 04:21 AM
STAY CURRENT