Archive for July 15, 2012

Unlikely Media Star Mark Ritchie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here in Fly­over Coun­try, we’re used to being ignored by the élite media on the coasts. That could change, for a few weeks any­way. This Novem­ber, Min­nesota will join the list of states that have had votes on whether to enact a con­sti­tu­tional amend­ment ban­ning same-​​sex mar­riage. Min­nesota may become the first state to defeat such an amend­ment, and this may be par­tially due to the actions of the Min­nesota Sec­re­tary of State, an unas­sum­ing politi­cian in what is often con­sid­ered — by the rest of the coun­try — as a bor­ing state.

I live in Min­nesota. It’s a place of stun­ning con­trasts. It may be the only state where you can reg­u­larly see peo­ple walk­ing around in shorts and a parka. Min­nesota has a long pro­gres­sive his­tory. It also has an active social con­ser­v­a­tive move­ment, includ­ing ded­i­cated oppo­nents of abor­tion in both major polit­i­cal par­ties. It’s a state where hunt­ing is a favorite leisure activ­ity, and so has strong opin­ions on both sides of gun con­trol /​ gun rights issues. It’s a state with one of the nation’s most lib­eral U.S. Rep­re­sen­ta­tives [Keith Elli­son (D-​​Minneapolis), a co-​​chair of the House Pro­gres­sive Cau­cus], whose dis­trict is lit­er­ally adja­cent to a dis­trict with one of the nation’s most con­ser­v­a­tive Rep­re­sen­ta­tives [Michele Bach­mann (R-​​Stillwater), founder of the House Tea Party Caucus].

So, in 2010, we elected con­ser­v­a­tive Repub­li­can Tea-​​Party types to majori­ties in both the state Sen­ate and the state House, but a lib­eral Demo­c­rat — Mark Day­ton — as Gov­er­nor. We also elected a Demo­c­ra­tic Sec­re­tary of State, Mark Ritchie. He’s got­ten involved in the process related to the upcom­ing vote on an anti-​​same-​​sex-​​marriage amend­ment, and his actions could affect the suc­cess or fail­ure of that amend­ment. (more…)