Sabato on guv’s race: ‘Minnesota will put on a circus’

Gov. Tim Pawlenty

Oft-quoted University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato’s latest piece of punditry analyzes the 2010 gubernatorial contests. Minnesota merits one of the longer breakdowns, which isn’t surprising considering how wide open the field appears to be. After noting that current governor Tim Pawlenty has “White House fever,” Sabato avers that Democrats currently sit in the pole position for 2010:

The smart money in Minnesota has been tentatively placed on the Democratic nominee — whoever that turns out to be. The identity of the actual major-party nominees (and, who knows, maybe an independent, too, in this unpredictable state) will matter enormously. Therefore, the cognoscenti’s instinct about an impending Democratic victory may be dead wrong. One thing’s for sure: Minnesota will put on a circus for the rest of the nation, maybe even with another eternal recount.