Seed Newsvine
Franken v. Coleman: The 18% Barkley Factor and What’s at Stake
Posted by draabe on 21 October, 2008
With just 14 days to election day, and absentee ballots already being processed in the state of Minnesota, the race for Paul Wellstone’s Senate seat is being closely watched – locally and nationally – and with good reason. Having been occupied by Norm Coleman (R) since Wellstone’s untimely death two weeks before election day in 2002, the seat is well-positioned for a return to its Democratic – Wellstone – roots.
Current polls show Al Franken (D) with a growing lead (2-3%) and Independence Party challenger Dean Barkley carrying a notable 18% of votes among “likely voters”. However, with Coleman perceived as [very] unfavorable among more voters than Franken in every category (except “Republican”), one has to consider Barkley’s polled 18% a misrepresentation of solid support come election day.
