That's unfortunate to hear about Coleman. I've heard stories in private about some members engaging in inappropriate behavior, including one highly respected and prominent former member (and of which I'm sworn to secrecy about by the victim of his advances). It's sad we're reduced to having to decide contests based on "lesser of evils." I can't support Ventura under any circumstances, based upon his own erratic behavior in office, his offensive Marxian comments on religion and his recent rep as a 9-11 truther. He's highly offensive to me on almost every level.
"As far as Michele Bachmann, it’s not personal, it’s political. I think the Christian Right has ruined the Republican Party and is one the main reasons I’m embarrassed to even admit being a Republican. I don’t think there’s anything conservative about them. I agree we should embrace solid conservative values, and that includes not using government to enforce morality and respecting people’s individual freedom and liberty."
Without those Christian Conservatives, you kick out a big leg of the party, and it will remain perpetually in the minority. Unfortunately, I've seen some posturing as Christian Conservatives that are anything but... namely the Huckster supporters, ignoring that this guy effectively governed as a liberal Democrat and left widespread wreckage. I believe in meshing the religious/moral and economic Conservatives, because they aren't all mutually exclusive in bettering society. Focusing on religious/moral and ignoring economics and you have no brain, ignoring religious/moral and you have no soul.
"The other frustrating thing is that we had a good conservative running for that seat, but unfortunately he lost the primary. I think it’ll be a close race, but I do think she’ll probably ultimately prevail. The only district in MN that a Republican never has to sweat in is the 2nd."
We really should hold 5 out of 8 seats (with only the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Duluth/Iron Range seats (4, 5 & 8) being Dem, although I have hopes the latter one may eventually come back to us, as it is ostensibly a SoCon district). I wouldn't say a Republican doesn't have to sweat in the 2nd as the Dems did hold it and the 6th for good chunks of the '90s. In fact, it's the 3rd district that has not elected a Democrat since Roy Wier's last term in 1958.
I think “religious conservatives” is an oxymoron, at least if it implies that some of their policies are religiously motivated. The government shouldn't legislate morality. Both Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan believed that.
You're right that the 4th (Minneapolis), 5th (St, Paul), and 8th (Duluth/Iron Range) will be permanently controlled by the DFL. The 2nd (Southern suburbs) and the 6th (Northern suburbs) are the strongest Republican districts, and the 8th (Western MN) probably could be won by a Republican but currently has a moderate DFLer. The 1st (Southern MN) is definitely a swing district; you probably have the numbers to check this out, but I believe it's generally followed the mood of the country.
The 3rd district, the Western suburbs, which is where I grew up (Edina), is an old-school GOP district. This is the kind of place the GOP used to dominate, but now are losing. For all the voters that the GOP has gained through pandering to the Christian Right, they've lost others. What sells in the Deep South doesn't sell in the Upper Midwest. Ramstad has held the seat because he's well-suited for the district, but if hardcore social conservative runs in this district they can expect to lose. Paulsen doesn't appear to be one (no mention of social issues on his site or in any of his campaign material that I've seen), so he still stands a decent chance, but folks around there are disgusted with the national GOP.