Minnesota’s GOP Winners and Losers This Fall

And the “Pachy” awards go to…

The election is nearly a month behind us. The nation breathed one huge, collective sigh of relief when it was over: For most it was a relief because the good guys won. The country seems to have brought itself back into balance after having veered off in one direction too long.

more insideFor others it was a relief because it was over. Trust me, as one who has run and lost more than once, the feeling of relief can easily overpower any sense of disappointment.

The GOP winners this fall included, of course, Minnesota’s boy Governor, Tim Pawlenty, who managed to remake himself in the past two years as enough of a centrist to squeak by the DFL’s Mike Hatch, thanks in part to the presence of a real centrist, Peter Hutchinson, in the campaign.

Also among the winners was the controversial Michele Bachmann, Minnesota’s answer to Phyllis Schlafly and Colorado’s Marilyn Musgrave. Mrs. Bachmann’s victory can be attributed to the fact that, despite Minnesota’s historic liberal leanings, which overall showed strong in this election, the North Star State still has its pockets of religiously driven, socially conservative craziness. Also, the camera likes Mrs. Bachmann better than Patty Wetterling, and although what she says doesn’t always make sense, the way she propels her words with that dusky voice and earnest enthusiasm