I’m not one of those bloggers who goes through the charade of “endorsing” for the election. Duh. I’m a blogger – a schlemiel who works a 9-5 job and raises a couple of kids. Who cares what I think?

Indeed, nobody needs to care one iota. But for what it’s worth, on reading the Ramsey county ballot (danger – PDF file!), here’s where I’m going:

• US Senate: Mark Kennedy, obviously. Amy Klobuchar has been a dismal failure as Henco Attorney, is utterly wrong on the war, second amendment rights, and pretty much everything else. Robert Fitzgerald, of the Ventura Independence Party, is basically a DFLer with better hair.  Greenie Mike Cavlan – who cares?  And Constitution Party candidate Ben Powers’ radio ads make him sound downright unhinged.
• US House, District 4: My support for Obi Sium is a matter of public record, not just to defy the DFL’s almost-traditional hegemony over this district, but against the GOP status quo in the Fourth.  The Fourth CD GOP has always been run by an establishment run by, for and of people living north of County Road D.  And while Minnesota is going to turn red one of these next few elections, we will never prevail for real in this state until we make a real go of it in the city.  And the fact is, the city is populated by people who should be Republicans – they just don’t know it yet.  Black Minnesotans lead the rest of us in working for school choice and accountability; Latino culture is, at its heart, socially conservative in a way that the DFL spits on; Asians value education and the  meritocracy in ways that the Anglo mainstream seem to have forgotten about; the Eritrean community from which Sium hails (as well as much of the Ethiopian) community have fought too hard for freedom to take it as much for granted as too many Americans (especially DFLers) do.  Sium is a much-needed blow to both establishments.  On the other hand, when the Minnesota Federation of Teachers says “Jump”, Betty “Rubble” McCollum says “off what?” without evidence of cognitive thought.  I’ll be voting for Obi early and often.
• MN State Senate, District 66: In the past ten years, I’ve voted for exactly four DFLers – Norm Coleman (before the DFL booted him out), Jerry Blakey, Randy Kelly (and I’d vote for him again), and…Ellen Anderson.  Oh, she’s one of the shrillest liberals around, utterly irredeemable on more issues than I can count.  But in that particular election, there was no GOP candidate, and she does have good constituent services; every time I’ve ever called her office, I’ve gotten a polite, courteous and thorough response, even though my status as an objector to the DFL is well-known (I once interviewed her husband Andy Dawkins on my old KSTP talk show, so it’s no secret).  So never let it be said I don’t give the devil her due.  But since the GOP did endorse perennial candidate Warren Anderson, I’ll vote for him.
• MN House District 66B: As good as Ellen Anderson is at constituent relations, Alice “The Phantom” Hausman is bad.  If it weren’t for photo ops, teachers union meetings and fundraisers, nobody in the district would know Hausman existed.  Saved from being the most worthless member of the MN House only the the existence of Larry Pogemiller, Phyllis Kahn and maybe half a dozen others.  I’m voting for Joyce Bevins.  I’d vote for anyone without a felony record, just on principle.
• Governor: Pawlenty/Molnau.  No question.  Tim Pawlenty is one of the most successful governors in Minnesota.  He led the solution of a budget deficit some pundits said would take a decade to resolve.  And he spent some precious political capital pushing the Minnesota Personal Protection Act, which tells you something of the guy’s character.  Even though he’s scampered away from the No New Taxes pledge, he’s basically held the line, against a phalanx of caterwauling.  There is no rational reason to vote for anyone else – especially the rancid Mike Hatch (paired with the vacuous Judi Dutcher), the irritating Peter Hutchinson, or the psychedelic Ken Pentel.
• Secretary of State: Mary Kiffmeyer.  I need say no more; there’s nobody else on the list who deserves more than a passing chuckle.  Mark Ritchie?  Gank.
• State Auditor: Pat Anderson, going away.
• Attorney General: Jeff Johnson.  Years of working for Mike Hatch can only made Lori Swanson into one of two things; Mini-Mike, or a hopeless Stockholm-Syndrome sufferer.  She can get her therapy on her own time.  Johnson’s the man.
• Transportation Amendment: Not a chance.
• Ramsey County Commission: Incumbent Toni Carter is a big light-rail advocate.  As a result, I’ll be writing in “Mitch Berg” for this seat – primarily so that if I ever worry about the integrity of the counting process, I can check to make sure that my vote was counted.
• County Sheriff: This is going to be a tough one.  It’s a non-partisan position – and while Bob Fletcher has done a good job, Bill Finney was also an excellent police chief for Saint Paul.  Since Finney’s been linked with the DFL, and many local DFL activists are exercised about Fletcher, I think I’ll vote for the incumbent.
• County Attorney: Susan Gaertner treats citizens who defend themselves with firearms like criminals first and foremost.  Her Child Support Enforcement division is rapacious and dubiously ethical.  And she runs the County Attorney’s office like a make-work program for underachieving lawyers.  I’ll be writing in Clu Berg – my dog – for this office.
• Soil and Water, District 1: I don’t know either candidate.  I’ll be writing in Candy Berg (the younger of my two cats).
• Soil and Water, District 4: On the other hand, I do know some candidates here.  I’ll be voting for Jack Krenik, a local conservative firebrand, and I urge you to do so as well.  For the other seat, I’ll vote Mary Jane Reagan, because anyone who changes her name to Reagan to win public office in Saint Paul deserves praise.
• School District Levy: I will vote “No”.  I’ve had enough of the Saint Paul Public Schools’ alarmism, social agenda, and systematic political indoctrination.  And I’d vote “no” even if either of my kids were still in the district – which they are not.  Consider it my protest.
• Supreme Court: Barry Anderson.
• Court of Appeals: Christopher Dietzen.
• District Court: I’ll be voting for all of the incumbents (especially Elena Ostby, against former ultraliberal City Council member Jay Benanav), except for Diane Alshouse, against whom I’m writing in Nosemarie Berg, my elder cat.