Archive for September 2006
SD Governor: History Is On Rounds’ Side…Unless…
South Dakota boasts a fascinating political history, peppered at the edges with contradictions in partisan preferences among its electorate. On the one hand, democrats have more than held their own in federal congressional statewide elections, winning 9 of the…
Read MoreDropping Gasoline: Dropping Support for Democrats?
Upper Midwesterns have certainly rejoiced at the drop in gas prices during the past few weeks. The current price for a gallon of gas in the Midwest is now $2.45, falling 15 cents a gallon from a week ago and…
Read MoreMN State Legislative Incumbents Hold Serve
No news was good news for the four Minnesota state legislative incumbents challenged in Tuesday’s primary—each of whom enjoyed a double-digit victory to move on to November’s general election. The big story was in District 12, where GOP incumbent…
Read MoreState Legislative Incumbents: Coasting in MN, Challenged in WI
While most interest and suspense among the public in election years is reserved for November, primaries can highlight the differences among states in the power of state legislative incumbency in deterring challenges from within one’s own party. Primaries today in…
Read MoreWill Wisconsin End Unprecedented 153-Year Ban on Death Penalty?
Wisconsin is one of 13 states plus the District of Columbia that does not currently offer the death penalty as a sentencing option in its criminal courts. The death penalty was abolished in the Badger State in 1853—nearly 120 years…
Read MoreWhere Have All the 3rd Party Minnesota Candidates Gone?
In recent years Minnesota has lead all Upper Midwestern states with the highest percentage of successful third party campaigns in state legislative races. While third party candidates still have a significant presence in the Gopher state (especially in state-wide elections),…
Read MoreImmigration: The Invisible Issue in the MN US Senate Race?
Illegal immigration continues to be a hot topic nationally, regularly ranking in the Top 5 most important national problems and Top 3 priorities for the U.S. Congress. Not only has the question of how to handle the influx of…
Read MoreJim Doyle’s Biggest Threat: The Greens or Mark Green?
Despite voting democratic in the past five presidential elections and 13 of the past 15 U.S. Senate elections, Wisconsin is far from a safe ‘blue’ state for democratic candidates for governor—especially incumbent Jim Doyle. Democrats have not fared well…
Read MoreBattle for the Statehouse: Minnesota’s State Senate Races
Can you name your state senator? This autumn Minnesota voters will decide not only two closely-watched statewide races (for Governor and U.S. Senator), but also which party will run each of its two narrowly controlled legislative chambers. State legislative matchups…
Read MoreWelcome to Smart Politics
While this news site may occasionally make attempts at injecting wit and wryness into our discussion of politics, the name, Smart Politics, is not intended to be playful or an oxymoron. Smart Politics is a news site that reveals a…
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