What a Joke of a Nation

What a joke of a nation we live in- I mean, when an election is stolen so easily, and people don't even care. I'm talking about the Senate election between the joker Al Franken (joker not because he is funny, but because it is a joke that he is considered a legitimate candidate for public office) and Senator Norm Coleman.

Every year, I do the dutiful thing and spend a whole class day trying to convince my students that their vote does matter, that our elections are the most fair and uncorrupted in the world, and I battle their innate cynicism to try to install pride in our country. But then a situation like this one comes along, and makes a mockery of our election system. I mean, how in the world can Franken's attempt to be Senator be taken seriously when he argues for ballots found in people's cars to be counted, even when counting those ballots means that more people will vote for him than even live in the precinct? Even an foolish hypocrite crack-smoker like Franken knows that is bogus (and those aren't insults, they reference his policy proposals, his history of not paying employees minimum wage and dodging taxes, and his own autobiography description of doing crack).

If it is this easily to steal an election, what hope is there? I heard a rumor that ACORN is now getting federal funding- so now taxpayer money is used to steal elections at the same time phony election fraud goes uncommented on for a Senate seat. I wonder- do you even need a political resume any more? Maybe all you need is good lawyers and then you can steal an election without even making the pretense of winning votes? Good thing there are honest Democrats around blocking the Republicans shady attempts to steal elections, or else who knows how bad it would be? Oh wait, these are all Democrat attempts... but that doesn't fit the narrative...

UPDATE: From Bloomberg.com:

One sample ballot shows a filled-in circle for John McCain and Sarah Palin, indicating the voter’s intent to select the Republican candidates. In the Senate race, the circle next to Norm Coleman’s names is filled in, but there is a faint X through it. This might suggest that the voter intended to cross out, or negate, the vote cast for Coleman. Or it might indicate that the voter made an extra scribble when filling in the circle. That is why the ballot was disputed. In this case, the panel ruled that the vote wasn’t for Coleman because the X indicates intent to cancel the darkened circle.

Consider the next ballot, though, which is almost identical except for two changes. First, the filled-in circle that is crossed out is a potential vote for Franken. Second, the X is much larger and more obvious. And what did the canvassing board decide? It is a vote for Franken. Calling that ballot a vote for Franken is possible in isolation. But taken together, the two decisions are at odds.