The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Al Franken is Challenging This Ballot

democrats. what do we even expect from them now. More of the same; more thuggish behavior. Where are the republicans / independents with fortitude to stand up to these thugs?

BARRY| 11.19.08 @ 7:28PM

if you look real close you can see where the chad used to be

Jimmy Doolittle| 11.19.08 @ 7:34PM

Don't you see it? It's so friggin obvious. the voter voted for Norm Coleman, then changed his/her mind, and X'ed it out!

/sarc

I Fear for My Country.

TeddNYC| 11.19.08 @ 7:40PM

I love Ruth's one word summation of the situation. Absolutely priceless.

But seriously though, it's very clear to me that the voter intended to cross-out Norm Coleman's name. There by leaving the winner of a "Caged Death Match" between Barkley and Franken the one who could claim this vote as his prized piece of booty (pirate-booty that is).

Two men enter - one man leaves. And, seeing as how Franken is no man the winner would quite obviously be Dean Barkley.

And, we'd have to keep redoing this Caged-Death-Match run-off process thingie whenever Franken questions a Coleman vote.

HeatherRadish| 11.19.08 @ 7:43PM

Well, the voter was too lazy or stupid to read and follow the directions ("fill in the oval completely"), so it logically follows the voter was a Democrat. But that doesn't mean he didn't INTEND to vote for Coleman.

Katherine Harris| 11.19.08 @ 7:43PM

That was my ballot. I was trying to do a smiley face then exxed it out because it looked to much like Al. I declare this race over, Coleman wins.

ruth| 11.19.08 @ 7:46PM

Tedd, I'd pay big bucks to see that, wouldn't you?

Mark Thompson| 11.19.08 @ 8:19PM

Is it that hard to fill in a circle?

vite| 11.19.08 @ 8:27PM

see, if the guy had also written the word SCHMUCK across the ballot, then I would believe it was a Franken vote. But this seems pretty obviously a vote for Coleman.

And Franken is a schmuck.

gonk| 11.19.08 @ 8:38PM

Obviously this is a vote for anyone but Coleman so Al and Dean should both get +1 votes .

tim| 11.19.08 @ 8:41PM

http://www.myorkutglitter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/baby-cry.gif

WendyG| 11.19.08 @ 8:43PM

Franken is a putz.

torabora| 11.19.08 @ 8:57PM

Since the writing was all aquiggly one can assume that it was actually for Franken. Anybody can tell that. Sheesh.

David Gillies| 11.19.08 @ 10:11PM

Obama's winning was bad enough, but if that morally-deformed homunculus Al Franken beats Coleman then it's game over. The American people will have officially taken leave of its senses.

GarandFan| 11.19.08 @ 10:13PM

Need to find one exactly like that, only for Franken. See what his 'nuanced' opinion is then.

James| 11.19.08 @ 10:24PM

Al Franken is a big hypocrite. He's the same guy who just a day or so ago was saying that all the votes should count.

redstatedweller| 11.19.08 @ 10:28PM

"Is it that hard to fill in a circle? "

It can be if you or older or have a disease such as Parkinson's. Why don't all states have machines like they do in states like KY where you just push the button beside the names you want to vote for and when you are done you hit the large green vote button at the bottom of the booth.

Corona| 11.19.08 @ 11:07PM

Okay boys and girls, take out a round piece of paper and a pair of safety scissors!

Recovering Zombie| 11.19.08 @ 11:12PM

That looks like Al Franken's signature to me.

sybilll| 11.19.08 @ 11:18PM

That looks more like Al Franken's ultrasound to me.

Scrapiron| 11.19.08 @ 11:20PM

redstatedweller : nothing can be simple in a democrat controlled area. They can't cheat. This has been the most criminal election in my 68 years. Democrats have all became criminals and I can't figure out why. The lose even when they win.

logic101| 11.19.08 @ 11:24PM

Maverick John McCain, in the spirit of bipartisen cooperation, just reached across the isle and gave that vote to Franken...

BD57| 11.19.08 @ 11:44PM

All of you are wrong.

That's 2 votes for Al Gore.

Signed,

Palm Beach County 2000 Election Commission

ed| 11.20.08 @ 12:09AM

It's a smiley face, and, since Franken was a failed comedian, it is obviously a failed coded vote for him.

Uncle| 11.20.08 @ 1:03AM

I think it looks like the baby Al just killed. Too far? I don't think so

Granny | 11.20.08 @ 3:22AM

Al get a job! Jeesh you liberal losers still foaming at the mouth is so disqusting.

BL| 11.20.08 @ 4:16AM

you racists repubickans.. you can clear as day see that the left line certainly points in the direction of Al Frankenstein. Which is a definate indication that the intent of the voter was in favor of Al. I must have to agree... this is a Frankenstein vote. There is no doubt ... right?

SCal| 11.20.08 @ 4:43AM

Sorry! But Franken has a point.

Obviously this voter chose to exercise her/his right of free expression by scratching out the candidate she/he didn't want elected. She/he has a right to use the ballot the way she/he wishes. Please show me where it says this voter's right to vote AND express freely can be restricted by arbitrary rules about how to fill out a ballot. If you can show me where it says that, then it's wrong.

ALSO: the ballot makes more sense that way. Obviously, it's not so much about who gets elected as who DOESN'T. All voters should do this: scratch the Republican off the ballot. Of course, even if all voters did this, the Republicans would still try to steal the election.

jFry| 11.20.08 @ 5:20AM

Here's an easy way to look at this. If you made this mark on an exam, and your teacher wouldn't count it, would you be ticked? I think the answer is obvious. Any mark that looks like an attempt to mark should count, without regard to how neat the rest of the ballot is. If there is an attempt to mark for both candidates, throw it out regardless of one being darker, etc. I'm sure there could be a mark light enough to make one wonder whether it was a pen 'touch' rather than a vote. It would be nice if the two camps could examine the mark through a template so they could decide without knowing which candidate's box they were looking at; a blind test would make it fair.

SilentWatcher| 11.20.08 @ 6:02AM

It's clear from the pix that the voter was undecided. He had a line going down to Franken, another line going up to Barkley. The only reason the voter put the black stuff next to Coleman's name is that Coleman was in the middle. The line going up and down is the one that is truly expressive of voter intent. Franken is obviously quite right to challenge this vote. He should challenge every vote that he does not get. In fact, he should challenge every vote that he got. Then he should challenge every vote that Obama got in every state, so we'll know if 3,000,000 dead, multiple-voting illegals, dogs, and little kids voted to elect The Inexperienced Clueless One who has voted present on his cabinet picks.

Bruce| 11.20.08 @ 6:29AM

Hey, what is this "farmer-labor" title next to franken's name?
WTF?
1. He is not a farmer or laborer.
2. Why dont the other canidates have catchy little tittles?
Something stinks

zilla| 11.20.08 @ 6:54AM

It is OBVIOUS this voter put an "X" in the oval, then realized he was to fill in the oval, which he sloppily did.
Sheesh!

Geckzilla| 11.20.08 @ 7:21AM

Would like to see the rest of this ballot.

eaglewingz09| 11.20.08 @ 7:52AM

Definitely a vote for Franken. I mean the voter actually signed Franken's name in that little circle. Oh wait, isn't that Franken's own signature. Well that's why Franken's challenging it. He accidentally signed his own name next to Coleman's. And you wonder why democrats have gotten suffrage?

antiquegolf| 11.20.08 @ 8:06AM

Bruce, "democratic farmer labor" is what dems are called in MN. Apparently it's a relic from the 1930's.

Jarhead68| 11.20.08 @ 8:31AM

"BARRY | 11.19.08 @ 6:28PM
if you look real close you can see where the chad used to be "

Yep, he was right next to the Jeremy. What a duet.

karmac the magnificent| 11.20.08 @ 8:33AM

At last - the secret as to why childrens' SAT scores continue to drop: poor bubbling in skills that force Democratic teachers to intrepret and change what was originally intended by the student. These are the interpretive skills that teachers then use as poll workers. Another one of life's mysteries solved.

travis| 11.20.08 @ 8:42AM

I think you all are missing the point. To have a failed comedian/talk-show host with a record of tax evasion and unpaid work comp come so close to victory in a state (formerly my home) as sophisticated as MN is a testament to the American Dream and the intelligence of MN voters. The people of MN earned the right to have Franken represent them. Think of the children people.

Fred Pennsylvania| 11.20.08 @ 8:45AM

Simple solution is to give both Coleman and Franken ball bats with nails driven through them in a Steel Cage Death Match.

Oh ... did I mention that Norm gets the first swing?

Wino| 11.20.08 @ 8:51AM

With my eyesight now failing, I can see how this could have been my ballot if I had forgotten my glasses. I also have a friend with severe palsy. This would be the absolute best he could do. Therefore, challenging this ballot is age discrimination, and Franken should be sued in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

carl| 11.20.08 @ 9:12AM

Disenfranchisement is Patriotic.

WendyG| 11.20.08 @ 9:33AM

>>>Obviously this voter chose to exercise her/his right of free expression by scratching out the candidate she/he didn't want elected.

Oh please. If the person he/she/it/them wanted to make statement of NOT voting for someone, they'd have crosesed out the name, not used the box. Duh.

st| 11.20.08 @ 10:00AM

I thought it was stupid and antidemocratic when the GOP was challenging votes in Florida in 2000 that had clearly been punched for Gore because the chad was hanging on by two corners instead of one, and I think it is stupid and antidemocratic for Franken to allege that that ballot is anything other than a citizen's clear choice for Norm Coleman.

Jill| 11.20.08 @ 10:08AM

From bad comics come bad jokes

bubbabgone| 11.20.08 @ 10:19AM

frank'-en (frangk'-in) v. -enned, -enning v.t. (deriv. the proper name Al Franken)
1 To act as shill for the Democrat Party while posing as a comic satirist/author.
2 To portray the Democrat party as incapable of gutter politics while hoping no one remembers the decades they devoted to perfecting the practice.
3 Often used to denote selective political recall. [esp. willfully ignoring the long history of the carvilling and begalafull Democrat party. e.g. the Goldwater daisy ad, "Borking" and filibustering judicial nominees, attempted theft of elections, accusing the opposition of sympathy with church burnings and other race motivated crimes, fear mongering among constituent groups (see also Medi-scare tactics and "tax cuts for the
rich")].
4 To influence or persuade the ill informed and easily misled with knowingly false claims of lies by the opposition. [ex. To further the Democrat Party strategy, E.J. Dionne is frankenning full time.]
5 To whine, complain, and act irrationally when confronted with the loss of credibility and influence.
Syn. conason, krugman, ivins, moore, trudeau
- adj. 1 Having unappealing qualities. Devoid of desirable content.
Having questionable value or worth. (deriv. abbreviation for Frankfurter. A cylinder shaped, often unpalatable, meatlike substance
of low quality that puffs and bursts when grilled). [ex. The country will again grow weary of the franken Democrat Party.]

BJD| 11.20.08 @ 10:19AM

Clearly this is a vote for Pat Buchanan.

curved space| 11.20.08 @ 10:21AM

You're looking down the ballot and you see that Al Franken might be your US senator. Your laugh is involuntary. Reflexive. More liek a snort. Luckily this voter wasn't drinking coffee at the time or they would have spit it all over the ballot; and then the vote would for sure have been thrown out.

michael| 11.20.08 @ 10:25AM

but doesn't i always come down to "what does it mean to me, Al Franken"?

dina| 11.20.08 @ 10:36AM

it's for AL - they cant read.

G| 11.20.08 @ 10:46AM

If you aren't competent enough to follow instructions and fill in the circle, maybe your vote shouldn't count.

HU| 11.20.08 @ 10:51AM

As a native Minnesotan I apologize to all of you. First we elected Jesse the "Mindless" then this loser is close enough in votes to bring the election down to this. Why is this ballot even in question? The voting machine should have either spit it out/disqualified it or it is an undeniable vote for Coleman. I'm trying to change the slogan "Minnesota Nice" to "Minnesota WTF were you thinking" Hu said that.

Charles| 11.20.08 @ 11:01AM

This is a lot of hissing over nothing. I assume that (a) the argument Franken's people are making is that the person filled in Coleman and then crossed it out; (b) Franken will lose this challenge unless (c) the votes for President, House and dogcatcher are all perfectly executed. And even if (c), I'd bet on that vote remaining in Coleman's column. I'd be stunned if this isn't what most of Coleman's 100+ challenges looked like as well.

Final note: A lot of people are calling Al Franken a "failed comedian." What part of "so successful at comedy that he is rich, not to mention famous enough to credibly run for Senator" is the failed part? He is a failed comedian in the same way that Arnold Schwarzenneger is a failed actor.

doc| 11.20.08 @ 11:25AM

the ballot should be invalid. here in san diego several years back ballot were thrown out when dummies would circle the ovals instead of blackening them . even conservatives are stupid these days.

antiquegolf| 11.20.08 @ 11:25AM

I hope that many posters on this thread are registered on Lucianne.com

GerryH| 11.20.08 @ 11:29AM

The guy was simply voting for Coleman 'out of protest'. He really wanted to make a statement 'against' the Republican Party - but he sure as Hell was not going to crawl into the gutter and vote for a low-life like alfranken.

"Chuck" - alfranken is not "like a turd that wont flush!!!"

"franken IS a turd that won't flush!!!" (A nasty turd).

CHUCK PLISKIN| 11.20.08 @ 11:34AM

yeha thats just what we need,a comedian so successful at comedy in the senate,that makes as much logic as a senator who has only been in the senate 143 days being elected POTUS...ATTWF

Travis| 11.20.08 @ 12:02PM

Your right Charles. I should not have referred to him as a failed comedian. I should have wrote comedian and failed talk show host. I see now that I am the complete idiot, not the voters of MN. Thanks for enlightening me.

Paul| 11.20.08 @ 12:15PM

How dare someone want all the votes to be counted! Go Al go!

justgroovy| 11.20.08 @ 12:17PM

"Charles" - Franken is a failed comedian in the fact that his joke campaign turned out to be a not so funny real life success. Pat Paulsen made a career out of these fake campaigns. Because Franken couldn't pull off a fake campaign successfully and the liberals actually took it seriously should indicate that his ability to be funny has left him and he should now be labeled as "a formerly comedic politician". Hopefully he will soon be known as "a formerly comedic unemployed Democratic Farmer Labor Party ex-candidate". Now that would be funny!

Tymannosourus| 11.20.08 @ 12:20PM

And Coleman is challenging THIS ballot:
http://www.twincities.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=2194035

Can you argue that there is a difference from a voter intent standpoint?

justgroovy| 11.20.08 @ 12:26PM

By the way "Charles", which was Franken formerly known as, Penn or Teller? I remember he was funny once...maybe...he just looks, sounds, and acts like my Aunt Dorothy, the commie, now.

Count the votes!!

CRUISIN| 11.20.08 @ 12:29PM

What is wrong with the people of Minnesota? They seem to vote for real mental midgets. I guess it is par for the country.

Manheim| 11.20.08 @ 12:31PM

You fools, can't you tell it is a vote for Harold Stassen. He might be dead, but in the left wing world of politics, even the dead can run for office
(and non-natural-born too) if you are a democ-rat.

Objective Scrutator| 11.20.08 @ 1:08PM

Yes, Democrats will always scream about the election, yet there's solid evidence out there showing that Iraq Hussein Osama STOLE the election.

These are the same people that let Katrina happen. After all, if there were no poor people, the Democrat Party would not be able to survive.

Bill| 11.20.08 @ 1:27PM

Al Franken has already had his decade, the 80's. He himself said so. Now he should STFU and GTHA.

Paolo M.| 11.20.08 @ 2:11PM

Here's what the voter was thinking as he/she filled out this ballot:

" O.K. you idiots, I'm gonna make this as obvious as I possibly can - my vote is for -

NORM.
F*CKING.
COLEMAN.

- YOU GOT THAT?!!! "

The only reason Franken is challenging this ballot is due to naked arrogance & contempt. Typical dem-wit.

The Doktor| 11.20.08 @ 3:59PM

If the scanner counted it as a vote for Coleman, it's a vote for Coleman.

Franken - get your slimy mitts off of the ballots.
And - Granny | 11.20.08 @ 2:22AM - Poor Al cannot find ''a job'' in an industry that needs young, intelligent talent. He is neither. His humor is hateful and useless - just like him.

Moptop| 11.20.08 @ 4:03PM

With McCain's vote, they already have their filibuster proof Senate, so I am not sure why they are so worried.

I agree with Charles on one thing, he is not a failed comedian, he is more of an expired comedian. He is soon to be a failed politician though.

Charles| 11.20.08 @ 4:52PM

Moptop: That's the only thing? You don't agree that they are going to count the ballot for Coleman?

DINQ| 11.20.08 @ 5:20PM

Minnesota is my birthplace, but haven't lived there for over 40 years, thank god. Cannot believe that state actually voted in Jesse the wrestler, and now apparently want Franken the nitwit. I am appalled and disgusted at the low-life demoscums for the last 16 years, who are elected with NO qualifications and think they are god. Of course, this would include all the sheeple who voted them in, too.

If Franken steals the election, I will never again claim to be a transplanted Minnesotan. This goes way beyond the pale, for anyone to think he has any brains to hold an elective office of any kind.
=========
As for Obama, his administration is simply going to be a carbon copy of the Klinton administrations...same people - klintons and their insiders --- so, who did they REALLY elect this time? WHO is REALLY going to run the country? Klintons and their insiders....go figure.

I did NOT vote for Obama because first, he is a democrat, secondly, because he is a LIBERAL democrat, and thirdly, because he has NO credentials whatsoever to run this country. That being said, I had HOPED that he would be his OWN man and create his administration using ANYONE but the Klintons and their people. He owes NOTHING to Hillary or Bill Klinton - he proved he could beat the Klinton machine, yet now he forms his inner circle from Klintons and their insiders. Would have been nice to see if he could be successful on his own "merits", without kissing the Klintons' butts, since his election is of such historical importance. The history of his presidency will need an asterisk, like they do in the sports world...if he is successful, Klintons will take the credit.

Queen Hillary thinks she is so entitled to anything she desires - it is time to retire the Klintons and their ilk...move over for those who truly want to improve our country, rather than keep electing those who think only of lining their own pockets, and who are never held accountable for their actions.

Nate| 11.20.08 @ 5:31PM

In response to DINQ, I currently live in Minnesota and we did not "vote" in Al Franken. Evidently, after the election some chicanery is getting this buffoon sent to DC.

Margo| 11.20.08 @ 7:06PM

Franken was a bad actor to begin with...he makes an even worse politican. Go home Franken...

To Beright| 11.20.08 @ 7:19PM

I want to see how bad Al is where's the rest of the ballet,, did the voter use similar markings. My mother is over eighty she can't color inside the lines anymore Al: STFU and count the vote. Hypocrite!!

To Beright 2| 11.20.08 @ 7:40PM

Re, Tymannosourus Maybe, but I watched video of election officials enhancing votes with sharpies that looked just like the X'ed out portion of that ballot! I'm from King County in Washington State,,corruption is a synonym for Democratic Party. It has been,,,forever..

jorg| 11.20.08 @ 8:09PM

I eagerly await your posting of Coleman's challenges.

mork| 11.20.08 @ 11:15PM

I think the voter was moving quickly, made an "x", remembered it was supposed to be filled in, scribbled to fill in. Do the other votes on the ballot look similar? Poor Al.

kathy| 11.21.08 @ 10:51AM

In the precinct where I judge, if the machine accepted that ballot, and I'm sure it would, the vote would be recorded for Norm Coleman. Some of the ballots in my precinct had an x through the circle but the tabulator took them.

daryl d six | 11.22.08 @ 12:18PM

i do not reside in minnesota,.but i would be proud to do so.once again they are on the cutting edge of politics.our two party system is stuck in a quagmire of reduncy . never changing a man in 1993 campained to make change vote out the incumbent.complacent leadership promotes stagnation an unwillness to being productive. this election was no different. preconveived notions binds into one way of thinking republicans are for the rich and democrats are for the less fortunate. back just post depression this could have been true . just try to visualize something and be open minded . take one democrat and one republican place them, bgoth in a sack shakem up and dump them out you8 could not tell any difference betweenone or the other.basicaly you would have a salesman that is long in theory and very shost on change. moral of the story we need deversivide people to lead our nation people that are not afraid of change every successful campain today is ran with the same dieing rules first look cirismatic try not to hurt anyones or groups feelings and raise funds any way you can. i say for presidental election limit the the money they can use on a campain. and limit the time on campaining ,lets six before the election would be the first day campaining to start this great country of ours was predicated to change. most average citisens dont consider a third or even 4th or 5th party. with out this in todays world democrcy will fail. the last eight years geogre spent his time taeringdown international treatys and freindships. bills theology was essentaily correct. if everyone or every country felt they were a part of something contribitihg to the common good of mankind. if this was ever to happen we would have bsis for change on a global level. education is everything i will leave you with a thought. sixtythree percent of highschool students in america cannot find iraqa on a globe. over half of the students beleive sdam heusien had neuclear weoponary. how so very sad. so when we educate we should do so with trith. i am a american who cares and reasons on a global. as should we all

Jay| 11.24.08 @ 12:08PM

Franken may have challenged this, but Coleman has challenged many ballots simply because the voter voted for McCain and Franken... They're both challenging quite frivolously, but I guess it's typical of an anti-liberal blog to point out all the negatives with a Dem, without talking about the fact that their candidate's doing the same thing...

R. Johnson| 1.16.09 @ 1:08PM

Where we vote the election board keeps records of who voted on a particular ballot----it would seem that you could call the person and ask them, in person with the proper identification, what their "mark" on the ballot signified.

Too logical for the folks of Minnesota?----or could it be that there is another agenda at work here?

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Citizens United for Democracy| 6.30.09 @ 4:14PM

The Supreme Court has ruled that this ballot belongs to Al Franken

Laura| 7.1.09 @ 2:37AM

Ok seriously people what if the star tribune blacked out the names on this ballot. Granted people probably would remember the order of which the candidates were presented, but imagine if you would that we were just looking at the bubbles without any knowledge of the names. What if this is simply a bubble sheet for a test for some punk in college. Any mark in the bubble, despite directions which clearly state to neatly fill in the bubble of your choice, only logically indicates that was the person's choice. It is however fair I believe to discount a vote if not filled out properly. But to suggest that a marking in that bubble somehow could suggest that person not wanting that to count as a vote is ridiculous madness and a complete denial of logic and rational thought. And for the record, I hate liberals and republicans...they are both very hypocritical in their views in my opinion so I don't even really care the much who wins because I feel we are going to shit anyways. But just because you so badly want to validate your own beliefs gives no one to dismiss the obvious answer that this is a clear vote for Coleman. And you now what for those of you on either side of this issue, this is one vote pictured here and does not decide or overturn what has been decided thus far. Al Franken has been declared the winner as of today whether you support it or not. I don't care that he won...I don't care that Coleman lost. I care that people are seriously so delusional that they are posting ridiculous things about how this is crossing out Coleman and is really a vote for the other 2 candidates. Wake up liberals you are all as disgusting, vile, and delusional as republicans have been when they held the majority of power. And my opinion of Obama, he is almost the exact opposite of Bush in every since and every policy. Except for two major things, they are very unintelligent and are ruining America

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