More than a hair, I'd bet. Wellstone was very popular.Wellstone probably wins by a hair in 2002, making the second Bush tax cut fail in the Senate.
there was two parts to the Bush tax cuts: EGTRRA in 2001, and JGTRRA in 2003. the first half of the Bush tax cuts still goes into effect here.More than a hair, I'd bet. Wellstone was very popular.
Wellstone could be a candidate for President (in the liberal wing, of course) down the line, depending on his health. Either way, avoiding the tax cuts already has some consequences; the recession is probably a little easier, and Bush suffers a political embarrassment. The butterflies could fly everywhere.
The first half only might be the best of all worlds.there was two parts to the Bush tax cuts: EGTRRA in 2001, and JGTRRA in 2003. the first half of the Bush tax cuts still goes into effect here.
And he opposed the Iraq War, which makes him a lot more credible if he runs for president in 2008 (no "I was before the war before I was against it"; assuming he doesn't run in 2004, of course)…
In my opinion without that awful memorial service disaster the Democrats might have kept control of the senate, seeing as the GOP gained only two seats. The Missouri race was extremely close, less than one percent difference.Even without a run for president, Wellstone likely keeps his Senate seat until he can hand it over to a successor.
Without his funeral/memorial service and it's backlash, not to mention no Norm Coleman in his seat, Al Frankenstein likely doesn't get involved in public office, perhaps becoming a larger liberal voice in the media pushing back against Fox News.
That could have happened.In my opinion without that awful memorial service disaster the Democrats might have kept control of the senate, seeing as the GOP gained only two seats. The Missouri race was extremely close, less than one percent difference.
In my opinion without that awful memorial service disaster the Democrats might have kept control of the senate, seeing as the GOP gained only two seats. The Missouri race was extremely close, less than one percent difference.
Wellstone could be a candidate for President (in the liberal wing, of course) down the line, depending on his health. Either way, avoiding the tax cuts already has some consequences; the recession is probably a little easier, and Bush suffers a political embarrassment. The butterflies could fly everywhere.
Meh, I could still see Franken run for office. Most likely a bid for a House seat or for Governor.Even without a run for president, Wellstone likely keeps his Senate seat until he can hand it over to a successor.
Without his funeral/memorial service and it's backlash, not to mention no Norm Coleman in his seat, Al Frankenstein likely doesn't get involved in public office, perhaps becoming a larger liberal voice in the media pushing back against Fox News.
Sorry. For all of us from foreing lands, what funeral disaster? It just seems weird that whatever happened in such a ceremony would have important political consecuences.
Ok. Have read the Wiki acount and still do not get It all. So sorry.
I imagine Wellstone would be close with Feingold and they would be allies in the Senate.Honestly, I always got the impression that the whole "funeral disater" was more a creation of the media (and of Jesse Ventura, who has never really needed much reason to feel aggrieved and holier-than-thou). Political junkies and campaign trail journalists like to have their dramatic turning points but I think skepticism is usually justified.
Assuming his health holds up, Wellstone could likely have stayed in the Senate as long as he liked. I imagine he would have been very influential among the left wing of the Dem caucus, which strengthened considerably in 2006 and 2008 (Brown, Sanders, Merkley, etc). And while many people have already pointed out the immediate impact that a re-elected Wellstone would have had in the context of the Bush years, it's also easy to imagine Wellstone would likely have coasted to re-election in 2008, if he so chose. That means a solid liberal vote in favor of an incoming Democratic president's agenda, instead of the drawn out Franken recount. This might mitigate some of the influence that the Lieberman types had over early Obama-era legislation.