The Star-Tribune has an excellent look at the last few days of the Coleman/Mondale campaign starting with the loss of Paul Wellstone and ending with Coleman’s victory speech. Anyone interested in knowing about campaign crisis management could learn a lot from the events of those few days.
It appears as though much of the explanation from Coleman’s win comes from a combination of Republican fieldwork and Democratic mistakes, especially the Wellstone memorial. Coleman was able to control the message in the last few days while maintaining a respect both for Walter Mondale and for the state of Minnesota’s tragic loss. Many said that Coleman wouldn’t have a shot after Wellstone’s death – but through a combination of strategy, heart, and luck, Coleman managed to pull off one of the biggest political upsets in Minnesota history.
