I worked as a journalist in Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota. I lived in Minnesota for almost ten years (mostly in rural MN).

The political shift in rural Minnesota has been interesting to watch.

In 2022, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz lost the congressional district he use to represent in Southern Minnesota by almost 8 points.

Northeastern Minnesota, which includes Iron Range communities, has been trending more Republican since 2010. There are a lot of pro labor, pro mining Democrats in that area of the state who are now voting Republican.

Carlton County (which is the gateway to the Iron Range) was a solidly blue rural county. In 2008, 75% of Carlton County voters cast their ballots for Rep. James Oberstar (D). In 2022, 51.5% of Carlton County voters cast their ballots for Republican Rep.
@PeteStauber


In 2020, longtime Iron Range DFL (Democratic) State Senators Tom Bakk and David Tomassoni quit the DFL party and became independents while they were in office. Bakk was the DFL Majority Leader of the Minnesota State Senate and Tomassoni was the DFL President Pro Tempore of the Minnesota Senate.

In 2022, Republicans picked up State Senate and State House seats on the Iron Range, the first time since President Hoover, as Aaron Brown writes: https://minnesotareformer.com/2022/11/11/iron-range-seething-at-the-twin-cities-continues-right-turn/

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Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain why Fox Mews and Trump keep calling Tim Walz a San Francisco liberal when he grew up in Nebraska and is now the governor of Minnesota?

Do they think their voters are idiots who won’t find out the facts?

He didn’t grow up in San Francisco!

He is from Nebraska and went to West Point.

How did a guy who went to West Point end uo as an enlisted NG Soldier? Officers come out of West Point.

I am still confused how he’s listed as a Command Sgt Major as he dropped out of the SGM academy. He should not claim to be a SGM or CSM. And he got arrested for drunk driving while a Soldier; that’s a career killer.

So funny for you weirdos to hyper analyze a military record while you have no problem with the Cherry Hill, North Carolina “public affairs photographer” and his stolen valor pretending he was some brave hero risking his skin in Iraq.

They also have a secret love of couches, the love that dare not rustle its name, and will defend JD’s desperate attempts to get Couchy out of his system.

Why do you keep harping on a completely made up story about a couch? I just don’t get it.

Not pp, but it's harmless, compared to the awful stories made up by Republicans that women have abortions out of "convenience."

Um, those stores aren’t made up. My BFF had one in college for convenience. And another in grad school. They just didn’t want to be pregnant. Are you saying that didn’t happen? Are you really that obtuse?

Maybe it would help if you defined "convenience."

Every woman I know who had an abortion had it because she wasn't in a position to raise a child well on her own and didn't expect the guy who'd gotten her pregnant to be a good father.

I think what PP is getting at is that it was not a "medically necessary" abortion. IMHO all medically necessary abortions (to include rape & incest) are OK. But abortion is not birth control and using it as such is wrong. So....if I were in charge I would take a more pragmatic approach by way of health insurance coverage qualification measures of "elective surgery" versus "medically necessary". I wouldn't necessarily ban abortion that is "for convenience" but it should be considered "elective surgery" just as any other elective surgery (boob job, tummy tuck, etc.). Same goes puberty blockers, gender affirming care, etc....take a pragmatic approach by way of health insurance coverage qualification measures of "elective surgery" versus "medically necessary" -- that way it's not a matter of banning it but rather ensuring that it truly is "medically necessary" and that the proper medical/psychological testing is done to ensure it is truly "medically necessary". Otherwise...it's just "elective".

The bolded is your opinion. You can choose not to get an "elective abortion" but you don;t have the right to impose your OPINION on to others.

Mind your own business.

Regardless, the whole point of the post was to distinguish between "medically necessary" and "elective" abortions. That's all - because there is a difference. True, I rambled on about my opinions and what I would do if in charge - taking a very pragmatic approach. But that's where our society has gone wrong...common sense and the pragmatic approach to sticky issues have gone out the window. That being said...I was willing to compromise and honestly thought Roe should have been left alone (if it ain't broke don't fix it kinda of thinking).

Are you a doctor? Are you aware of all of the medically grey areas where someone might need care that could put the fetus at risk? Especially care for a condition that is NOT life threatening? If doctors are at legal risk because a fetus has legal rights, there are many medical conditions where a woman will not be able to care as the legal process sorts itself out.

I’m not even a doctor but I had a medical emergency during my first pregnancy that required surgery. I had a HUGE ovarian cyst. For one thing the pain was relentless and far worse than labor. Left to itself the cyst could burst and cause internal bleeding and infection, or could shrink, or could burst with no consequence, or could twist the ovary and cut its blood supply and destroy it, and may or may not harm the fetus depending on what happens. None of this was necessarily fatal to me.

Any surgery, particularly an abdominal surgery, puts the fetus at risk. As a lawyer I CAN very easily imagine a scenario where doctors are directed to NEVER mess with a pregnancy UNLESS there is a very clear MORTAL DANGER.

Don’t put the legal system and legislators and lawyers between women and their care. Just don’t!

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Anonymous wrote:Coach Walz loves maps! I myself am a cargo sorts wearing, all-weather grilling, Midwestern dad, high school football fan, and map-nerd. It's like this guy was grown in a lab to appeal to me.

https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/06/former-geography-teacher-tim-walz-is-really-into-maps/

+1 Incredible story from his teaching career:

Wow this is amazing

You know that Walz is far left when the DSA is celebrating and taking credit for this choice.

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Anonymous wrote:Tim Walz isn't mad that you're grilling with propane instead of charcoal. He's just disappointed.

This is my never Trumper Republican veteran dad, who wrote in Paul Ryan in 2016 and then voted for Biden in 2020. He died earlier this year and I miss him every day, so wish I could talk to him about this ticket.

❤️

Anonymous wrote:PP here...I think he was the wrong pick. This election will be won by convincing never trumpers like me to vote for Harris....and this was a bad pick.

Why?

Anonymous wrote:Tim Walz isn't mad that you're grilling with propane instead of charcoal. He's just disappointed.

This is my never Trumper Republican veteran dad, who wrote in Paul Ryan in 2016 and then voted for Biden in 2020. He died earlier this year and I miss him every day, so wish I could talk to him about this ticket.

Tim Walz isn't mad that you're grilling with propane instead of charcoal. He's just disappointed.

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Anonymous wrote:PP here...I think he was the wrong pick. This election will be won by convincing never trumpers like me to vote for Harris....and this was a bad pick.

He doesn't expand the base; he appeals to people who would have voted for Harris anyway.

He does actually expand the coalition. There are plenty of midwestern semi-rural and suburban whites who might be wavering but will listen to his roots story and realize he is just like them, but settled on the left side of the coin. Struggling farmers for example, who are not sways by the racial and other current GOP BS. The people that both Hillary and Walz has said that government has left them behind, In Minnesota, they are not left behind anymore. He can reach those people.

My family in IA were not going to vote Harris but love this guy and are in board now.

Iowa isn't going to go for Harris, but hopefully this choice will help in MI and PA.

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Anonymous wrote:Today I learned that Minnesota is a burned out socialist hell hole. These QAnon freaks are spitting Truth!

I know someone who lives in Minnesota and she doesn't work. she lives off CHILD SUPPORT, SSI, CHILD SUPPORT AND SECTION 8 HOUSING.

WE NEED TO BANNED SECTION 8, SSI, AND CHILD SUPPORT IF THE WOMEN DOESN'T WORK.

poor English, all caps and mistakenly repeated words and catch phrases points to Russian troll. Jeff- please remove user.

That poster is a normal poster who usually posts totally literate posts in normal case. He is putting on an act. Just ignore or enjoy the humor. He cracked me up today writing that Trump gave the best speech since the Gaithersburg address.

Yeah the Gaithersburg (in a different font) is that convinced me this poster was humoring us. I literally laughed out loud.

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Anonymous wrote:Voting for a president isn’t like giving a Valentine- you don’t need to love them- it’s a chess move for a better country.

Democrats fall in love. Well, I just fell in love, folks. I think there is a lot of excitement and it ain't for TFG whining on Truth Social for Biden to come back.

Glad you vote with your heart and not your head. Let us know how that works out for you.

I’ve said that many times here. Dems vote based on emotion. Republicans do not.

Heh oh yes that rabid support of your man Trump is extremely rational :D

I have no rabid support of Trump. I really don’t care for him. But I like many Republican policies.

It's too bad the GOP has abandoned their policies and platform and replaced it with MAGA and Project 2025.

Anonymous wrote:Coach Walz loves maps! I myself am a cargo sorts wearing, all-weather grilling, Midwestern dad, high school football fan, and map-nerd. It's like this guy was grown in a lab to appeal to me.

https://minnesotareformer.com/2024/08/06/former-geography-teacher-tim-walz-is-really-into-maps/

+1 Incredible story from his teaching career:

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From what I heard it was more that Harris clashed with Kelly (and perhaps even Shapiro) as they are both more alpha types than Walz

"Alpha" types? So much weird incel bullshit coming out of the right.

+1 NCOs and football coaches are such cucks, amirite?

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Anonymous wrote:Voting for a president isn’t like giving a Valentine- you don’t need to love them- it’s a chess move for a better country.

Democrats fall in love. Well, I just fell in love, folks. I think there is a lot of excitement and it ain't for TFG whining on Truth Social for Biden to come back.

Glad you vote with your heart and not your head. Let us know how that works out for you.

I’ve said that many times here. Dems vote based on emotion. Republicans do not.

Heh oh yes that rabid support of your man Trump is extremely rational :D

I have no rabid support of Trump. I really don’t care for him. But I like many Republican policies.