It’s finally Election Day and we can all breathe easier now that we won’t have to see Angie Craig’s alternating rictus grin/contorted face of rage multiple times a day on television, social media and other media. But will we see Craig going forward? While I sincerely hope not, it’s difficult to know. So let’s hazard a few guesses on how it will play out today and in the coming days.
Governor: Tim Walz deserves to be tossed out on his well-padded posterior, but I suspect he and Peggy Flanagan will survive. Scott Jensen ran a decent campaign but it’s difficult to overcome all paid advertising from Alida Messinger and the free advertising from the Esme Murphys of the local media.
Secretary of State: Steve Simon is a smooth operator and Kim Crockett is not. Should those traits matter? No, but they do. Simon wins.
Attorney General: We have had the DFL Lucys pull this football away before. Recent polling suggests Keith Ellison is in trouble and that Jim Schultz is leading. Do you believe it? I don’t, but I sincerely hope I’m wrong.
Auditor: If the Republicans are allowed to win a statewide office, it will likely be this one. Republican Ryan Wilson has run a fine campaign and you can’t spell blah without DFLer Julie Blaha. The auditor has limited power but a committed auditor can at least turn over a few rocks the DFL would prefer to keep stationary. Wilson wins.
CD-2: While there are 8 congressional districts in Minnesota, apparently only the 2nd is being contested this year. We’ve seen dozens, maybe hundreds of ads featuring the odious incumbent, Angie Craig, and her rival Tyler Kistner. It’s been a nasty race and Craig has serious money behind her. She’s vulnerable because of redistricting, but it’s not clear to me that Kistner has made the sale. A left wing veteran’s group has also run some stolen valor ads in the final weekend that may affect the outcome; I have not been able to determine if their claims are accurate, but if Kistner loses, that last-minute attack might make the difference. As an aside, I really wish we’d seen Republicans make more of an effort in CD-3, where it’s been entirely too easy for Dean Phillips.
Elsewhere: Control of the House and Senate are at stake and the deep unpopularity of the Democrats will almost certainly mean Congress will be in Republican hands in 2023. A few guesses on races in other states:
Wisconsin: while the population and demographics of Wisconsin are similar to Minnesota, Wisconsin is not a blue state. Milwaukee and Madison are lefty enclaves, but their overall population is less than 40% of the total population, while the Twin Cities are about 60% of the total population here. As a result, it is easier for Republicans to win. Ron Johnson, the incumbent Republican senator, is a bit on the crusty side, but he’s a smart, effective campaigner and looks to be a good bet to win against his opponent, Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, a gladhander in the Hakeem Jeffries/Barack Obama style, but less effective. In the governor’s race, Republican challenger Tim Michels is also a bit crusty, but the fluke incumbent governor, Democrat Tony Evers, is an ineffective milquetoast. Look for the Republicans to win both.
I gotta place a sawbuck on Hakim X getting his ass handed to him…that’s the only one I feel confident about.
I also predict that if Hakim does indeed lose, he will place the blame on A) being a black man, and B) being a Muslim.
Anyone in on this?
….oh yeah, I forgot….
C) Trump.
Mitch, you are underestimating the libturd ability to steal on the national level. Since the game is rigged, I’m not betting.
For the record, jpa, I wrote this, not Mitch. And you may be right, especially in Pennsylvania, but the Donks have done such a terrible job that the usual shenanigans won’t be enough to carry the day in most races.
Governor- Walz wins, but by a narrowed margin than people expect
Attorney General- Schultz wins by a wider margin than people expect
Secretary of State- Simon wins- won’t even be close
Auditor- this is a tough one- I haven’t heard a lot of everyday people (those who aren’t like us who follow races or pay that much attention beyond the major races) talking about auditor and neither Blaha or Wilson have much name recognition among that group (when I’ve been talking to people). That might mean a win for Wilson, but I’m guessing people who don’t pay attention tend to vote incumbent, so I predict Blaha
Uniparty sweeps nationwide.
tl;dr version – there are lots of local elections here in MN that matter like school boards, city council, county, so vote. The process of taking back control from the demo-commies starts there.
Long version – I don’t think the predictions I’ve seen here are all that far off and so, pretty depressing with regards to MN. However! Republicans, conservatives, the non-left, whatever kinda did this to themselves by not paying attention and believing that the post-Reagan Republican party would look out for them instead of themselves. The demo-commies were allowed to infest everything and everywhere with little or no pushback except in the comments of blogs and grumblings with friends.
There are, however, lots of local elections that are far less likely to be corrupted and, this time around have non-left candidates that want to make a difference. If the extent of your efforts to change things politically is mostly just complaining, the least you can do is vote for these locals. These local elections are the minor leagues of politics and tomorrow’s rep or senator or even president starts here.
Patriots™! If “our guys” win will they:
A- Pass the “Border Security Act”, & appropriations.
B- Put MTG on the House Judicial committee.
C- Begin inquiries into FBI abuses.
D- “What’s a border?”
E- MTG gets a new personal secretary and a nice office at the end of the hall.
F- Order the FBI to investigate White Supremacists, Kyri Irving and Ye.
G- Send out Urgent requests for campaign donations.
jdm, people (*coff* me *coff*) have been publicly warning us about the degenerates for 20 years. Nobody gave 2 shits. This is how it went down:
A guy: “The schools are teaching children degenerate sex is good. Putting condoms in middle schools is just the beginning.”
The machine: HOMOPHOBE! BIGOT! AAAAAArgh!
“Patriots: “ooo, that guy is really taking a beating…..let’s have a beer”
A guy: “Leftist pandering to blacks will undermine our government, law enforcement and judicial system.”
The machine: RAAAAACIST! WHITE SUPREMACIST!!!!
Patriots: “ooo, that guy is really taking a beating….let’s have a beer”
There are a couple guys out there saying the truth today. They’re being attacked, and the machine is working to strip everything they have from them.
Who is it? Who is the machine? Think about it while you have a beer…it will come to you…
D, record corrected.
It appears the market is looking forward to divided government.
And here we go… again…
It seems we have the same scenario as the Presidential Elections! Multiple videos that we received this morning show long lines in Anthem, Arizona with poll workers explaining that the Maricopa County machines are not working. Instead of tabulating their ballot directly, voters are being told to put their ballot into a box under the tabulator so that their ballot may be tabulated at a later time downtown. Voters are told to just drop their ballot into the open door seen below.
And again…
A pair of conservative Georgia poll workers were removed from their Fulton County polling location in what one is calling a “felony violation” of their rights. Laura Kronen said she and her teenage son both signed up months ago to be election day volunteers and went through all of the training programs, only to be turned away under conspicuous and possibly illegal actions on the part of election officials shortly after they had arrived in the early hours Tuesday morning to prepare for a day of poll watching.
and again…
The polls all say the same thing: Republicans will reclaim the House and Senate. (snip) most alarming, the political operatives know this. (snip) their political operatives have undoubtedly been told by their moneybags masters: “Well, we’ll just have to win, then,” to use the words of Bill Clinton (snip) That’s why delayed election counts ought to be looked at very, very closely by Republican observers. That’s the last arrow in the Democrats’ quiver. Delayed election counts have already been promised by whoever it is who gives orders to social media
Mr. D,
I’m with you on the “pulled football” analogy 100%.
But the numbers have been so uniformly bad for Ellison, I am allowing myself the faintest bit of optimism.
As to Jensen? Conventional wisdom is, the top of the ticket carries the Auditor, SOS and AG. If Jensen gets over the line, the opposite will have been true.
Fingers, as always, crossed.
And the fact that Craig started running ads in March, and had to finish with a fairly scabrous “stolen valor” ad, tells me her internal polls weren’t giving them nearly as much confidence as she wanted.
justplainangry — has Mike Lindell weighed in yet? 🤡
Mr D Interactive | What are the vibes like where you live? And what about them makes them bad for Democrats?
Here’s Mike Lindell, on his private jet. Here’s rAT, drunk again.
Lindell is passionate, and he’s putting his money where is mouth is.
rAT is a drunken confirmed serial liar, and he’s putting gin and tonic where his mouth is.
Who’s playing the banjo here?
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Thank yew very much.
Mr D Interactive | What are the vibes like where you live? And what about them makes them bad for Democrats?
Like MBerg, I live in RamCo, but a different area. The DFL has little to worry about here.
“The DFL has little to worry about here.”
Can’t imagine waking up I’m such a place…ever again.
In such a place
Damn. The comment I made before 3:09 was in moderation. Then it disappeared completely.
Guess the mod bots weren’t taking any chances on election day.