Former DFL legislator Steve Kelley — who’s running for governor, but usually isn’t high on the handicappers’ lists — showed up in Rochester Monday with a campaign appearance that mixed serious political discussion with poetry reading and scenes from Shakespeare.

A story in the Rochester Post Bulletin notes it’s probably not a bad idea for Kelley to try something different.

Steven Schier, Carleton College political science professor, said: “Kelley is not a fresh face, and he has run before, and he is in a crowded field, and he has got to find a way to stand out, so why not innovate?”

Minnesota political analyst Blois Olson put it in terms of March Madness: “There are some people who have a better chance, but this is like the NCAA tournament. There are bound to be upsets, and there are bound to be some underperformance, and it’s way too early to tell.”