By William Warren
Al Franken may not be good enough or even smart enough, but doggone it, people like him. Or, more appropriately, people in power like him.
That seems to be the only way to explain the miraculous diminishing of Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman’s vote advantage from 215 down to 192, and the subsequent plunge to his current vote deficit of -46.
That’s right—the longer the recount process goes on, the more votes Al Franken conveniently procures. And now the most recent round of recounts puts Mr. Franken squarely in the threshold of victory. If—or, when—Mr. Franken is declared the winner, it will be the proverbial icing on the cake for Democrats who already control 58 seats in the Senate.
Doggone it, some people really do like him!
The rank and file of these Frankenphiles are the ACORN-affiliated Democratic Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, the Democrat-controlled state legislature, the Democrat-controlled state canvassing board, Democrat-appointed Minnesota judges, and Congressional Democrats. These people have done all that they can to influence and help produce the statistically unlikely vote-gain Mr. Franken has seen in recent days.
As ALG News reported yesterday, Mr. Ritchie—whose Democrat-favoring bias is as prominent as Mr. Franken’s toothy grin—has the monumental job of overseeing the statewide recount. And what an asset the Secretary of State has proven himself to be for Mr. Franken . Along with the state canvassing board, Mr. Ritchie has rejected every major challenge Senator Coleman has raised to reclaim his previous lead. State judges have done likewise.
One particularly troubling way these people have shown their affinity towards Mr. Franken is in how disputed votes are decided. Kevin Hasset, in his commentary from Bloomberg.com, explained it as follows:
“One sample ballot shows a filled-in circle for John McCain and Sarah Palin, indicating the voter’s intent to select the Republican candidates. In the Senate race, the circle next to Norm Coleman’s names is filled in, but there is a faint X through it…In this case, the panel ruled that the vote wasn’t for Coleman because the X indicates intent to cancel the darkened circle….
“Consider the next ballot, though, which is almost identical except for two changes. First, the filled-in circle that is crossed out is a potential vote for Franken. Second, the X is much larger and more obvious. And what did the canvassing board decide? It is a vote for Franken.”
Nevertheless, as ALG News reported yesterday, the final vote tally doesn’t entirely matter in the end. The Democratic-majority Senate—also an ally of Mr. Franken—has the authority to judge the outcome of the election and officially declare a winner. How convenient.
Although the subject of this debacle may be a former comedian, the Minnesota Senate race is unfolding as an electoral tragedy.
Knowing that he has big fans in the Minnesota power structure, Mr. Franken has been persistent in his demands for recount after recount—like a diapered toddler throwing a temper tantrum until he gets what he wants. In this scenario, however, the parents and the problem-child are in cahoots at the expense of open and honest democracy.
And although many Americans may be sick of staring at Mr. Franken’s amphibian-like maw on the nightly news, it is of utmost importance that this comedic tragedy maintains the spotlight on the national stage. Though it may seem like theater, it is anything but. Big Government Democrats and those in power in Minnesota have demonstrated their disrespect for electoral process, and that must serve as an enduring example to the rest of the nation.
Everyone remembers the national burden Vice President Al Gore brought upon the country with his fruitless and infinite demands for recount after recount. The Al from Minnesota, and all Democrats therein, have done the same to their fellow citizens. Minnesotans must demand better from their elected—or unelected in Mr. Franken’s case—officials.
The Democratic leadership may like Mr. Franken, but doggone it, they certainly don’t like a fair election.
William Warren is a contributing editor of ALG News Bureau.
