Lib Dem Voice’s Alex Foster has drawn attention to the mandatory recount in Minnesota’s Senate race, in which Al Franken currently trails Senator Norm Coleman by a mere 571 votes in almost 2.5 million. But what of the other three Senate races which are still listed as undecided? With the Democrats currently on 56, it is theoretically possible that they could make a fillibuster proof 60 – 40 majority.
In Oregon, Senator Gordon Smith (Republican) is trailing Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley by almost 23,000 votes. A blog-post at The Oregonian newspaper, citing a local pollster, is projecting a Merkley win, based on the uncounted votes being in a Democrat-rich county. This seems to be the race most likely to add to the Democratic tally.
In Alaska, home of Sarah Palin, Senator Ted Stevens (Republican), recently convicted of criminal charges in Washington DC, is nevertheless leading Democratic rival Mark Begich by about 3500 votes, but state officials have up to 15 days to count tens of thousands of absentee, early and contested ballots. Will absentee voters be less likely to be swayed by Steven’s seemingly impregnable reputation as an Alaskan hero? Begich could still win in the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate’s home state.
Meanwhile in Georgia, perhaps the most interesting situation of the four undeclared seats is developing. Senator Saxby Chambliss (Republican) leads Democrat Jim Martin by a considerable margin, but neither has reached Georgia’s mandatory 50% majority. Votes were still being counted late Wednesday, but because of minor candidates, it’s possible that neither will get a plurality, in which case there will be a full-blown run-off between the two on 2 December. The Obama factor could help Martin turn the tables.
My guess is that Franken is perhaps the least likely of the four to triumph, but fingers crossed. The Democrats could still get to 60.
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10 Comments
Stevens could, of course, be elected and then disqualified.
Regardless of our political preferences, is it really healthy for one party to have such complete control on the levers of power?
AIUI he would then be replaced by the Governors nomination – step forward Senator Palin…..
Even if they get to 60 it won’t mean much. Lieberman is not long for the Democratic caucus I fancy. Even if he was I really doubt he could be relied on to stop a filibuster (which rarely happen on single party lines in any case)
I agree with Costigan, those checks and balances are there for a reason.
Even if the Democrats are a few short, Obama has enough patronage that he can get a couple off the Republican side on a sufficiently important issue.
Stop press: CNN now has Merkley 23,000 ahead in Oregon.
Of course its unhealthy, to have a large majority, but its better ‘us’ than ‘them’!
Remember what happend to Francis Pym when he said you could have too big a majority….
Hywel Morgan wrote:
“Lieberman is not long for the Democratic caucus I fancy.”
Will Joe L be the first rat in US Senate history to board a sinking ship?
Sesenco: he might be thrown onto the sinking ship!
From that point of view, I’d rather the Democrats didn’t get to 60. Better to be able to chuch him out that have to pander to that absolute shit of a man just to keep their numbers up.
But I do want to see a Senator Franken.
“because of minor candidates, it’s possible that neither will get a plurality”
Surely, unless the top two candidates are exactly tied, SOMEONE must get a plurality.
What they won’t have is a majority.