Word: coleman
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...fact, with two weeks left before Election Day, Franken has nosed ahead of Coleman in the polls. Why? In part it's because Coleman and the GOP, with a relentless advertising campaign aimed at making Franken seem unacceptable as a U.S. Senator, overreached. And Franken, whose campaign until recently was better funded than it was run, pounced. In two TV spots funded by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, images were shown of Franken gesticulating in seemingly barely controlled anger as an ominous, disembodied voice declared that he was "unfit for office." "It isn't just outrage," said the voice...
...problem: the muted video used in the ads was actually taken from a heartwarming, funny story Franken told and acted out about David Wellstone and David's father Paul, who was killed in a plane crash in 2002 and whose Senate seat Coleman now holds. David, on at least one occasion, was sitting nearby, smiling as Franken acted out the part of his father excitedly urging him on during a cross-country race. Handed a gift, Franken's campaign produced an ad of their own showing how his image had been grossly distorted on Coleman's behalf - not merely...
...Coleman added to his woes by clumsily dodging questions about a report that a longtime donor had been buying suits and other clothing for him without it being reported on Senate disclosure forms. His spokesman's repeated refusal to give a direct yes or no answer to reporters' questions at one particularly tense press conference was so awkward that the video became a popular clip on political blogs. By the time Coleman finally gave a definitive response a few days later - "Nobody except my wife or me bought my suits" - the damage to his ebbing credibility had been done...
...Franken may now have a lead, but the negative tone of the campaigns run by both him and Coleman has left many Minnesotans unhappy with their choices and wishing for an alternative. And, of course, this being Minnesota, there is an alternative. Dean Barkley actually held Coleman's Senate seat briefly after Wellstone died in late 2002, having been appointed to the job by then governor Ventura of feather-boa fame. This year Barkley, with virtually no money, is pulling an average of 18% of the vote in the polls as the candidate from the Independence Party (compared with...
...moment, it appears Barkley is pulling a roughly equal percentage of votes from both Coleman and Franken. With two weeks still to go, it's certainly possible that Minnesotans will become just displeased enough with their options to catapult Barkley to victory. In this crazy race, 34% could be enough...