About Minnesota Politics

Midterm elections are in two days. I have a sort of paradoxical view on politics. On one hand I actually have a university degree in international relations, for which about 50% of my courses were in political studies and the rest - economics, development, sociology - were pretty close. On the other hand that university degree taught me that I want absolutely NOTHING to do with politics, and largely made me disbelieve in most modern political institutions.

This brings me to my daily life these days, working on glass in my studio. Glass, unlike politics, is simple and uncomplicated. Nobody argues about it and nobody lives and dies by the decisions I make. That is perfectly fine for me.

BUT it is quiet in my studio so I keep the radio on in the background. The station is usually on National Public Radio / Minnesota Public Radio and as such I hear ALL the political news. I hear hours and hours of political analysis and debate. I have heard every major and minor politician in Minnesota thoroughly express their policies and beliefs.

As a result, for someone who doesn't really care anymore about politics I have a thorough knowledge the 2006 elections in MN and nationwide. I know all the polls, all the scandals, all the debates, all the issues.

So here are the things I find interesting:

I like being in Minnesota for politics. We are such an oddball state. We always produce surprises. Lots of coastal people, and also non-Americans (as I observed during the 2004 elections when I was in France), assume that Minnesota is a right-wing red state since it is located in the geographic middle of the country. But we are far from it. We have been a blue state for generations, since the beginning of our existence, and have produced some of the most liberal politicians in US history such as Paul Wellstone and Hubert Humphrey. We have also produced some memorable independent characters, the most famous being Jesse Ventura our ex-pro-wrestler governor. In this tradition Minnesota is producing some interesting 2006 candidates.

Even though we are largely a bunch of whiteys of nordic descent, we are likely to elect America's first Muslim, who is also black, to the US House of Representatives. His name is Keith Ellison. Most Americans would probably expect this significant and controversial moment in US politics to come from a more diverse and flamboyant place like California or New York. But no it's quiet and unassuming little Minnesota. To me this exemplifies a very Minnesotan ability to both enjoy iconoclastic people and accept personal and cultural differences. This pleases me.

At the same time we are also producing one of the nation's most conservative candidates. Her name is Michelle Bachman. I'm not much of a fan of her because she says openly that God has told her to be in politics and I think that is pretty insane. I'm NOT against religion but I don't want religion in politics, especially when religion borders on delusion. Even worse, in my opinion, is that she wants to build highways and shopping malls all over the scenic and historic St. Croix River Valley where I grew up and there is nothing that pisses me off more than that. She thinks God = economic development. What makes her interesting though in a freak-show sort of way is that while the rest of the country is toning down their religious rhetoric for this election (it's gone out of fashion you could say), she steams ahead unabated. It's this zealotry that at least adds some spice to the election. Even more odd is that one of her opponents, John Binkowski of the Independence Party, is a 27-year-old guy who used to ride the schoolbus with me when we were kids. I didn't have high expectations but it turns out he's a clever and humorous debater and he has really given his opponents a worthy verbal combat. Her third opponent, Patty Wetterling from the democratic party, is a woman who's son was very famously abducted and murdered 15 years ago and as a result she went into politics to improve society. In two days we will choose one of these three people to represent us in the US Congress. So if nothing else it's an interesting set of choices.