Minnesota
Divided Government in Minnesota: New Smart Politics Commentary at TPT
The latest Smart Politics commentary for Twin Cities Public Television’s Almanac: At The Capitol website is now online, discussing divided government in Minnesota. The essay suggests that high expectations for productive, low-conflict legislative sessions in Minnesota are unreasonable in a…
Read MoreThree Upper Midwestern US Senators Publicly Oppose Bush’s New Iraq Strategy
Less than 12 hours after President George W. Bush’s address to the nation revealing his new strategy for victory in Iraq—a strategy that included sending more than 21,000 new troops to the region—three Upper Midwestern senators have expressed public disapproval…
Read MoreWill 2008 Republican National Convention Have An Impact On MN Presidential Vote?
When the Republican National Committee announced in September 2006 that its Site Selection Committee had voted to recommend the Twin Cities to host the 2008 Republican National Convention, it continued an interesting trend in GOP party politics. For the fourth…
Read MoreImmigration: The Unspoken Issue Facing Minnesota Politics?
Most Republicans and DFLers at the Minnesota Capitol are in agreement regarding the most important issues to be addressed this year—education, property taxes, transportation, health care etc. But there is one concern to many Minnesotans that remains bubbling beneath the…
Read MoreFord Ran Successful Upper Midwest Presidential Campaign in 1976
The passing of our 38th President Gerald Ford prompted Smart Politics to take a look at his 1976 presidential campaign in the Upper Midwest—and the close races he faced with Jimmy Carter that year. Richard Nixon—who had nearly swept the…
Read MoreMinnesota’s Approval of Pawlenty Job Performance Remarkably Stable
Tim Pawlenty heads into his second term on the heels of a very narrow, plurality vote victory last month, and the prospects of having to work with a DFL-controlled state House for the first time in his administration, as…
Read MoreUpper Midwest Representatives Receive New US House Committee Assignments
Earlier this week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced new Committee assignments for Freshmen members, plus added existing members to new Committees as Democrats increased their membership on Committees with their 30 seat gain in November’s election. Starting his 6th term,…
Read MoreMN vs. WI: Which State Is Most Likely to Vote GOP for President in 2008?
This is an admittedly premature question to be sure—with more than one year before the first presidential primary and only a few politicians from each party officially declaring themselves as candidates for the White House. Nonetheless, in the coming…
Read MoreLarge Electoral Gains by Minority Party Not Uncommon in MN House
The DFL scored a major, although not an unexpected, victory last month by wrestling control of the State House from the GOP after four consecutive terms of Republican control. The size of the DFL’s victory—a 19-seat pickup—did surprise many political…
Read MoreRight of Center Third Party Candidates Disappearing in Minnesota
In the last of Smart Politics’ series on the decline of third parties in Minnesota, today’s entry examines the health of right-of-center third parties in the Gopher State. Previous entries documented how left (Green) and center-left (Independence) parties are, in…
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