Posts by Dr. Eric Ostermeier
Obama Catches Edwards in Early 2008 Iowa Caucus Poll
Illinois Senator Barack Obama and ex-Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards lead the field for the all-important support of Democratic Iowa caucus voters, according to a new poll by KCCI-TV released earlier this week (the poll has a margin of error…
Read MoreMinnesota’s Approval of Pawlenty Job Performance Remarkably Stable
Tim Pawlenty heads into his second term on the heels of a very narrow, plurality vote victory last month, and the prospects of having to work with a DFL-controlled state House for the first time in his administration, as…
Read MoreWhen Words Become Reality: The Media Creation of Barack Obama
Just minutes after the Illinois State Senator’s keynote address at the Democratic National Convention on July 27, 2004, media commentators and journalists began to write history by casting Barack Obama in the role of superstar, Democratic leader, and future…
Read MoreUpper Midwest Representatives Receive New US House Committee Assignments
Earlier this week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced new Committee assignments for Freshmen members, plus added existing members to new Committees as Democrats increased their membership on Committees with their 30 seat gain in November’s election. Starting his 6th term,…
Read MoreSD Senior Senator Recovering in Hospital
South Dakota Democratic Senator Tim Johnson was admitted to George Washington University Hospital on Wednesday for an undetermined illness. Early reports speculated Johnson, who is 59, had suffered a stroke, but physicians have said Johnson did not experience either…
Read MoreWI State Legislative Shakeup in 2006 At Near Historic Levels
The reclaiming of the Wisconsin state Senate by the Democratic Party received some fanfare last month in the Badger State, but the extent of Democratic pickups in the state Senate and state Assembly is nearly unprecedented over the past half-century…
Read MoreEthics and Corruption: A Shaky Start for the Democrats
Democrats have not yet officially ascended to power in D.C., but the early headlines coming out of Washington are not flattering to a party whose national campaign this fall included ethics and corruption as one of its central features. To…
Read MoreMN vs. WI: Which State Is Most Likely to Vote GOP for President in 2008?
This is an admittedly premature question to be sure—with more than one year before the first presidential primary and only a few politicians from each party officially declaring themselves as candidates for the White House. Nonetheless, in the coming…
Read MoreLarge Electoral Gains by Minority Party Not Uncommon in MN House
The DFL scored a major, although not an unexpected, victory last month by wrestling control of the State House from the GOP after four consecutive terms of Republican control. The size of the DFL’s victory—a 19-seat pickup—did surprise many political…
Read MoreRight of Center Third Party Candidates Disappearing in Minnesota
In the last of Smart Politics’ series on the decline of third parties in Minnesota, today’s entry examines the health of right-of-center third parties in the Gopher State. Previous entries documented how left (Green) and center-left (Independence) parties are, in…
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