Minnesota Public Radio Poll Shows Former V.P. Walter Mondale Trailing in Volatile Senate Race

Yahoo News ^ | November 3, 2002

[John Jorsett]

ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- With 10 percent of voters still undecided, former St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman has a 6-percentage-point lead over former Vice President Walter Mondale in statewide poll results for Minnesota's U. S. Senate race.

With voter volatility making measurements of the state's public opinion a difficult task, results show Coleman, a Republican, with 47 percent, and Mondale with 41 percent. The poll, conducted for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minnesota Public Radio, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

Support for other candidates totals just 2 percent, according to the poll conducted Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Oct. 30 through Nov. 1. A total of 625 likely voters participated.

After U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone was killed in a plane crash, Mondale was called from retirement by Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor party for a five-day campaign his supporters have dubbed the "Fritz Blitz."

Poll results "are a reflection of how volatile the race has become since Wellstone's death," says Dave Peters, the Pioneer Press senior editor who oversees the newspaper's polling efforts.

With the crash that killed Wellstone, his wife, daughter and several campaign staffers just 11 days before the election, the state's 2 million voters "had to rethink at least momentarily who they would vote for in the Senate election," Peters says. The count of undecided voters has increased from just 5 percent in the newspaper's September poll.

In addition, 17 percent of respondents said their choice in the Senate race was influenced by a controversial Wellstone memorial service that many considered a political rally.

[laconic]

Does anyone know if there is a Green Party candidate in the Minnesota senate race? With Wellstone deceased and replaced by the corporate director Mondale (Northwest Airlines and several others), I would suspect that many might decide they'd rather vote on principle and vote Green.

[Moosilauke]

Sounds like they had the funeral too soon. Should have waited until this weekend to hold the memorial service pep rally.

[bigaln2]

Well, the poll was sponsored by MPR and the Pioneer Press, but it was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research

[bigaln2]

There is a Green candidate, a blind man who has taken a liking to nose-picking, goddesses and anti-matter tecnhologies named Ray Tricomo.

[Steely Tom]

It is hard to fathom that any poll sponsored by the National Proletariat Radio, or Minnesota Proltariat (Welfare Radio)radio would ever come out with such a result!!!

It could be related to the fact that MPR is sponsoring and airing the only debate between Coleman and Mondull.

They may be trying to boost their ratings. They are of course also trying to get out the vote for Mondull.

(steely)

[cajungirl]

I think Fritz, like some older people, may get a little foggy in the afternoon, an early sign of dementia. He sure looks so made up that he is positively corpse like. In the morning, he will be sharper and his face less ancient. And maybe his nurse won't let him skip his nap.

[stands2reason]

You mean you missed the debate? I heard the Green guy picked his nose....lemme see if I can dig up the thread in question fer ya...

[laconic]

Sounds like he'd fit right in with the Democratic Senate caucus. I'd take a nose picker over Hillary Clinton any day.

[thegreatbeast]

We should refer to Mondale as Vice President September 10th. The same appellation should be used for Lautenberg (and, woefully, Liddy Dole).

[Toidylop]

I think Fritz, like some older people, may get a little foggy in the afternoon, an early sign of dementia.

This will be even clearer after tomorrow. Minnesotan will see how pathetic Fritz become...

[NormsRevenge]

What the hell happened to Mondale's 8 point lead ;-?

It's not elderly abuse if ya don;t vote for the Laut and Walt, yaknow ;-)

Old ideas..Older skivvies.

[VOA]

With 10 percent of voters still undecided, former St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman has
a 6-percentage-point lead over former Vice President Walter Mondale in statewide
poll results for Minnesota's U. S. Senate race.

The An...ticipation is killing me.
And I'm praying for Coleman.

Saw him on Fox News Sunday...he was good.
And Brit Hume did make a nice mention (twice) that they'd repeatedly
asked Mondale to appear on their show with Coleman.
And that Mondale had declined.
Just like he had for all debates.

Can someone say "chicken"?
Can someone say "elder stateman who thinks he can coast on his ancient record?"

Sure. I knew you could.

[NormsRevenge]

hoisted on his own pitard .. Fitting.. Jimmah Cahtah gets the NoBiLL Prize and Walt gets the boot.

Are we having fun yet ;-?

[bigaln2]

Here's that thread:

Minnesota Debate (Where's Walter?) Now on C-SPAN

[OldFriend]

Jewish custom states that the burial must be at the first possible moment.....Since Friday afternoon was not possible due to the crash and Saturday is not allowed, my guess is that the funeral was immediately after the autopsy....which meant Monday. And it was private, without media.

What followed was a travesty that the families will live with forever. Whether it was their own idea, doubtful, or they exploited the tragedy is immaterial....they made a most disrespectful sham out of their father's death.

[spintreebob]

Excellent comment: Voting for other offices, other issues.

Minnesota seems split 3 ways with Jesse Ventura independents a third force. Ventura's comments about the pep rally favored Republicans. That swings some "independents" Republican. This fits with the fact that compared to Wellstone's independence, Mondale has always been a "made man".

Of the alleged 10% undecided, how many voted for Ventura last time? Remember that people can register to vote on election day in MN. The system encourages procrastinating to the last minute for everything.

[Fintan]

In addition, 17 percent of respondents said their choice in the Senate race was influenced by a controversial Wellstone memorial service that many considered a political rally.

Time's a-wastin'...best get Al up there to make his "I wuz robbed" speech.

[Vinomori]

What followed was a travesty that the families will live with forever. Whether it was their own idea, doubtful, or they exploited the tragedy is immaterial....they made a most disrespectful sham out of their father's death.

YET they will feel redeemed if Mondale wins. The only way to drive the point home to them, and the rest of the world, will be to defeat Mondale and publically repudiate the repulsive vulgarity of the Clintons.

[Bahbah]

"they made a most disrespectful sham out of their father's death."

As I watched those boys, I thought of my father's death, when I was so taken by grief I was like a zombie for days. They seemed so inexplicably detached from what happened. And they lost their mom at the same time. I just found it bizarre.

[Spunky]

That funerally planned and executed by the DNC and Bill and Hill may have just lost them the race. I hope this is true.

I listened to McCaulif on Stephenopolis today sit there and lie, lie, lie, saying it was the Wellstone boys who planned the fun eral rally.