Coleman vs. Franken

The State of Minnesota has a long history of clean elections and high voter turnout so this year's US Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken is a black eye for the North Star State.

The problem is that lawyers - not voters - will determine the final winner of this senate seat. However, "solutions" for improving the process have been advocated such as "Instant Runoff Voting" (IRV) where voters would note their first and second choices on a ballot so that these results would be allocated accordingly thus avoiding an actual run off election. Minnesota needs to amend its voting law to mirror that of the State of Georgia which had a run off election following the November 4th election.

I would hope that either Coleman or Franken would concede the race via a press conference where they would call for this type of election reform.

Todd

Crystal Ball

Today I was on a conference call with Dr. Larry Sabato, Director of the Center for Politics (http://www.centerforpolitics.org/) at the University of Virginia. For me this was quite a flashback since Dr. Sabato's text books were key tools in my political science courses when I was a student at Iowa State University in the 1980's -- yes the good days when I was a Cold War Warrior, although with President Putin of Russia likely to serve as President or Prime Minister of Russia for perhaps the next 15 or 20 years via a "musical chairs" election strategy the Cold War could start again if it hasn't started already.

Dr. Sabato provided a very interesting overview of the 2008 elections for President of the US and the US Congress. Overall I think it is fair to say that 2008 is going to be "a Democratic year" so let me encourage my readers to watch your wallets because if the Democrats win the White House and make further gains in the US House and US Senate then taxes will indeed go up!!

Readers interested in Dr. Sabato's election analysis and predictions can register for his free (unlike the text books I had to purchase!!) newsletter entitled the "Crystal Ball." We only have eleven months until the November 2008 elections so you better start reading up on who's who this cycle :-)

Caucus 'til you drop,

Todd

American Idol

While using my housing association's gym last night I was talking with one of my neighbors who commented after seeing some 2008 presidential coverage on CNN that, "I am already sick of the campaigning for 2008 and can't wait for it to stop."

My immediate reply was, "hey just think of all the candidates running for president as another version of 'American Idol' with the caucus/primary process a way for the contestants to be eliminated." As a native Iowan I can assure readers that the Iowa caucus process is a better experience than listening to Simon Cowell's belittling of contestants.

Currently -- unless threatened by other states' decisions to move up their primary election dates -- the Iowa caucuses are set for January 14, 2008 so there is now less than 50 weeks before the first-in-the nation presidential caucus happens followed by the New Hampshire primary so they race is on!! You can track the action at:

http://www.iowapolitics.com/

Enjoy our free elections,

Todd

Todd