In Minnesota, we're voting for one of our Senators as well as for President. It's comedian and liberal activist Al Franken against the incumbent Republican Norm Coleman. Lots of people have yard signs around our neighborhood (we're a swing state, after all). Most political yards have at least two signs, showing support either for both Obama/Biden and Franken or for both McCain/Palin and Coleman.
Because of the seniority rules in the Senate, it actually sometimes makes reasonable sense to vote across party lines for an incumbent Senator, and I know lots of people will cast simultaneous ballots for Obama and Coleman next month. I have been on the lookout for someone who has such party-conflicted yard signs. I have not yet found one, sadly. This disappoints me, but does make some sense: it's really the strong party faithful who are likely to go to the trouble of putting up yard signs. Democrats in the middle who might still vote for a Republican Senator are much less likely to have yard signs.
Katie and I were out driving over the weekend, though, and came across this yard, demonstrating an even more conflicted household:
I can imagine the conversation between husband and wife:
"We're both voting for Al Franken, right?"
"Are you crazy? He writes pornographic stories for Playboy magazine. I'm voting for Norm Coleman."
"What?!? Norm Coleman hates this state! He goes on fishing vacations in Alaska. You're an idiot if you're going to vote for him!"
"Well, you're clinically deranged if you're voting for Angry Al. And just for that, I'm going to order the biggest yard sign that Norm Coleman will give me!"
"Hah! Hah hah! Two can play at that game! Just wait until I get my yard sign from Al Franken!"
Because of the seniority rules in the Senate, it actually sometimes makes reasonable sense to vote across party lines for an incumbent Senator, and I know lots of people will cast simultaneous ballots for Obama and Coleman next month. I have been on the lookout for someone who has such party-conflicted yard signs. I have not yet found one, sadly. This disappoints me, but does make some sense: it's really the strong party faithful who are likely to go to the trouble of putting up yard signs. Democrats in the middle who might still vote for a Republican Senator are much less likely to have yard signs.
Katie and I were out driving over the weekend, though, and came across this yard, demonstrating an even more conflicted household:
I can imagine the conversation between husband and wife:
"We're both voting for Al Franken, right?"
"Are you crazy? He writes pornographic stories for Playboy magazine. I'm voting for Norm Coleman."
"What?!? Norm Coleman hates this state! He goes on fishing vacations in Alaska. You're an idiot if you're going to vote for him!"
"Well, you're clinically deranged if you're voting for Angry Al. And just for that, I'm going to order the biggest yard sign that Norm Coleman will give me!"
"Hah! Hah hah! Two can play at that game! Just wait until I get my yard sign from Al Franken!"
For about 60 years, my mother's parents voted faithfully in every election. Grandma always voted a straight Democratic ticket and Grandpa always voted straight Republican. I've often wondered if they ever tried to convince each other.
ReplyDeleteI have seen cars with both bumper stickers too. If it were me, I would rather have a bare lawn/car than a schizophrenic one.
ReplyDeleteDoes Norm Coleman really go on fishing vacations in Alaska? I can imagine that being just the kind of thing to get voters riled up.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how true it is. It's part of one of Al Franken's attack ads (the attack ads in this Senate showdown have been downright brutal), which means that Norm Coleman probably took some trip to Alaska that involved some fishing or other fishing-like activity, but I highly doubt that he fishes exclusively in Alaska or anything like that.
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