Old Minnesota, meet New Minnesota?

Minnesota is, of course, the home of Minnesota Nice, a euphemism for "The closest America gets to a Swedish cradle-to-grave social welfare state".

It's possible that we may be facing a referendum on that image.

This fall Minnesotans will be electing a Senator and a Governor. The Senate race is likely between current senior Senator Paul Wellstone, and popular former St. Paul governor Norm Coleman.

As of this weekend, the race is a dead heat, according to the Strib. Now, Wellstone has won this race twice, more or less easily. But some of us maintain Minnesota is growing more conservative, and is doing it sooner rather than later.

Coleman's hardly a prime example of a conservative - which may be the point, here. He's "conservative-lite", sort of like George W. Bush. Will Norm, coming off a great but subsidy-laden eight years in St. Paul, be the candidate to start weaning the Minnesota voter off the nannystate? Four years ago, Coleman came in second behind fluke Jesse Ventura, garnering more votes than DFL candidate Skip Humphrey. Ventura himself won on a message that resonated with at least as many conservatives (rationalize and lower license tab fees, advocate concealed carry reform) as liberals (cozying up to the teachers union, being a mouthpiece for Tim Penny and Dean Barkley).

I know. It's a poll, taken nine months before the election, and likely spun to make Wellstone look like an underdog. But the election is going to be an interesting one.

Cheetos for thought.