[Colonel_Flagg]

the exurbs and outstate still can't counter-balance the voting power of the Twin Cities and the Iron Range

Those are exactly the people who elected Pawlenty. The Range is hemorrhaging population though the Twin Cities proper are hopeless.

I have high hopes for Kennedy, the President's numbers nothwithstanding.

[Zeroisanumber]

Those are exactly the people who elected Pawlenty.

Pawlenty was aided by having a boring opponent in DFLer Roger Moe, and an Independence Party candidate who sucked more votes away from the DFL than they did the MN Republicans. I'm hoping for the best, but I'm not hopeful if you understand what I mean.