[No Dems 2004]

Here's some of my observations on Minnesota. I'd love to hear your comments!

[MeekOneGOP]

[afuturegovernor]

Good article you wrote and I agree with it. I thought it was an editorial in a newspaper at first until I got down to the description of Rinos in New York - I knew that would have never appeared in a newspaper. LOL! Things are looking up in Minnesota. And to think some Freepers were trying to write the state off as 'just too liberal.'

[rface]

as long as Bush stays strong, then this is a Nationwide trend - I wonder if the same kind of wind that you may feel in MN is also felt in Wisconsin and North/South Dakota?

(BTW - you are the 94,760th FReeper to register BTW)

[DManA]

The Greens are really starting to drive a wedge between a lot of folks and the party of their families for generations up in N. MN.

[Johnny Gage]

Welcome Aboard. If you're a Minnesotan, please be sure to go to your profile and set your "home port" as Minnesota so you can get the "local minnesota" messages & stuff.

Btw. No Dems in 2004 is a great screen name.

Let's Roll!

[KC_Conspirator]

Seriously, I thought this was done by a professional. That is very good analysis and any reader will get a good modern history from reading this about Minnesota politics.

[Snuffington]

Not sure if you're from Minnesota, or just very observant. :-)

Either way, nice analysis. Yours is a point I have had to make on a number of threads around here. Minnesota isn't so Democratic anymore. Your article deserves a bookmark, so I don't have to keep making these points on every thread. I'll just link them here.

Now if I can only convince people that the Jesse Ventura thing was a cult of celebrity and not a serious statement about Minnesota's devotion to third parties.

[shrinkermd]

The inside story on this change is one man --Steve Swiggum. He has done the personnel selection and party building that put us up on top.

[Slyfox]

Minnesotans are no different than others who live their lives conservatively and tend to vote liberal, because they are uninformed. Once they begin on that politically-informed road, people ALWAYS begin to vote the way they live their lives, conservatively.

Praise the Lord and pass mental ammo!

[KSCITYBOY]

bump for a Wildcat I know in MN

[Otta B Sleepin]

Excellent analysis.

[Norwell]

www.klineforcongress.org

As far as I am concerned, Minnesota's biggest contribution to the conservative effort this year. Imagine, an incoming freshman Republican congressman who had balllzzzz enough to serve in a fighting formation of this country.

What a novelty!!! He'll actually speak with some credibility when it comes to military issues, unlike Weldon, Bradley, Shays, etc, etc. Money well spent for those of you who contributed.

[MinorityRepublican]

Hey, you wrote an excellent article, I would never had known that a Freeper wrote it. (Except for the part about RINOs)

[Brimack34]

We will be an interesting model too watch here in MN. Our Gov. was elected on a no new tax pledge. Per capita we have a larger deficit then California. With all the media telling Pawlenty he has too raise taxes, And still he has said no. Not even on gas or cigs.

[x]

Rather than vote like Massachusetts, Vermont or Hawaii, Minnesota will vote more like Iowa or Illinois or maybe even more like a conservative Western state. That seems natural, and it looks like Wisconsin has done about the same. Maybe Minnesota looked more liberal than it was because its Democratic politicians were national figures: Humphrey and Mondale, also Freeman, McCarthy and Wellstone.

Or maybe it's because the rural vote long went Democratic. Essentially conservative states like the Dakotas have elected Democrats to Congress because of agrarian concerns and price supports. Now that's not so much an issue in an increasingly urban Minnesota. Maybe the ethnic tie and solidarity between urban and rural Scandinavians has also been weakened.

[mwl1]

The Wellstone re-election number in 1996 was much closer than 51-42. It was more like 51-49... please re-check.

The article would also be bolstered by including numbers pertaining to Coleman's election over Mondale in November 2002.

There are four factors that are contributing to the GOP tide in Minnesota:

1. the population in the northern Iron Range part of the state, strongly leftist and DFL, is declining.

2. Depression-era New Deal and DFL Democrats are dying.

3. The only parts of the state that are experiencing and substantive population growth are the suburbs of Twin Cities, St Cloud, and Rochester.

4. Finally, the state has a strong pro-life Catholic population and these people finally are getting a clue that voting for RATS means no progress on this important issue.

Bush will target MN, IA, and WI in 2004. No free ride for the RATS in any of these states; he lost each by an eyelash in 2000.

[Sci Fi Guy]

People have to realize that since 1968 a Minnesotan has been on the democratic presidental ticket 4 times(68,76,80,84). That drastically increases the rat influence in the state, since they would really get out the vote to support one of their own. It also serves as a drawn for the non-political. Individuals with no strong political views would vote rat to support the local guy. As Minnesota moves away from the fritz years, the advantage it once gave them decreases.

[gore_sux_2000]

Excellent analysis! Minnesota is changing and I for one am loving it! Hope that Dubya can take the state next year:)

[Reverend Bob]

Great post! I'd meant to do something similar after the last election but wanted to wait until the State House and Senate races were complete (one seat in the Senate is still in doubt, with the Pubbies suing to overturn an 11 vote loss in a district in which a DFL Election Judge has admitted to burning 17 ballots in her fireplace!). Three points that should also be included:

1. The GOP took the House four years ago, powered largely by Ventura, and "first-time", voters. Before that it had been in DFL hands for years.

2. The Pubbies control more Senate seats than they have in 30 years.

3. Except for Atty. Gen. Mike Hatch (who worked closely with Republican Secretary of State Kiffmeyer during last years election mess) the Pubbies hold all of the State's Constitutional offices.

Indeed, Minnesota now more closely mirrors the country in many ways. It's cities are Dem bastions where no Republican can compete, while it's suburbs and rural areas trend Republican, save for the Iron Range and parts of Northern Minnesota where conservative Dems have not yet jumped ship. It will be interesting to see what happens to those areas when Oberstar (8th) and Peterson (7th) decide to retire. The latter, it should be noted, is a true "Blue Dog Democrat". He's pro gun and, believe it or not, used to date Katherine Harris! Other House seats range from safe Dem (the 4th and 5th), and safe Rep (3rd), to leaning (strongly) Rep (1st, 2nd, and 6th), all of which should be "safe" for their Rep incumbents, barring scandal, for years to come.

One last note: The state party has done all of this while remaining overwhelmingly conservative. RINOS are rare, but neither has the "far right" been allowed to completely co-opt the party. Pawlenty will be the most Conservative Governor in my lifetime, perhaps ever, yet he had to beat off a strong challenge -- FROM THE RIGHT!!! -- during the endorsement process. One result is that he's viewed by many as a "moderate". Imagine that! Conservative posistions on taxes, conceal and carry, etc, marketed as mainstream! In Minnesota, no less!