Archive for October 2006
Hatch Builds Lead in New Humphrey Institute Poll
Excerpts from a new report by the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance on its latest poll on the Minnesota Governor’s race: Even though the race remains too close to call, Attorney General Mike Hatch has opened…
Read MoreReader Request: MN Candidate Positions On Illegal Immigration
In response to a reader request, today Smart Politics outlines the stands taken (or not taken) by Minnesota candidates on the issue of illegal immigration in the races for Governor and US Senator. The gubernatorial race has been largely…
Read MoreWI-3: GOP Challenger Launches Unforgettable Attack Ad
Campaign attack ads seem to be replacing horserace polls as the lead stories in political news coverage, and Smart Politics is guilty of this behavior as well, at least for today. While the Bachmann-Wetterling (MN-6) race had the early…
Read MoreChoosing Sides: The Decline of Independents
With the 2006 elections being cited as most expensive in U.S. history, filled with some of the nastiest campaign ads ever, one might expect to find increased disgust among the electorate for the two major parties responsible for these…
Read MoreMN House: GOP at a Disadvantage
After losing thirteen seats in the Minnesota State House in 2004, the republicans hold a slim 68-66 advantage over their rival DFL. Even if one puts aside the fact that the state (and national) climate is trending democratic in recent…
Read MoreMN-08: An Intriguing Matchup
Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District (comprising the northeastern Iron Range counties), is home to one of the more unusual Congressional races this year, in which DFL incumbent James Obserstar, the senior member of Minnesota’s US House delegation, is being challenged by…
Read MoreReligion and Minnesota Politics
The relationship between religion and politics should fascinate even the most casual political observer. (In recent weeks religion has become an interesting sidebar in the 6th District US House race—a matter best saved for another blog entry). Karl Rove—President George…
Read MoreCable Television News Election Forecasts
To whom are you turning to get your Election 2006 news? On cable television, the horserace coverage that dominated the summer season (e.g. the U.S. Senate races in Virginia and Connecticut) has, in recent weeks, been replaced by more generalized,…
Read MoreMN-02: Rowley Closes Gap
Coleen Rowley, the DFL candidate in Minnesota’s 2nd US House district, has closed her deficit to 2-term GOP incumbent John Kline from 20 to 8 points in less than three weeks, according to polls released by SurveyUSA in late…
Read MoreUpper Midwest US House Races Tighten in GOP Held Districts…But Is a Revolution Afoot?
A recent spate of polls tracking US House races in the Upper Midwest reflect what is perceived by most political analysts to be a nation-wide trend: GOP-held districts that were secure in 2004 now seem to be competitive or near…
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