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.
I'm not a fan of the current Governor, either. Tax refunds are fine, but there are so many other issues to deal with.
"I thought his idea to switch to a unicameral legislature was a good idea, but that of course was shot down."
That might be fine in a state like Nebraska, but there's a reason why we have bicameral bodies, to prevent what comes perilously close to mob rule. A counterbalance to the other body.
"I appreciate that he didn't take any crap from the media. His comments on religion don't bother me, because religion should have no relation to government. Furthermore, I don't see how they're “Marxian”."
His comments were-bone chilling, and reflected what far too many on the left believe. Obama's statements were uncannily close to Ventura's. I've gotten rather sick of what the left has done on its war against religion in the 20th century, and its purge of religion from government institutions. It's been a fiasco of the highest order. And it has also been blatantly unconstitutional.
"I've known plenty of good capitalist supply-siders who were atheists or agnostics. I hadn't heard anything about him being a Truther, though I'm not denying it - where did you hear that?"
Here's at least one reference: http://hotair.com/archives/2008/04/02/surprise-jesse-venturas-a-truther/
"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."
I disagree. Right now, it's about restoring what the left has purged from our (formerly) great institutions. And frankly, every law that ever comes down the pike, good or bad, is one group's attempt at legislating morality, no matter the subject.
"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 1st was a Republican district until Tim Penny first won in 1982. He had been the first Democrat elected there in 92 years. Gutknecht apparently got caught unaware last year. His opponent was apparently a Wellstone bootcamper moonbat. I certainly hope we're able to give Walz the boot this year.
"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."
They haven't pandered enough, let alone done enough, for Christian Conservatives, to say the least.
"What sells in the Deep South doesn't sell in the Upper Midwest."
I disagree that other parts of the country don't care about moral issues. As for my own Congressional district, it's no different than other moonbat rodent seats, so half the time, I have no idea this bizarre media-inspired portrait of the South as "fundamentalistland." That's not the South I grew up in or know. Nashville has been infested with rodents and corrupt slimy ones at that (think Al Gore), for my entire life. Often forgotten, too, is that many Northerners fled down South to escape the decline brought about by the left, in both parties. Those folks were largely responsible for making a Republican party down here. There were formerly strong Social Conservative regions in every part of the country until not so long ago, and the erosion of that has had devastating consequences. The BDS we've seen for the last 8 years is one of the side-effects. This unbridled leftist hate which is a poison to both the bodypolitic but to our nation at large, not to mention overseas.
"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."
Well, unfortunately, Ramstad is really a RINO. Again, these failures of the party to move rightward and to stick to it, is the reason why it ends up eroding. We don't need two liberal parties in this country. When Conservatives have their faces spat in by these RINOs and the establishment, they respond in kind by not turning out. For those advocating more of this "let's move left" crap, they are spurring on the death of the GOP, not reinvigorating it. They forgot why we were sent them to Washington in the first place.