Bill Glahn – who has become one of the essential bloggers in Minnesota – notes something I picked up on in the 2010 race; all “reporting” that might discomfit Democrats takes place at times in the cycle when even wonks are hard-pressed to pay attention, much less Joe and Jane Casual Voter. 

I noted it in 2010, when the Twin Cities media issued one – precisely one – “report” on Mark Dayton’s mental health and alcoholism during the campaign cycle.  Eleven months before the 2010 election.   When nobody, but nobody, cared.   The Strib could tell people honestly that they had covered the issue; it was just at a time when nobody in the world was paying attention.  They buried the story just as effectively as if they’d put it on page E-18. 

As Glahn notes, they’re at it again:

Some 8 months after the data became available, the Minneapolis Star Tribune finally gets around to an analysis of campaign spending in the 2012 election.

The article (headlined “Spending on Minnesota legislative races has doubled in 10 years”) describes how much more money has poured into races for the state legislature in recent years.

Not surprisingly, they bury the lede.  Yes, lots more money is coming into these races, but in recent years, it’s almost all on the Democrat/liberal/progressive side of the ledger.

Of course they do. 

Read the whole thing.

And chalk it up to the pattern; too little, too late, too early. 

Just like the DFL needs it.