Opinion: Ticket Replay: Senate candidate Al Franken’s townhall; one voter shows

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As the recount continues in 2009 in the very close U.S. Senate race in Minnesota, The Ticket is republishing some of its favorite items from the past election season. This one was originally posted here Aug. 9, 2008 and may, in reality, show the importance of one single vote:

Al Franken is trying to turn his former fame as a comedian into the gain of one U.S. Senate seat for Democrats by upsetting incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in Minnesota.

But he probably didn’t intend his town hall meeting on veterans issues yesterday to turn into the joke.

Only one person attended.

Ouch!

Well, every vote counts. So Franken sat down in Brigitte’s Cafe in St. Cloud with the lone voter interested in veterans issues, the theme Franken’s staff had established for that public appearance.

Franken spent an hour listening to the woes of Navy veteran Josh John, trying to navigate the medical system for former military members.

Franken also promised to improve veterans benefits, criticized his Republican opponent and the Democratic Congress for inaction and said he hoped to serve on the same veterans committee as the late Sen. Paul Wellstone.

Then, Franken headed off for the county fair, where there was likely to be a slightly larger crowd.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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