Democratic candidates are having a field day with the past eight years all over America, putting double digit leads together in swing states in what's shaping up as the beginning of a vast Democratic majority. Things are going to be a little tighter in comedian Al Franken's race against longtime Minnesota conversative Norm Coleman. Though Coleman held a lead in the early-going, Franken has closed fast. Still, is there a chance Franken could walk away empty-handed on his big day?After the lead Coleman started with, it's heartening for Democrats to see that Franken has closed the gap in some polls. Since polling is a dangerous art best practiced by Nate Silver, you can judge for yourself here:

Complicating the race is independent candidate and former Jesse Ventura protege Dean Barkley, who is polling as high as 19 percent, and whose reform agenda may be hurting Franken more than Coleman. Franken knows it's going to be a battle, recently using Hillary Clinton in a television ad, but it might be time to break out the big guns: reprising his Stuart Smalley persona in the campaign commercial to rule them all. For a debate nerd like me, there was no greater joy than hearing this race would feature five debates, and that may end up hurting Franken in the waning days of the campaign. While he's a brilliant guy, he's still not the most polished pol, and it shows. Franken-Coleman-Barkley, Round Three [C-Span]