No one seems to watch these midwestern election races... but they are some telling contests, I think.
Look at Minnesota's gubernatorial race:
Pawlenty isn't running, so the GOP nod went to Tom Emmer (who won the primary by a shocking landslide... 81+% of the Republican vote). This shows that the message Emmer is sending to GOP voters is pretty clear and nearly universally accepted.
The DFL party had a closer contest, with Mark Dayton taking the primary. Former US Senator and State AG, Dayton is a protege of Hubert Hunphries and Walter Mondale, and seems to be carrying the same torch that Paul Wellstone carried when he was Senator from MN. Dayton was only Senator for one six-year term... and the torch passed to Klobachur (sp?) who is the current DFL Senator along with Franken.
Dayton has a substantial lead over Emmer, according to nearly every poll running. National discontent not withstanding... Minnesota seems to remain a bastion of Democratic Farm-Labor support and pretty dedicated DNC voters. I'm really not sure that Pawlenty's poor management of the State's coffers didnt set back the chances of a GOP Governor's mansion by another 4 years, at least.
What could possibly contribute to the popularity of a party like the DFL in a place like Minnesota? A very rural State, with only the one major metropolitan area (the Twin Cities), and a massive state-wide dependence on agricultural business and production, how does one explain the fascination with a political party that detracts or marginalizes "independent" actions and freedoms and choices as much as the DFL does?
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The DFL here in Minnesota has traditionally gotten a lot of the vote from the Iron Range, where the unions are king, and from a very liberal metropolitan area (somewhat akin to Madison, only bigger).
Ventura won because most people thought he would take votes from the republican, Norm Coleman, but the Iron Range, which most expected to vote for Skip Humphrey, went with Jesse.
For the most part, the Iron Range and Minneapolis-St. Paul, decide the statewide elections here.
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