The below is a contestant in the “Write Lori Sturdevant’s Next Column” contest, written by “Jed Berg”.   Vote above.

I walked out of the Minneapolis Convention Center late on a rainy Friday night, after nearly 2,000 mostly white, mostly doughy, mostly men spent [FILL IN TOTAL TIME] hours debating between two mostly identical, but yet distinctively extreme, white men, Marty Seifert and Tom Emmer.  It took [FILL IN TOTAL BALLOTS] to endorse [FILL IN WINNER], making [FILL IN WINNER] the most extreme person ever to run for governor.

I walked out under a sky that scowled at us like the ghost of Elmer Anderson, wondering what had happened to a party that had once worked with the DFL to bring Minnesotans the services they expected?  The party that had walked side by side with the DFL to ensure that everyone paid their fair share?

The clouds threatened to rain – or was it the ghosts of the great Republicans past crying, wondering what had gone so wrong with their state?

But I took courage in the eyes of the protesters gathered across the street from the Convention Center – and was reminded of the spirit I’d felt only a week earlier in Duluth, as the sun shone brightly on the DFL as they endorsed a woman – a brilliant, respectful, genial woman! – to lead the DFL, and Minnesota, in the spirit of those great leaders of the past.

And I smiled,  And so, I think, did the sky itself.

Or was it the ghost of Elmer Anderson?  I’ll let you know what he tells me.