Episode
09: Nov. 2, 2008 - Minneapolis pre-election mini-cast, including my
(short) interview with Al Franken! AUDIO:
Click on the arrow to listen to the complete show (5:30)
Al Franken
rallied the troops two nights before the election at a rally at Macalaster
College. The final tally showed Franken losing to incumbent Norm Coleman
by 700 votes, forcing a recount. As of Nov. 7, that number had dropped
to 221. The votes won't be fully counted until next week, and then the
recount will begin.
I
had a chance to attend the debate in what is one of the hottest, if
not the ugliest, senate races this year. Al Franken (DFL) is running
to fill Paul Wellstone's old seat, currently occupied by Norm Coleman
(R). Coleman's ads have been some of the most negative I've ever seen,
and there have been lots of them. The debate was intense - these guys
don't like each other. Fortunately, there was an Indepence Party Candidate,
Dean Barkley, sitting between them. He is currently polling at 15%,
and Franken is slightly ahead of Coleman, but within the margin of error.
Therefore, whoever gets more of Barkley's voters to switch may well
win the race. The debate took place in Downtown St. Paul in the historic
Fitzgerald Theater, home of A Prairie Home Companion.
After
the debate, I attended the Franken rally at Macalster College in St.
Paul. All rallied the troops and I had a chance to ask him a couple
of questions.
Here
are some more pictures:
Debate in St. Paul, Nov. 2, 2008. From left to right: MPR's
Gary Eichten (moderator), Incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman,
Independence Party Candidate Dean Barkley (who filled Wellstone's spot
briefly in 2002), and Democrat Al Franken
After the debate, Norm Coleman leaves the Fitzgerald Theatre
in
downtown St. Paul.
In front of the theatre, there was a war of "who has the
bigger signs."
The debate took place at the historic Fitzgerald Theatre in
St. Paul, home of A Prairie Home Companion.
Franken gives autographs at Macalaster.
One last
pitch to rally the troops in the final 48 hours.
These two
Macalster students have been working hard
this election season.
Minnesota ballot. The voter fills in the ovals, and put the paper through
an optical scan. They will now all be recounted by hand.
