The stars of the political universe have been out in Minnesota, helping candidates raise money and gain media coverage. But it's not always a fully positive effect, as Rachel Stassen-Berger reports for the St. Paul Pioneer Press:
There's been a parade of political stars traipsing through Minnesota this year.
Vice President Dick Cheney, Democratic U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Republican strategist Karl Rove have all been here to stump for the state's federal candidates. Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, the 2004 Democratic vice presidential candidate, rallied supporters of Amy Klobuchar's Democratic Senate bid on Thursday and President George W. Bush is slated to visit later this month to glean money for Michele Bachmann, a GOP congressional candidate.Minnesota has earned the visits by being a swing state with high-profile, contested races in an election year that might see a change of power in the U.S. House and Senate. The luminaries help bring excitement, momentum and the all-important campaign cash to the races.
But the visits also bring a potential downside. For both Republicans and Democrats who pitch themselves as independent candidates, a potentially crucial moniker this year, the visits from party stalwarts give opponents a chance to link those running for office to the personalities already in power.
"When you invite a guest, you inherit both his friends and his enemies," said Larry Sabato of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
Read the rest of the story at the link above.
For many years, Minnesota was a reliably Democratic state, particularly after Hubert Humphrey expelled the pro-communist elements from the DFL after WWII. But like neighboring Great Lakes states Wisconsin and Michigan, it has become more competitive in recent years: although the Democrats still win most often, it's by much less than it used to be, and sometimes they do lose.
Because of this new status, they are attracting the big names in both parties. Good for the candidates, but often an aggravation for commuters.
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Campaign Contributions, Congressional Races, Minnesota, Strategy
