Battle of the Bowlers

Senator Norm Coleman’s bubba bowlers are back, with a bite. This time, Norm has his acting troupe of faux Minnesontans scripted to slash his opponent, Al Franken.

With fresh news today that Franken still is tankin’, rapid response is required. Conventional political wisdom says Al Franken should change the subject back to the [...]

He Shoots, He…?

- Loveland

Puck Him

He brought hockey back. He brought hockey back. He brought hockey back.
I’m not the sharpest knife in the tree, but I think that might just be the key message being driven home by U.S. Senator Norm Coleman’s campy new campaign ad.

Oh and by the way, he brought hockey back.
Forget [...]

Another Data Point…Or Four

Quinnipiac, along with the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, has today released head-to-head survey results from four battleground states:

COLORADO: Obama 49 - McCain 44
MICHIGAN: Obama 48 - McCain 42
MINNESOTA: Obama 54 - McCain 37
WISCONSIN: Obama 52 - McCain 39

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, President Bush’s approve/disapprove ratings in those states are abysmal:

31 [...]

Garbage In, Garbage Out

I recently expressed admiration for Senator Norm Coleman’s nifty use of symbolism in a campaign television ad about the good Senator dutifully taking out the garbage.
Of course, when symbolism presents itself, a satirist could always satirize the symbolism.
Is there a satirist in the house?
Imagine a television ad with the same goofy music as [...]

Mutual Fund Muzzling

I’ve seen a lot of weak political attacks, but yesterday the Minnesota Republican Party’s head hatchet man, Ron Carey, got just plain goofy.
Mr. Carey attacked Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken for criticizing oil and pharmaceutical companies while holding stock in those industries via a mutual fund he owns. He said this exposed [...]

What Happened In Rochester Better Not Stay In Rochester

Whatever magic Al Franken unleashed this morning in Rochester to secure the DFL endorsement with 62 percent of the votes ought to be vacuumed up off the floor of the Mayo Civic Center and bottled for the fall. According to MinnPost’s Doug Grow, today’s Al was sincere, articulate, persuasive and effective, qualities not much seen [...]

Rage Over Anti-Franken Messengers Clouds DFL’s Analysis of Franken Message Problems

Suppose a poll of DFL activists had been done a few years ago posing this question:
A native Minnesotan who has long lived in New York is considering a run for Minnesota’s U.S. Senate seat. He is a wealthy comedian who was critical of President Bush and his supporters even before it was [...]

Goofball Eruption Fatigue

Remember “bimbo eruptions,” the term coined by political consultant Betsey Wright to describe the long series of women claiming they had sexual relations with that man?
Well, Minnesota DFLers are now suffering through a seemingly endless series of goofball eruptions of U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken’s making. Here he used language that [...]

Minnesota’s Blog Scene Gets NYT Coverage

The New York Times has an interesting look at the impact it believes Minnesota’s bloggers are having on our State’s political landscape. The article focuses mostly on the role Minnesota Democrats Exposed is playing in the Senate race, but also mentions True North, Truth vs. The Machine, MNPublius and the Minnesota Campaign Report.
- Austin