Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me!!!
I refer to Minnesota as my home state - even though I haven't lived there in 20 years. It's where I grew up (well, mostly) and my family is still there and when I go visit I say I'm going "home". You gotta love a state that has had Jesse Ventura as Governor and now Al Franken as Senator-elect (as declared today by the state canvassing board).
Jesse's term was spotty at best. He made some bold moves - and sometimes bold moves can be seen as bold gutsy but other times as bold stupid. And in the end, I think the bold stupid prevailed. But it's because of him that Minneapolis has their mass transit system - that is much more popular than projected.
Franken's got a lot to live up to. He'll be filling the seat Paul Wellstone left after he was killed in an airplane accident. Paul Wellstone is up there with the big-JC in the mind of some Minnesotans. I've even seen bumper stickers saying, "What would Wellstone do?" Let's hope he is the same champion for peace as Senator Wellstone. These days, we need it!
3 comments:
I just HAVE to visit MN someday!
I'd recommend summer. Even though you're used to snow in winter, the COLD of Minnesota is brutal.
Summers are beautiful. Remember, it's nickname is Land of 10,000 Lakes. And boy does it have the lakes. Nothing like a MN summer on a lake. Fishing, slapping mosquitos, hearing the loons call, lazing in a lawn chair on a summer evening with cold drink in hand - ahhh. That's the life.
I did not vote for Jesse (or as it happens, for Al) and I did not like him as a public figure for Minnesota. But I must say that I liked the people he appointed to do the actual governing - part of the reason I voted for Dean who I thought did a good job for Minnesota during the short time he was in the senate finishing out Paul's term.
Just because I did not vote for Franken doesn't mean I don't think he'll do well. I firmly believe you have to be smart and pretty clued in to be a good comedian. I hope that translates to advocating for good policy.
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