A new survey of Minnesota by Public Policy Polling (D), finds a clear verdict on the part of the state’s voters: They want the disputed Senate race to be over, for Norm Coleman to concede defeat, and Al Franken to be sworn in. The poll was conducted yesterday and today, in the aftermath of the election court’s ruling that Franken won the race.
By a 63%-37% margin, voters say that Coleman should concede the race, rather than continue to appeal. After being reminded by the pollster that Minnesota currently has only one Senator, they say by a 59%-41% margin that Franken should be seated immediately, rather than allow the seat to stay vacant. And by a 59%-41% margin, they say that Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty should sign a certificate of election.
And this question here produces a close result: “Some people say that Republicans are funding the Coleman legal suit to keep the Minnesota seat vacant and slow down the Obama agenda. Do you agree or disagree with that statement?” The numbers are 48% agree, 52% disagree.
As you would expect, Democrats overwhelmingly take the pro-Franken positions, Republicans go pro-Coleman, and independents track pretty closely with the top-line results. But here’s the fun part: A greater percentage of Republicans cross over to the pro-Franken position than the percentage of Democrats taking a pro-Coleman stance. For example, Dems say 93%-7% that Coleman should concede, while Republicans are only 75%-25% that he should appeal.
One other thing: The sample as it’s now weighted closely reflects the actual election result, with 41% saying they voted for Franken, 41% for Coleman, 13% for Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley, and five percent saying they didn’t vote or don’t remember, compared to the actual election results of Franken and Coleman at approximately 42% each, and Barkley at 15%. (The original unweighted sample was within the margin of error for this result, too, PPP’s Tom Jensen tells me: Franken 42%, Coleman 40%, Barkley 13%.)
Late Update: When asked for comment, DSCC communications director Eric Schultz said: “Al Franken won the election, Al Franken won the recount, Al Franken won the contest. Given that at every stage of this process, Norm loses votes, I wonder if he’s really well-served by dragging this on any longer.”
Late Late Update: Minnesota DFL Party spokesman Eric Fought gives us this statement — with a handy plug to their online activism in this matter:
“These results confirm what we are hearing–in living rooms, coffee shops and around water coolers throughout Minnesota. Minnesotans are ready to move forward and have Senator-elect Franken seated as soon as possible. They know that full representation in the U.S. Senate is not a luxury — it is a constitutional right afforded to all Americans.
“That is why we launched www.giveitupnorm.com and why more than 5,000 people have already signed the online petition. Every day thousands more are encouraging their friends and family to ask Coleman to concede through email, Facebook and Twitter. And that is why an increasing drumbeat is being heard from Minnesota newspaper editorial boards, former Republican elected officials and conservative pundits who are telling the former Senator to do the right thing.
“It is becoming increasingly clear that Norm Coleman, those on his payroll and national Republicans are the only ones who believe that Al Franken did not win this election.”
