MN-Gov: Kohls is out, who will get Tea Partier support?

by: Joe Bodell

Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 13:58:42 PM CDT

Kohls was unlikely to make a significant dent in the race -- a recent straw poll showed him running at least fifth among the candidates, with House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, former State Auditor Pat Anderson, State Rep. Tom Emmer, and State Sen. David Hann garnering bigger support among the activist base. But of those four, who's the most likely to make an overt play for the anti-Obama/Tea Party/Birther/Tenther/Deather wing of their party's base?

It's not just a question for the sake of discussion or to whip up discontent on the other side. That wing of the GOP, while completely insane, also controls the party's endorsement and nomination process. In addition, as we're seeing in NY-23's race between ConservaDem Bill Owens, somewhat-moderate-but-not-a-great-campaigner DeDe Scozzafava, and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, the activist base on the extreme Right is proving itself willing to throw establishment GOP candidates under the bus in favor of candidates who may not win, but hew closer to their ideological bent.

Witness Hoffman's endorsements from GOP figures like Sarah Palin and our very own Tim Pawlenty -- they don't have to answer to their own party establishments for endorsing a third-party candidate, and they recognize where the power currently is on the conservative side of the American political spectrum.

So which of those gubernatorial candidates is going to take the leap: sign one's name in blood in a contract with the Extreme Right, and take the risk that entails with the other 70% of the electorate who thinks they're completely nuts?

Pawlenty allies himself with anti-immigrant extremist vigilantes

by: The Big E

Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 18:21:13 PM CDT

This district hasn't elected a Democrat since the Civil War era, but infighting amongst Republicans might gift us the seat.  The Republican's circular firing squad had a new development today: the right wing, anti-immigrant vigilante group The Minuteman endorsed Hoffman.

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate for New York's traditionally Republican 23rd District, has just won the right-wing support of the Minuteman Political Action Committee - the political action arm of a "nativist extremist" armed vigilante group. The Minuteman PAC is currently running Independent Expenditure radio spots and predicts that Hoffman is "positioned to win a landslide victory" over Republican Party nominee Dede Scozzafava.
(Think Progress)

Pawlenty's presidential aspirations hinge upon his ability to win over the knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers and it's interesting that he's climbing into bed with them on NY-23.  Since the K-D/M-Bs won't tolerate a candidate who doesn't hate immigrants less than they do, is Gov. Teabag's positions on immigration about to become more explicitly racist?

Pawlenty swings ever rightward, endorses NY-23 conservative extremist

by: The Big E

Mon Oct 26, 2009 at 22:21:35 PM CDT

Interestingly, there is a Republican Party endorsed candidate, but Dede Scozzafava isn't far enough to the right.  Doug Hoffman, who defected to the Conservative Party of NY, is.  Gov. Teabag joins an illustrious group including Sarah Palin, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Steve Forbes, GOP Head Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and the Club for Growth.  I'm probably missing a few neocons and wingnuts who are participating in this circular firing squad.

But I certainly am enjoying it.

See ... this is supposed to be a omen of things to come in the 2010 election.  Normally, the party in control (that'd be us) lose seats in mid-term elections.  But considering the dysfunction in the Republican Party, you can see why I'm experiencing a wee bit of schadenfreude right now.  The Republicans are tearing themselves apart of purity and the Democrat is most likely going to win in a very strongly Republican district.  According to Rachel Maddow this will be the first Democrat elected since around 1850.