The early numbers are impressive. The WCCO-TV story on early voting says, “Nine days ahead of the election and more than a quarter of a million Minnesotans have already cast their ballot. Early voting is underway and many people are taking advantage of a new law that makes it easier than ever to request an absentee ballot. … Across Minnesota, the Secretary of State’s Office said it has transmitted more than 366,124 absentee ballots. That’s nearly double the amount compared to this time in 2012.”

Whatever you say, Oh Orange One. Says Jay Knoll at KARE-TV, “Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says Minnesota could be in play come Election Day. ‘We can win Minnesota,’ Trump told supporters at a campaign rally in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday. Trump made the statement during a portion of his speech about the rising cost of health care. ‘In Minnesota, where the premium increase will be close to 60 percent, the democratic governor, who’s a real party stalwart, said the Affordable Care Act is no longer affordable,’ Trump said. ‘That’s in Minnesota. A state that we can actually win.’”  Apparently “a lot of people are saying” that, somewhere.

Strangely, Minnesota women are not all that smitten with The Donald. Erin Golden of the Strib writes, “…Hilary Autry said this presidential cycle has left her at a loss. The 32-year-old, who works for a nonprofit that helps feed poor children, said she’s a dedicated Christian who usually votes Republican. But she’s been put off by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s words about women … . Trump’s unpopularity among suburban women represents a significant obstacle for his campaign, as college-educated women have emerged as a pivotal swing group this election.”

Who said “inciting intolerance”? Stephen Montemayor of the Strib says, “While alleged terrorist acts by American Muslims dominate public debate, terror acts against Muslims are rising sharply, even as other hate crime categories appear to be on the decline, according to researchers and data reviewed by the Star Tribune.”

Well, you gotta clear out the old stock before moving the new stuff, right? Stribber Joe Carlson says, “Debbie Burke, a 61-year-old mother of five, went to a Baltimore hospital last month where a surgeon put an advanced implantable heart defibrillator made by St. Jude Medical inside her chest. Fifteen days later, St. Jude and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled the device because the battery may die with almost no warning. Burke soon discovered that although Little Canada-based St. Jude had fixed the problem that led to the recall back in 2015, the company kept selling its stock of older units, including the device she got.”

A 50-mile chase. The Forum News Service reports, “An Evansville man is dead after being shot by a police officer after a chase that ended in Traverse County in western Minnesota. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Jay Johannes Holmgren, 37, was shot by Stevens County Sheriff’s Deputy Ron Hensinger after Holmgren had pointed his handgun at a group of law officers on Friday, Oct. 28, along Minnesota Highway 27 in Traverse County. … Holmgren … led officers on a 50-mile chase through Stevens, Grant and Traverse counties that included Holmgren shooting through his rear window at law enforcement near Wheaton and ramming a Morris Police Department vehicle in Donnelly.”

Related to voting, Power Line’s John Hinderaker is leading the bi-annual charge of rampant voter fraud. Says the noted jurist, “That’s a big topic, as Minnesota’s same-day registration scheme is notoriously subject to – in fact, invites – abuse. But a group called Minnesota Voters Alliance has brought to light another problem: substantial numbers of felons, among others, are illegally being allowed to vote, because Minnesota’s Secretary of State refuses to follow the law. … Voter fraud in Minnesota has already done great harm to the nation as a whole.” 

Well, Season two was very, very good. MPR’s Tracy Mumford alerts fans of TV’s “Fargo” that a new cast is in place for Season Three. “Comedian Jim Gaffigan will add to the Midwest murder and mayhem of season three of ‘Fargo,’ according to the Hollywood Reporter. Gaffigan joins a cast that already includes Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coons and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. He’ll play Donny Mashman, a police deputy. … McGregor will play two characters on the show: A pair of lookalike brothers named Ray and Emmit Stussy. Emmit is a real estate mogul who hit it big with parking lots, while his younger brother, Ray, works as a parole officer and harbors some resentment over his brother’s success. It will take place in St. Cloud and Eden Valley, Minn.” And will be set in 2010. But will the flying saucer be back?

Another opportunity to call in Stephen King. Mary Divine of the PiPress says, “Four major projects in downtown Afton are on hold after representatives of tribal governments expressed concerns about possible ancient American Indian burial sites. Afton officials plan to meet with tribal officials Nov. 7 regarding the Rattlesnake Effigy mound, which is near a planned stormwater retention pond. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency last year issued a final permit for construction but the project had to be reviewed under the National Historic Preservation Act because federal funding is involved.”
 
Wells Fargo Watch: Richard Kyte, director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University writes in the LaCrosse Tribune, “Although Wells Fargo has been in the news recently, they are not the only company that has pressured employees into acting against their consciences. In more than 20 years of teaching ethics, I have talked with dozens of employees who struggle daily with the tension of looking themselves in the mirror while meeting the questionable demands of their workplace. Some become depressed, others cynical, others try to just laugh it off as ‘the price of doing business.’” I think that’s what Tony Soprano used to say.

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7 Comments

  1. Vote Early

    I recommend that you go vote early. You will find that all the political crap then fades into the background and your life will get back to normal.

    1. I voted early, and I agree that it does help tune out the noise.

      Plus, I’m leaving the country for a week, and won’t get back until next Tuesday evening.

      I look forward to the absence of political ads while I’m away.

      1. Ah, yup

        Just did, myself. It’s rather appropriate to visit City Hall today to vote “absentee” in person. Seems to be a message here, somewhere.

        You might avoid whatever foreign news sources you may encounter. Some of their U.S. election items will only spin your brain some other way.

      2. Escaping the Election

        I agree – I voted early and felt at least some relief from the constant noise on TV. I’m also using the fast forward feature quite a bit.

        I was in Nova Scotia for a couple of weeks during the first half of October – we couldn’t escape the ads there – we got a pretty constant dose from both the presidential race and the congressional/senate races. Apparently even the Canadians have to put up with it if they fall within the relevant media markets.

    2. Fading into the Background

      That hasn’t happened as much as I had hoped.

      I promise to switch to any cable company that will offer its early-voting customers a filter to block political advertising. Until then, the fast-forward on the DVR is getting a lot of use.

      1. …the fast-forward on the DVR…

        oh, you’re such a coward, RB (or as astute as I generally think you to be).

        Are we maybe slightly akin to the arsonist who stands back in the crowd to watch all the responders aim their hoses and climb their ladders and do what they do? Or are we more like the smart/lucky ones, who got out of the building before the fertilizer bombs blew?
        Cannot imagine standing in any line for this one, that’s for sure.

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