FUCK YOU DEAN BARKLEY

[mduffy31]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

[Dinger]

1. Didn't he Work For Wellstone?

How could he? What a POS. Are all absentee/early voted counted? How about a recount? Oh yeah, I say fuck dean barkley too.

[Eric J in MN]

5. Jess Ventura appointed Dean Barkley to finish the term of Paul Wellstone...

...but the wikipedia page doesn't say that Barkley worked for Wellstone:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Barkley

[MnFats]

24. Ventura and BArkley used to belittle and mock Sen. Wellstone.

as if Jesse Ventura was half the man, and half the public servent, as Paul.
Everything Ventura ever did was self-centered, self aggrandizing and the result of a wildly inflated sense of self-importance.

[kikiek]

2. We got hope yet...and I think Coleman will be in trouble anyways if he wins. Special election.

[trotsky]

3. The lawsuit will proceed.

And if Coleman really did get $75k via a bogus "job" for his wife, he'll be the next Ted Stevens.

But doesn't that mean Pukelenty can appoint someone until the special election?

[kikiek]

6. yes he can but I will have to look at how soon they will elect a replacement. Al would be a shoe in

[dflprincess]

16. If Coleman wins the recount we must never, never, let him forget

that 58% of electorate voted against him.

We have to start working for instant runoff voting.

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

4. yeah wow, what the FUCK

I want every last vote counted and recounted.

[clear eye]

7. This is where instant run-off voting would have worked wonderfully.

Instant-runoff voting (IRV) is a voting system used for single-winner elections in which voters have one vote and rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first preference rankings, the candidate with the fewest number of votes is eliminated and that candidate's votes redistributed to the voters' next preferences among the remaining candidates. This process is repeated until one candidate has a majority of votes among candidates not eliminated.

from Wikipedia (I know, I know, but they phrased it so well, and it does match what I heard on that system many years ago.)

So if neither Coleman nor Franken got over 50%, then most of Barkley's votes would have been added on to Franken's, because most Barkley voters would list Franken, not Coleman, as their 2nd choice.

[Thegonagle]

15. I agree 100%. We need IRV in MN because of our strong 3rd party presence. nt

[dpbrown]

8. Way to throw the election, numbnuts

Barkley, what an ass.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

9. More votes will appear in the recount

I heard on MPR this morning that the recount is done by hand and therefore votes not counted by the scanning machines will now be counted (those where the voter did not fill the circle but rather put a checkmark or X over the circle or circled the circle. At that point, it is up to the judges to determine voter's intent.

So, there should be more votes out there. Hopefully enough.

I know people who decided to vote Barkley when they believed (or were told) that the campaign went negative. But, as we all know, negative campaigning sadly works much of the time. (Nice to see Obama's style win this time).

[Eric J in MN]

11. Dean Barkley's one TV ad has cardboard displays of Franken and Coleman...

...and Barkley says he's not from NY and topples the cardboard.

That's negative, too.

http://www.senatorbarkley.com/barkley_tv_ad_view_download.htm

[Minnesota Raindog]

10. Let's not forget a big "Fuck you" to Bob Anderson in the 6th CD

Anderson didn't even have the Independence Party endorsement--the party endorsed DFLer Tinklenberg--yet IP appeared next to Anderson's name on the ballot, and he got over 10%. He was a one-note Johnny with zero knowledge on any other issues. He had nothing to offer the 6th District except his ego and his last name. So Bob--here's a big FUCK YOU to you too.

[Eric J in MN]

12. How was he able to use the "Indpendence Party" name...

...without their endorsement?

Also, whose last name does he share?

[Minnesota Raindog]

13. He ran unopposed in the IP primary

Since the Independence Party endorsed Tinklenberg, they had no dog in the primary fight. Anderson entered the primary, won it, and thus got the IP next his name (state law doesn't allow double endorsements to appear on ballots, so Tinklenberg couldn't list IP alongside his name if he also listed DFL).

Clearly, this is a quirk in the law that needs to be rectified. A party should be able to say who gets to use their party's endorsement. I'd venture to guess that about 99% of the people who voted for Anderson didn't have a clue what he was about (and neither did Anderson)--only that he wasn't a Democrat or Republican.

[Avidor]

22. Coleman Requested a Pardon Letter for Vennes too...

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2008/11/coleman_cant_se.php

Coleman is also getting a beating by Minnesota Independent for newly uncovered pardon letters he wrote for Frank Vennes Jr. Vennes is currently associated, but not charged, in the Tom Petters' Ponzi scheme. Vennes' home was raided for the investigation and authorities say he collected more than $28 million in commissions for his work.

Coleman wrote a letter in 2002 to President George W. Bush and Karl Rove asking for a pardon. Coleman says he is "indeed an example of successful rehabilitation."

Here is the second letter dated Dec. 2004. Coleman says, “I assure you that Mr. Vennes’ moral and ethical standards more than justify your consideration of his pardon application.”

Coleman isn't the only person to get backlash for their pardon letter. Rep. Michele Bachmann also wrote a letter for Vennes.

http://minnesotaindependent.com/17098/norm-coleman-like-michele-bachmann-wrote-pardon-letters-on-behalf-of-petters-associate-frank-vennes-jr

[Lucian]

14. Goddamn I'm pissed at Barkley.

He may screw over Al Franken for the senate. x( :grr:

[SavageDem]

17. I said the same thing...albeit a bit more politely!

I was watching results at about 3am after returning from working 17 hours as an Election Judge, and I got so pissed off at Barkley. So I jumped on the 'puter and sent him an email. Started off being a profanity-laced tirade, but I decided that that was not the proper way to act. I think my message was still quite clear.

[camera obscura]

18. I can't believe any Dem voted for him

My mom, the same woman who introduced me to politics, voted for Obama and Barkley. :wtf: I can't imagine she wants Norm sitting in Wellstone's seat any longer!

[Eric J in MN]

19. Did she say why she voted for Dean Barkley? NT

NT

[camera obscura]

20. She said "Al Franken had my vote and lost it when he started acting like every other politician"

and then she added "well, he's not as bad as that douchebag Coleman..."

I didn't press the issue, I think she regrets it already.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

28. Same with someone I know ..

... except for calling Coleman a douchebag. I'd love to hear her say it, though.

Long time Dem, very socially liberal, like many of the presidential candidates in the primaries and was happy to vote for Obama. But she announced she would vote Barkley when the "most corrupt U.S. Senator' commercials started running about Coleman because she did not want to reward Franken for those ads. She regretted it immediately (I think she thought Franken had it won and her vote would be a protest vote). I've never pressed it with her, either.

[AllHereTruth]

21. No. No. No.

How can you BLAME a third party candidate. How dare you.

So, are you HONESTLY telling me you love having a 2 party system. with a right and left. right and wrong. good and evil.

Are you HONESTLY telling me you blame Barkley.

I want a response from YOU. Answer me these 3 questions:

1. Is a two party system really best for America.

2. With a two party system, do we get the BEST representatives? Or just the ones picked to WIN.

3. What did Barkley do wrong? Should he not have run...because i thought that was his right.

[dflprincess]

23. Yes, he has every right to run

and being a spoiler for the Republicans because having a governor, a senator and a couple of representatives who were elected by a minority of the voters is what democracy is all about. (And tell me the clown who ran in the 6th district didn't do so just to take votes from Tinklenberg.)

No, I don't think 2 parties is the best system but until we get IRV third parties just don't work. The only good thing about the problems caused by the IP this year is that more people are talking about the need for either IVR or a run off election when no one gets at least 50% of the vote.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

26. My argument with the Independence Party in particular is that it has no core principles

not even the measily core principles that today's Democratic party has.

Barkley's main appeal was that he wasn't either Coleman or Franken.

In the 2006 5th Congressional District race, Tammy Whatshername ran on a subliminal platform of "I'm not black or Muslim or Republican."

It seems to serve solely as a protest vote.

[Eric J in MN]

25. emails to Dean Barkley

http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/11/21/4770/barkley_on_senate_recount_fitting_end_to_the_worst_campaign_in_minnesota_history


• That's okay, no reply necessary. I just wanted you to know that in your strutting, imbecile pomposity, all you have managed to do is to KEEP a progressive candidate from joining the senate. Six more years of that corrupt, right-wing slimebag Coleman will be your legacy. Congratulations, you asshole.

• Dean, you're okay but you're not so great that it was worth losing the election to f---ing Coleman over your run. As another really icky Republican has said famously, "Thanks but no thanks." I'm a New Deal, FDR Democrat/Green. And we're stuck with that empty suit for another f---ing four years.

• "Nadered" your state. This isn't Canada! Acting as if we have something other than a two party system, (at present) is delusional. Your principles have weakened your principles and damaged your state. I, (sarcastically) hope that you're proud, or, (more pertinently) well paid.

• I'm not a citizen of Minnesota. I don't know anything about you other than that you lost. (I have a feeling it's probably not the first time.) However, if Al Franken goes to Congress, it will be the greatest travesty and mockery of the election process since, well, Jesse the Body. And I'll cast my blame on you, personally.

• If Franken wins, it's YOUR fault!! get OUT of politics!!!!! we don't SPOILERS like YOU!!

• I am absolutely furious with you, your candidate, and every one of your staff members and volunteers. It is obvious at this point that Al Franken would have EASILY won and we could have had real change, attainable, actual, achievable active change in the United States Senate. Between him and President Obama, amazing things could have been done. I hope you can find a way to sleep at night. I can't believe it. I am a terminally ill man with a progressive neurological disease and I gave EVERY LAST OUNCE of effort throughout this campaign to get rid of the evil that is the Republican Party, and you have just denied me my last dream. Sleep tight.

[Deja Q]

27. Ambivalence.

Some people thought Franken was not the best of candidates, and while I know some who loathe Coleman's pathetic policies, still chose him.

Or voted Barkley anyway.

They still have a right and people still have a right to vote for whomever they want.

The problem wasn't Barkley's attempt. It was Franken not convincing voters he was the best candidate. And even then, one's past seems cling, like it or not. :( I know that feeling too.

As far as I'm concerned, ill performing incumbents should be voted out; a talking leaf of skunk cabbage would do a better job than many politicians. And if nothing else, giving tax breaks and other incentives to those who DO offshore is a genuine act of illness.

[Owl]

29. I also wish to add my "AYE" to the FUCK YOU DEAN BARKLEY thread.

FUCK YOU DEAN BARKLEY