It ain't over...till the recount's over

Obama won the state of Minnesota pretty handedly, though there were some almost even breaks when considering issues like the economy, energy policy, protestants and catholics, almost all education groups EXCEPT those with post-graduate degrees, and those that made more than $100,000.

Obama was favored in larger cities and those with between 10,000 and 50,000 residents, but McCain lead narrowly in the suburbs and the candidates were tied in rural areas. These results are significant because of Minnesota's Democratic Farm and Labor party, which endorsed Barrack Obama, typically dominates rural Minnesota.

Independents also heavily favored Barack Obama, along with Democrats. Among the more that 60 percent of voters who said the economy was the most important issue Obama took only 53 percent of the vote

Obama also lead among both men and women, as well as all age groups EXCEPT those between 40 and 49.


Coleman and Franken are still fighting it out through an official recount, in which Coleman is still ahead by about 400 votes. Check back for updates.

Minnesota's 10 electoral votes will go to Obama tomorrow, despite the Republican excitement the state felt in the weeks after the Republican national convention. McCain and Palin seemed to give up on the state following the economic crisis, and McCain might be wondering now what Minnesota's Governor could have done for him, and how many more of those northern electoral votes he could have swayed with his intelligent, northern-conservative charm.

...BUT DON'T COUNT COLEMAN OUT

It ain't over until its over, and Coleman's kicking and screaming back into lead. He might not have lead in the polls for all of October, but today (after both Senatorial debates) he is again up by four points according to Rasmussen polls. It's unlikely that Minnesotans will embarass themselves with another celebrity politician after Ventura's shenanigans in the early 2000's, but with a viable 3rd part candidate in the race things are still too close to be able to call it Coleman territory yet.




Things don't look as optimistic in some of the House races in Minnesota, especially in Minnesota's 6th after Bachman's socialist and "Unamerican" blunders on MSNBC a couple of weeks ago. The polls have skyrocketed in her opponent's favor, perhaps best displayed by pollster.com


The other heated House battle in Minnesota is in Minnesota's 3rd, one of the wealthiest districts in the state. There the incumbent gave up his seat despite the objections of his supporters, and the seat has been hotly contested by a R and a Democrat. It does look like Eric Paulsen (R) will pull it out, but it's a race to watch.

Senate race by Rasmussen Reports

Election 2008: Minnesota Senate
Coleman Tops Franken 43% to 39% in Minnesota
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
See article

With the election just six days away, incumbent Republican Norm Coleman is back in front of Democratic challenger Al Franken – with his biggest lead since April -- in the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota.

Coming off what many view as his strongest debate performance of the campaign last Thursday, Coleman leads Franken 43% to 39% in the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state.

Independent candidate Dean Barkley is favored by 14%. Four percent (4%) remain undecided.

Coleman’s lead is within the margin of error and the race has additional uncertainty due to the presence of a solid third party candidate.

A week ago Franken had a four-point lead, 41% to 37%, and Barkley, the wild card in the race, registered 17% support. The lead has gone back and forth between the two major party candidates since July, but the comedy writer and longtime Democratic activist has been ahead in all surveys in October.

But the latest survey, taken Tuesday night, shows Coleman solidifying his GOP base by taking votes from Barkley and also pulling Democratic votes away from Franken. In between the two surveys, the Republican, who is seeking a second term in the Senate, also picked up a surprise endorsement from the state’s leading newspaper, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Franken relies on humor in debate

The last Senate debate between Coleman and Franken on Sunday night was as nasty as the ads both sides have been running, and as substance-less as Franken's comedy.

Giuliani, Clinton back in MN

Both Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton are back in Minnesota tonight campaigning hard in the heated senatorial race between Al Franken (D) and incumbent Norm Coleman (R). Clinton has repeatedly urged supporters that Franken could be the Democrats' "sixtieth vote" in the Senate.

Both Giuliani and Clinton visited the state in late October, urging their bases to get out and vote.

Big endorsements for Coleman

Even Minneapolis' Star Tribune endorsed Republican Norm Coleman. The paper hasn't endorsed a Republican candidate since the mid-eighties.

Senate race polls

While the polls have been tight between Coleman and Franken lately, new polls put out by NBC/Mason Dixon and Rasmussen have Coleman leading Franken by a few points, says the Star Tribune.

Part of the new lead could be due to Coleman's performance in the recent debate, and the gap could widen after the second debate this Sunday.

Franken gets dirty, lawsuit, ad buys follow

The Franken ad that Coleman is now bringing defamation charges for is here along with a "truth check" from a local news station.

The presidential race might have been decided in Minnesota, but political are hot and heavy in the Senatorial campaign between Franken and Coleman. The mud-slinging has been going on for months, but now things are getting tied up in messy legal disputes. A lawsuit was recently filed claiming that Coleman recieved $75,000 from a friend in Texas via the insurance company where Coleman's wife works.

Coleman, who has promised to run a cleaner campaign, responded "If my opponents have any shred of decency left in this campaign -- stop attacking my family."

Will Minnesotans decide Franken's dirty politics have no place in their state? Right now the race is a toss-up, but a debate on Sunday night promises to shed more light on the polling data/

Franken fights on

Comedian Al Franken in Minn. Senate tossup race

By PATRICK CONDON – 1 day ago

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — From the Department of You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Comedian and "Porn-O-Rama!" author Al Franken may end up in the U.S. Senate, swept in mostly by an anti-Republican wave that threatens Sen. Norm Coleman.

Franken, the "Saturday Night Live" writer and performer whose own party saw no humor in the X-rated essay and initially shunned him, and Coleman are in a Senate race — the most expensive in the country — that is now considered a tossup.

The Democratic establishment is now firmly behind Franken, in no small part because he could help the party reach or at least approach a 60-vote Senate majority required to block Republican filibusters.

10 days to go...

... Minnesota's sticking to it's roots. The state will go blue once again, and might be getting bluer. Norm Coleman is slipping in the polls and might lose his seat to Al Franken.

The convention was a good boost for McCain, but this is Obama territory.

Coleman bearing the brunt of McCain's mistakes

Republicans need to start remembering there is more to lose than the White House in November. Norm Coleman is suffering in his Senate race against Al Franken despite his incumbency and lead up until last month. Here's an ad being played in the state that hits home the elitist image Palin's wardrobe has perhaps created in the minds of undecided on-the-fence voters.

St. Kate's backs out of the political ring

St. Catherines college, a Catholic women's college in St. Paul, MN, has turned down speaking engagements with Senator Hillary Clinton, conservative political commentator Bay Buchanan and Minnesota's Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken. In an interview with the Star Tribune that the decision was about fairness.

"In a perfect world, at the outset, we could say we could have three Republicans, three Democrats and three Independents," Hegranes said. "We could say we are perfectly balanced. We would like to do that. But in this semester we didn't have that advance opportunity to do that."

She also said that the guests will are welcome to speak on the campus any time after November 4th, but students are worried that their chance of meeting and listening to such substantial political figures would have then passed.

One student at St. Catherine says she's frustrated with the decision. "I understand they want to be fair, but what's fair about depriving all of us of such a great opportunity," said the student in an e-mail interview. She asked her identity remain confidential.

House race goes up in "Anti-American" flames

The House race in Minnesota went from certain to uncertain in a 7 minutes interview with Rep. Michelle Bachman (R, MN) on MSNBC. Her comments on Obama's "anti-American" views have been cited by Colin Powell as an example of the "divisive" tactics that Republicans are engaging in this election cycle, and a reason that he has endorsed Obama. Check out the interview below.

Dems see opportunities in the Senate

Democrats are not only hoping to take the white house, but also the senate in two weeks. Hillary Clinton was in Minnesota yesterday to cheer on Al Franken's race against incumbent senator Norm Coleman which has become increasingly tight in the last week with independent candidate Barkley's introduction into the race.


Clinton praised Franken's fight against the "right-wing conspiracy"at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus. She encouraged Minnesotans to elect Franken and make him the "60th [Democratic] vote," and an essential piece of a Democratic run, filibuster-proof, Senate.

McCain corrects supporter

McCain wasn't stretching the truth tonight when he said he had corrected supporters that derogatorily referred to Obama as an Arab. If this wasn't an actual, voting citizen asking the question in this video it might almost be comical. McCain's response was poised, respectable and commendable.

Obama's grassroots efforts

Obama supporters "get down" at St. Paul rally

Bailout hurting more of "main street"

The bailout is hurting Republicans on every level, and in Minnesota it could mean loosing a Senate seat that has been relied on for years. After voting for the bailout plan, Senate incumbent Norm Coleman dropped dramatically in the polls and forfeited his lead to challenger Al Franken.

Michelle visits Minnesota

Michelle Obama made a pair of stops in Minnesota this week, one of which was held at the liberal bastion of Macalaster College in St. Paul. She kept her speeches positive. She hardly even referenced her husbands' opponents, and briefly discussed his stances on key issues. She repeatedly put the campaign in personal terms, saying "For me, this is not just politics. It's personal. It's personal for me, it's personal for all of us now."

ACORN in MN

Could ACORN be responsible for voter fraud in Minnesota? Hennepin County officials are reviewing the registrations brought in by the recently controversial group, though they say that it does appear all rules and regulations have been followed.

ACORN boasts 75 percent of the state's new registered voters since January 2008, according the Star Tribune.

Dem voters registering 2:1 in MN

Voter registration has been boosted all over Minnesota in the past couple of months, but the wealth isn't being spread around. In fact, voter registration is up 2:1 in Democratic strongholds which the Star Tribune says could dramatically change the political landscape for this election.

Negative doesnt't work with 'Minnesota nice'

Norm Coleman is declaring a peace-time with opponent Al Franken for the next two weeks, which has MSNBC's FirstRead.com wondering if Coleman's hand has been forced because of the extensive negative ads being run in the state at the presidential level. Coleman's involvement in Minnesota politics has been almost unquestioned for decades, and now is running an increasingly tight race against Franken. Could the presidential race be hurting Coleman's campaign? Watch his numbers in the next couple of weeks to see if his new strategy helps.

Negative doesn

A true Maverick?

Sarah Palin has been getting blasted by the media for her inexperience and stand-offish relationship with the press as the McCain camp boosts her as a "maverick." However, Minnesotans might remember not too long ago when one of their own seemed like he would be McCain's main man, and if McCain was really looking for a maverick, Norm Coleman might have been the way to go.

Coleman is almost an institution in Minnesotan politics. As a former Democrat he really is supported by a unique (some might say, um, mavericky) record; he's only voted with his party about 75 percent of the time, an unheard of percentage for most Republican representatives. In addition McCain would have gained two main things: an running mate with national experience and Minnesota, which could have resulted in a softening of other midewestern states that are falling one-by-one to Obama today.

Hindsight is 20/20, but this Minnesotan can tell ya, I saw this one coming.

Michelle in Minnesota

Michelle Obama will be in Minnesota on Monday to speak with supporters on her husband's behalf. Details on the event have not yet been released, but will be tracked on this blog as they are released.

Could one of the hottest state house races in the country affect partisanship for presidential election?

Minnesota's Third District a battle rages on over a vacant seat that was occupied for 9 terms by a Republican. The Third isn't used to any kind of controversial campaigning, and is known for its moderate politics and laid back races. However, now, a Republican, a Democrat and an independent are duking it over issues like creationism education policies, negative campaigning and even race.

Typically, its likely that voters wouldn't even be able to name their House rep, not to mention their opponents, or be able to articulate the issues between them. Now the race is neck and neck, and the local politics are hot. Whether or not the campaigns will have an influence on turnout overall remains to be seen, but interesting will be the local race's influence on how voters view party politics as a whole.

In an interview with the Star Tribune the independent candidate in the race said of the conservtaive candidate "the plain fact of the matter is that Erik has come out of the right wing of the Republican Party and it's part of why I'm not a Republican anymore."

These local races do have an impact on how national candidates are seen, and if the Republican candidate runs a very negative campaign, the way he comes across could be transfered to the Senate and presidential candidates. In a state like Minnesota this effect might not be minute. Keep a look-out for the Third.

Education

It's common for Minnesotans to see education referendums on their ballots, but this election looks like it will be the exception. The volatile political scene and state of the economy seems to be scaring Minnesotans away from asking for money or including referendums on ballots this November, except in cases where districts are "desperate" for money.

Rural farming communities are struggling to keep schools open, but strong opinions on both sides of the issue make the passing of levies uncertain. The addition of these issue to the ballot could very possibly mean higher turnout among rural voters who typically support the Minnesota DFL party, which supports endorses Obama.

New Polls

While Pollster has had Minnesota as a yellow, "undecided" state since the RNC in early September, the poll site now has Obama with a 5 point lead over McCain and officially looking baby blue. Things aren't looking good for other Republicans in the state, either, as senate incumbent Coleman's substantial lead over Franken continues to dwindle.

The Senate race

Norm Coleman and Al Franken are duking it out in Minnesota, and seem to think and appeal to "the average Joe" is the way to go. Here are two ads running in the state.

Back in Minnesota

Despite rumors of unofficially pulling the campaign out of Minnesota, McCain has announced another visit to the state coming up soon. He will hold a rally closer to St. Paul this time, in the city of Lakeville. Details will be announced soon, says the campaign.

According to the local Star Tribune McCain is keeping Minnesota competitive, so the visit should be interesting.

The student vote

Minnesota already has one of the highest voting rates in the nation, but literally thousands more Minnesotans are registering to vote everyday. A major group leading the voting registration numbers? Students.

Through political and voting awareness events on campuses throughout the state Minnesota students are getting registered and getting ready for November. The additional influx of voters is something organizers are concerned about. Election organizers are concerned that an increased number of voters could mean increased line lengths, something that might seriously turnoff younger voters. Plans to alleviate the potential congestion are already in progress.

Spending time in heartland

While he's been spending more time in Southeastern states in the last month Obama has promised that he will spend more time getting personal with Minnesotans in October.

"It is probably true that in September we've been spending more time in those states," said Obama. "In October, we'll make sure to get to Minnesota. We'll make sure that we're campaigning actively because I think the people of Minnesota want change as desperately as everywhere else."

CNN polls

CNN's new poll shows Obama up two points from where he was just after the RNC. However, the CNN poll was one of the most extreme in terms of gaps compared to other reputable polls. Pollster's average still has McCain within 3.5 points of Obama in Minnesota, though the senior senator's upward trend has slowed in recent weeks.

Politics from the pulpit

A northern Minnesota preacher was one of more than 30 preachers across the country took part in a demonstration regarding the conflict between an organizations need to remain politically inactive to gain tax-exempt status and the protections of the First Amendment. The demonstration was coordinated by Alliance Defense Fund. Rev. Gus Booth's sermon this Sunday supported John McCain. Booth was also a delegate at the RNC earlier this month.

Americans United for the Seperation of Church and State brought suit against 6 churches that took part in Sunday's demonstration, but Booth is not concerned. He claims that not only will loosing the tax-exempt status not hurt church, but that he was still following the Bible which requires Christians to follow the laws of the state.

"I want people to realize that there are two laws here that compete with each other. The IRS says that I cannot talk about politics. The Constitution says I can. Unless there's a court battle, we don't know which law to obey."

From the StarTrib

Minnesotans are "fired up" about Palin

A few weeks after the RNC was held in St. Paul, McCain and Palin were back in Minnesota, this time up north, for a rally. This video is a good look at some real people outside of the airport that she flew in to before the debate. The excitment is self-evident, but notice the accents of the interviewees and Ms. Palin during her speech at the end of the interview.

They say people vote for candidate who look like them. Could it be that they vote for people who sound like them as well? We'll see come November.

Voter turnout up

Minnesotans are notorious for their political particpation rates, and already the state has 84 percent of eligible voters registered for the November elections. That's already 12,000 more than in 2004, and some suspect that the state will reach 90 percent registration by the election.

What does this mean for the candidates? It could be bad for McCain, since higher turnout usually favors Democratic candidates, but the rate of registration might suggest otherwise. Since the state's capital was the site for this year's RNC, it's possible that the event spurred participation among inactive GOP members living in a historic Democratic stronghold.

We'll see in November.

Polling uncertain

Polling is far from a precise science, but MinnPost argues that this year's election makes the job that much harder. Why? There's no incumbent president or vice president running for the first time in more than 70 years, one of the nominees is black, and turnout is estimated to break records in many states around the country. But that's not all. The question that many pollsters are wondering about is what influence the transition from household phones to cell phone dominated homes will play in polling. The Pew Center found that about 1 in 6 homes is a cell-phone only home, and most pollsters rely only on landlines or polling. On average, these cell-phone dominated households are younger, possibly meaning more liberal.

All of this combines into a messy polling process that certainly leaves a lot of questions for the future.

Ethanol Problems

"Does John McCain have a rural problem?"

Could be. John McCain's stance on ethanol doesn't sit well with voters in rural areas where corn production is the key to economic success. The more markets for corn the more valuable their time, their land, their livelihood, and a candidate who doesn't blatantly support ethanol production threatens potential markets.

McCain is already loosing ground in states like Nebraska, Iowa , Indiana and, of course, Minnesota where Bush was either competitive in 2004 or in some cases blew Kerry out of the water. Especially in Minnesota where the DFL's liberal stance puts farmers on Obama's side already, it could mean serious trouble for McCain in November.

Senate race

The senate race between Franken and Coleman is getting a little less heated, though with more than a month before the election it's too early for Coleman to stop pushing and campaigning.
Republicans like Mike Huckabee are hoping that Coleman will help capture Republican support for McCain, though Coleman has never been a charismatically popular politician in Minnesota, despite his long political career there.

New polls

McCain is still within 3.5 points according to pollster.com. This was updated on the 21st and shows no dramatic dip to compensate for a post-convention bounce, but instead shows steady progression upwards for McCain and downwards for Obama.

50 days and counting

For Minnesota, the 50 day mark is one of tribulation and excitement. According to various polls released yesterday morning, Minnesota is back in swing-state territory after Obama lead in the state for the entire last year. Minnesota was an Obama state during the democratic primary, its neighbors all at least have a shot at going blue in November and the state hasn't itself voted Republican for president since 1972--for Nixon. As reported yesterday, a poll by the local Star Tribune showed McCain and Obama tied. The poll included the largest sample out of all the polls included in the RealClearPolitics average for the state. The CNN poll is the only way still estimating Obama with a double digit gap, and the RCP average has him with only a 4.7 point lead. Even pollster.com, which updated its polls on Friday, has McCain within less than 5 points of Obama.

Could this be a post-convention bump? Sure, But for the first time since the beginning of the year Republicans might have a chance to take over this battleground state. In the 2004 election Bush came within 3.5 points of Kerry, and in 2000 Bush was within 2.5 points of Gore, with Nadar taking about 5 percent of the vote. The state has been on the edge for almost a decade, and has traditionally represented a non-mainstream Republican voter as can be seen in Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty who was up for VP nomination a couple of weeks ago. McCain could be the kind of conservative Minnesotans are looking for. Besides, Bush did well in the state even with his southern accent.

Another key race going down in Minnesota is the race for the senate between incumbent Norm Coleman (R) and challenger Al Franken (D). The state has been inundated with intense political advertisements and appearances by both candidates, and is considered a toss-up by pollster.com which averages dozens of polls from various sources. Coleman is the former St. Paul mayor and a common name in Minnesotan households, but Franken has brought a unique spin on the day to day politics that some obviously find attractive. Minnesotans do have a propensity to vote for the "odd duck out," or celebrity candidate, as displayed by the Ventura governorship of the late 1990's and early 2000's. 80 percent voter turnout isn't unheard of in the state, so this extra energy could guarantee high turnout this November.

The issues facing most Minnesotans? It's the economy, stupid. Minnesotans don't appreciate high taxes, and certainly are sick of high gas prices. Fuel is a legitimate issue in the state due to the thousands of corn farmers and recent pushes for ethanol production, not to mention that high gas prices mean high food prices, meaning both the Minnesotan farmers and consumers take a hit. What's not an issue? Sarah Palin. The Star Trib found that Minnesotans were pretty well split on whether or not they liked the Alaskan governor, but the similiarity in accents has to do something for her, doesn't it???

Minnesota is back in the running, and for good reason. Democrats: consider this a sure state at your own risk. It's been said that Minnesota is an independent state and McCain is independent guy, and that could help him far well.
The state goes red this November. Not by much, in fact, by hardly anything at all, but it goes red.

BREAKING NEWS

After consistently leading McCain in Minnesota state polls, often in the double digits, the latest poll from the Star Tribune found Obama to be tied with McCain at 45 percent in the state.
Taken a week after the RNC was held in St. Paul, some speculate that McCain is just riding a post-convention bump, but it's sure that the McCain camp won't treat it that way. Though Minnesota is seen as a battleground state, Obama hasn't really needed to worry about it considering that no poll has ever shown McCain closer than four points behind Obama in the past year. Now, though, both sides are sure to0 be energized and Minnesotans can expect to have the spot light for the next couple of months. With 11 electoral votes Minnesota is nothing to scoff at, and if McCain could turn this state red after three decades of voting blue it would surely mean substantial things for the Republican party and its base.

Mixed reviews for Palin

According to a new poll by the Star Tribune, Minnesotans are conflicted about McCain's VP pick. While more people looked at Palin favorably over Biden, the Delaware senator lead the poll on preparedness for the presidency by more than 20 points. New polls come out on Sunday that will look at the McCain/Obama standings as a whole within the state.

Tension all over

The presidential election isn't the only hot and heated race going on in Minnesota this fall. The senate race between incumbent Norm Coleman and DFL candidate Al Franken is stealing some of the national spotlight in Minnesota, and it doesn't seem to be focusing on the issues either. According to the Star Tribune a recent Coleman ad showed the senators' face for only 2-3 seconds instead of the 4 seconds required to qualify for discounted ad time.
The Coleman camp says the issue has been tweaked, but if forced to pay the higher ad rate the campaign would need to cough up more than $1 million.

The drama between this duos back-and-forth is surely catching the attention senate elections rarely do, and might help spur turnout in November.

Not so clear on RealClear

According to RealClearPolitics McCain is closing what used to be a double digit gap between himself and Obama, but not very quickly. The closest polls have McCain dragging by 2 points, but CCN/Time still found Obama to be ahead by 12 points. According to RealClearPolitics average of four polls, the closest McCain has to catching up to Obama is behind by 4 points.

Minnesota has gone republican three times since WWII, and never since Nixon. There's certainly A LOT of ground to cover for the McCain camp before this state can even be considered purple, and based on the senate and other races in the state Republicans aren't going to be given any breaks, even if they're playing the incumbent card.

Truth Trooper

Bachmann, others enlist in ‘Palin truth squad’
September 10th, 2008 – 6:19 PM by Kevin Diaz

While vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has encountered a veritable posse of media and political vetters since she joined the GOP ticket more than a week ago, a trio of Minnesota politicians has rallied to her defense.

Sixth District congresswoman Michele Bachmann, state Rep. Laura Brod and former state Rep. Barb Sykora are joining a throng of Republican women who have signed up as members in a so-called “Palin Truth Squad.”

According to the group’s press release, the squad is meant to “counter recent attacks on Governor Sarah Palin, her family, her friends and her record of accomplishment. The Palin Truth Squad will set the record straight against Internet and liberal smears of Governor Palin.”

READ MORE

Bounce in the Polls?

The latest poll from Pollster.com shows McCain dragging behind Obama by 8 points, but the poll hasn't been updated since either Palin or McCain's speech last week at the RNC. A Gallup poll on Fox News this afternoon showed McCain in the lead Nationally after last weeks events, but Minnesota remains a battleground state that has traditionally fallen hard to the left so state-specific results here will be interesting.

Pawlenty calls Palin an 'outstanding pick'

By Dennis Lien
dlien@pioneerpress.com

Article Last Updated: 08/29/2008 12:21:40 PM CDT

Gov. Tim Pawlenty this morning praised the Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain's choice for a running mate.

"She's an executive, she's a reformer...and she is going to be a great leader for our country," Pawlenty said after his weekly radio show at the Minnesota State Fair.

Until this morning, Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had been front runners in the Republican vice presidential race. Palin is expected to appear with McCain at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, later this morning.

Pawlenty said will continue working for McCain. He said McCain told him this morning, in a telephone call, that he was not the selection.

"It was a very positive, upbeat conversation," Pawlenty said.

As for the chatter about himself as a front runner, Pawlenty said it's "an honor to be considered."

Pawlenty said he was very pleased with Palin's selection.

"She has executive experience and as I said before, Senator Obama has not," Pawlenty said.

Pawlenty said he thinks Palin would appeal to women, especially disaffected female supporters of Hillary Clinton.

State Fair-goers also weighed in on McCain's choice of a running mate.

"I am disappointed. I thought he [Pawlenty] would be a very good choice," said Mary Milligan of Forest Lake. "He gets his point across and he's very personable."

"I think it makes sense from McCain's perspective," said Kristy Harms, of Lakeville, questioning if Pawlenty had enough national stature. "He's certainly a great Republican candidate. Maybe the time isn't right. Maybe next time."

Republican Congressman Jim Ramstad said he was "very disappointed, quite frankly."

"I went to bed last night thinking it was Gov. Pawlenty," Ramstad said, adding that he felt bad, just as he did when a high school friend was cut from a basketball team.

It's time for the RNC, as security ramps up in St. Paul

After speaking with a local police office at the Excel Center last night, I realized the burden that the convention is on the city. Between the convention and the state fair, the officer I spoke to was putting in double shifts from 6am until 10pm. The fair will overlap with the convention on Monday which is the "great Minnesota Get-togethers'" last day.

While Denver slowly returns to normal, a complex of agents, officers and apparatus falls into place in the Twin Cities. The official story is below.

By ANTHONY LONETREE, Star Tribune

Last update: August 29, 2008 - 11:37 PM

At a secret location, security officials will meet daily -- large video screens in front of them -- sharing surveillance data to be gathered during the Republican National Convention. ¶ Out in the streets, St. Paul police will field 3,500-plus officers -- a third of whom will make up mobile field force units dedicated to crowd control.

A mobile nuclear detection unit is at the ready, officials say, and the U.S. Coast Guard is set to deploy helicopters that can carry "ready assault forces" trained to drop from the sky to take on hostile threats, said Coast Guard spokesman Thomas Blue.

"They can move in quick and take care of business," he said.

As security operations go, Minnesota hasn't seen anything like it before.

The Secret Service, charged with designing and implementing the convention security plan, must be "prepared for the worst," spokesman Darrin Blackford said this week.

Critics, including the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, have accused authorities of exaggerating the possible threats.

In Denver, host of this week's Democratic National Convention, protesters also decried a "police state" after seeing officers in riot gear and atop rooftops.

Shut Down

Police raid RNC protest sites in Twin Cities

By Abby Simons, Heron Marquez Estrada and Bill McAuliffe, Star Tribune

Last update: August 30, 2008 - 2:35 PM

Ramsey County authorities raided several Minneapolis homes and a St. Paul building on Friday and Saturday as a pre-emptive strike against disruptive protests of the Republican National Convention.

Five people were arrested and more than 100 were handcuffed, questioned and released by scores of deputies and police officers, according to police and elected officials familiar with the raids.

In a statement Saturday morning, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said the St. Paul raid targeted the RNC Welcoming Committee, a group he described as "a criminal enterprise made up of 35 self-described anarchists...intent on committing criminal acts before and during the Republican National Convention."

"These acts include tactics to blockade and disable delegate buses, breaching venue security and injuring police officers," Fletcher said. Deputies seized a variety of items that they believed were tools of civil disobedience: a gas mask, bolt cutters, axes, slingshots, homemade "caltrops" for disabling buses, even buckets of urine.

MORE from the Trib

Pawlnety Looks to National Stage

August 8, 2008

The Prospects

Pawlenty Looks to National Stage

By MONICA DAVEY

ST. PAUL — As is his way, Gov. Tim Pawlenty made a self-deprecating aside on a local radio show this spring during the ceremonial start of the state’s beloved fishing season. He praised his wife’s willingness to fish with him and to watch hockey games, then added, “And I jokingly say, ‘Now, if I could only get her to have sex with me.’ ”

Some Minnesotans cringed. Others, including his wife, Mary, a former judge who met her future husband in law school, said he was just being himself, joker and all.

Outside his home state, Mr. Pawlenty is among the least-known of the prospects Senator John McCain is said to be considering as a vice-presidential partner. But those who have followed his political rise here say Mr. Pawlenty’s personal story — his direct, everyman appeal to ordinary people — is among his most powerful attributes.

Long before the polls began suggesting that Republicans could face trouble in November, Mr. Pawlenty, now in his second term, was urging his party to become “the party of Sam’s Club,” not just the country club.

“We need everybody — to grow the party and to move forward,” Mr. Pawlenty explained in a recent interview. “One of the most powerful reasons people go to Sam’s Club or Target or Costco is they want value, and Republicans are well suited to be the party that says, ‘We’re going to have a limited but also effective government.’ ”

MORE on Pawlenty

Poll Update 08/21/08

www.pollster.com

MN and Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) Gear up for Convention

A hint? Pawlenty gets a choice spot in speakers' lineup

The governor is scheduled to speak on the convention's last night, before John McCain accepts the party's nomination.

By PAT DOYLE, Star Tribune

Last update: August 20, 2008 - 10:44 PM

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been awarded a prime speaking slot at the Republican National Convention, joining at least five others at the St. Paul event who are considered potential running mates for Sen. John McCain.

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