3-way Senate Debate in MN: battleground Republican incumbent falling behind in polls

If you don't think Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) is in trouble defending his Senate seat, you probably don't think it snows in Minneapolis in the wintertime. He's in danger of losing to a comedian turned author/activist... Coleman's ads may be almost as negative than McCain's, but then Franken's path is almost as improbable as Obama's. Analysis and reactions after the debate Sunday night.

Reader's digest:

Coleman's attacks are backfiring, arguably reminding voters that he's a veteran politico in a year when many want to throw the bums in DC out and start fresh.

How fragile is the incumbent?

Al Franken, Dean Barkley, and Senator Norm Coleman met for a debate Sunday night in Rochester, a few miles south of the world famous Mayo Clinic, and frankly Coleman did worse than you'd expect from a veteran politician. He was visibly uncomfortable at times, mumbling as he raced through bullet points; his trademark tendency to leave sentences and thoughts incomplete made a stark contrast to Franken's quiet eloquence.

Barkley, for his part, was affable and folksy, yet undermined his credibility suddenly when he replied at one point that he had "nothing more to say" about energy. It may have been a bid to seem succint, but in front of an attentive audience it was either a curious tactic to adopt or a blunder that made him seem ill-informed.

Is Coleman vulnerable?

True, partisans supporting all three were likely happy with their man's performance. It's difficult to measure the impact such events have quickly, let alone objectively, but listening on the way out I think it's fair to say that Coleman's supporters sounded concerned by more than just his fall in the polling data. Franken's seemed more impressed, and optimistic about his chances in one of the races that's attracted national attention - and money.

I interviewed a number of people right afterward as they were leaving the site of the debate, and the one that stands out is the small business owner I spoke to in the following video. He was cogent, and coherent. Despite Mr. Beck's admitted bias I think this probably gives as accurate a reflection as anecdotal interviews are likely to uncover.

Beck is the owner of the "Javalive" a community coffee house in Faribault, Minnesota, roughly halfway between the Twin Cities and Rochester. As an entrepreneurial host for local talent, be it musical, poetical (or some other form of artistic endeavor) Beck has his fingers on the pulse of the residents of Faribault, a county seat with approximately 20,000 residents. As a small businessman he's constantly tracking the impact of politics on his community, and his bank balance.

I'll get more video from the debate uploaded soon, but Beck's reaction comes first.

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Believe me, the Malkin outrage is NOT about Ifill.

Seriously. It may be to distract people from issues again, or it may really be the soft bigotry of low expectations being heaped on the rookie Governor before her national debate debut as some have suggested. Are Malkin and her ilk just readying their excuses, or really trying to torpedo McCain by undermining Palin's confidence? One thing I know, it's not what they want us to hear:
it's NOT about Gwen Ifill.

I realize that any number of proud social conservatives have expressed reservations over Palin’s readiness and/or suitability for the position of Vice President. But it behooves us to grant Governor Palin her time in the limelight, to approach the evening with as open a mind as is possible as we focus on the issues important to the voters - the economic bailout being considered by congress, deregulation, Iraq, taxes, and health care to name a few obvious issues more important than the fact that Gwen Ifill a moderator and managing editor of "Washington Week" and senior correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" on PBS also aspires to be author.

It’s not time to distract us by creating false controversy about the moderator. But since even McCain says it's not about Gwen Ifill:

...so why are the most visible, infamous right wing pundits so exercised on the eve of the debate? Is it as simple as an attempt to lower expectations? Is that fair to Palin and her running mate? Is that even plausible?

Will Ms. Ifill present more rigor than Charlie Gibson or Katie Couric? Probably so. The late Tim Russert might have been rugged in this sort of context. Why are the right-leaning pundits so concerned about Gwen Ifill? Why are they making this about people, not issues? And even if she is up against a more experienced, worldly debater in Senator Joe Biden, she’s been prepping for weeks; it’s show time!

Was Malkin jealous of Ifill's opportunity? We know she opposes multiculturalism, she makes that plain on her blogsite. Was she hoping Palin would face somebody less experienced as a moderator, such as David Letterman -- or Jon Stewart?

Much ado about nothing.

We arguably learn more about a candidate from a slightly adversarial interviewer (or moderator) than we would from somebody lobbing easy questions. Governor Palin is something of an unknown on the national political scene in the U.S., and the campaign has not to this point made her very available for interviews or press conferences. This is her chance to shine - and I, for one, expect her to do a creditable job in the spotlight. This is not her first debate; anyone ready to be Vice President surely has to be ready, willing, and able to handle questions from a PBS moderator in a controlled situation.

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2 perspectives from Denver: Veterans, and youth

I've spoken with several veterans of U.S. military service in Denver, and unsurprisingly they mostly express strong support for the Democratic candidate. One outspoken Viet Nam vet was basing his support on his assessment of the lack of support for vets he percieved in Senator McCain's voting record.

Generally, however, I was hearing more "Pro-Obama" sentiment expressed than I was "anti-McCain" on Sunday, as the visitors to the city took on a distinctly Democratic leaning on the eve of the opening day's events. Oliver Lawrence, for instance, is an Air Force veteran of both Korea and Viet Nam, a fifth generation descendant of slaves who has lived in Georgia all his life. Taking in the pre-convention activities, he describes feeling a very different sort of energy among the delegates when compared to previous election cycles.

Oliver also spent the late 50s on duty in Wyoming, when duty sometimes meant babysitting ICBMs, as it did in his case. I chatted with him as we walked along Denver's 16th Street Mall Sunday evening. Most of the protesters had already left, (make no mistake, there were some present earlier in the day) on our way to listen to live music at "Jazz @ Jack's" where our waitress, Jenna, was looking forward to her first chance to vote in a Presidential election.

Asked about Biden as the choice for Vice President, Oliver replied immediately with entusiasm that, "He's a pit bull!" Suggesting that Senator Obama should "Feed him red peppers and turn him loose" to deal with those who are taking the low road in assailing Obama's suitability. He sees Biden as silencing most of the basis for doubting Obama had sufficient experience - a charge he obviously thinks lacks merit. Oliver's seen conventions and candidates come and go during his decades-long service in the Air Force. His assessment of Obama is that electing the Senator from Illinois will be a way to start correcting decisions that the current administration has made, though he notes that the extent of the correction needed means that progress will be slower than he'd like.

And Jenna? She's caught the bug for politics from her mother, who is informed and active in Denver politics. They moved to Denver from Idaho over a decade ago, and she wasn't quite old enough to participate at the voting booth in 2004. As we talked it became clear that while her boss has asked the staff not to display political affiliation while at work, she and her working peers are excited by the prospect of Colorado leaning more toward Obama than McCain, and hopes the state will express a majority support for his candidacy - they'd be proud of Colorado's electoral votes went into the Democratic column as we select our next President.

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A BACKSTAGE PASS to see OBAMA accept the nomination in Denver?

All you have to do is donate at least $5 this month via special links provided at the Obamesque blog and you're in the running to meet Senator Barack Obama BACKSTAGE and see him accept the Democratic nomination in front of 75,000 people. Can you imagine seeing the convention from this perspective, and meeting the man who will probably be the next President of the United States?

If you're one of the ones selected you also get to bring a guest. Let's spend a few nights in Denver, shall we?

History in the making, and you can be there with the crew from Zennie's Zeitgeist (we're covering the whole convention.)

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Michelle Obama's terrorist fist jabs on THE VIEW...

Here's another easy place to watch the video if the link in the story below is busy! Best bet is to scroll down, but we know it's a hot video.

Mrs. Obama doesn't seem to think that the fist jabs will hurt her popularity, or her husband's chances in the general election. Judging by the reactions, I think she's right. I could go on, but frankly the best thing for you to do is go watch it yourself as this eloquent, fascinating woman talks about a variety of issues, including Hillary Clinton...

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