Republican spokesperson and publisher of Politics in Minnesota, Sarah Janecek, is on record with some predictions for Tuesday and they don't look good. If these predictions come to pass, then there will only be two Republicans left in the delegation Minnesota sends to Congress. Only Norm Coleman and John Kline will remain in this post 2008 election world.
On the race in the 3rd District:
DFLer Ashwin Madia narrowly bests GOP former Rep. Erik Paulsen mostly because the 3rd District Republican party scared better, more ideologically moderate GOP candidates out of the race. This is a painful loss for the state GOP which has proudly held this seat for decades with strong, smart, social issues-moderate leadership in Bill Frenzel and Jim Ramstad.
This is a clear shot at the choice of Erik Paulsen who is clearly not in the mold of moderate, Jim Ramstad. Paulsen represents the continued race to the right that has so damaged the Republican Party in Minnesota. Talking to people that know Ramstad well, it is clear that it is the race to the right which drove Ramstad to leave.
Janecek adds this caveat:
The good news for Republicans going forward is that because the Democratic National Congressional Committee spent so much time and effort on this race, Madia will be beholden to casting liberal party-line votes, making 2010 an attractive run for Republicans who opted out in 2008.
Not to bust the chops of Ms. Janecek but I believe it is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
On the race in the 6th District:
DFL challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg beats one-term GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann and sends Chris Matthews a bottle of Dom. What were Bachmann's advisers thinking by allowing her to go on MSNBC with Matthews? What was Bachmann thinking by using "anti-American" in her words? Channeling former GOP WI Sen. Joseph McCarthy was red meat on a platter for the left. Let the 2010 GOP fun begin on who will run against Tinklenberg in a seat he should never have won.
I make no predictions but Republicans appear to be bracing for another bad night in Minnesota politics!
1 Response to "Sarah Janecek (R) Predicts Bleak Night For Minnesota Republicans"
I'll predict this -- Sarah got it wrong. Kline will be the last Republican standing on Nov. 5.