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Smart Politics is the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance's blog at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs that is home to timely, pointed, non-partisan discussion of Upper Midwestern and national politics. Smart Politics excavates the key issues driving the 2008 elections as well as provides perspective on statewide and district campaigns in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Unlike most political blogs, Smart Politics' political discussion is driven by thoughtful non-partisan analysis: the Center boasts the largest on-line collection of Upper Midwestern public opinion and historical election results. Movable Type 3.33.uthink
URL: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cspg/smartpolitics/
Updated: 7 hours 15 min ago

Will Obama Perform Stronger in Wisconsin Than in Minnesota? Don’t Count On It

Thu, 2008-07-24 20:15
A new poll by Quinnipiac University of more than 1,000 likely voters in both Minnesota and Wisconsin was released Thursday with a surprising headline: Barack Obama led John McCain by just 2 points in the Gopher State (46 to 44... Eric Ostermeier
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How Blue Is Minnesota? Not 7 U.S. House Seats Blue

Wed, 2008-07-23 12:00
Tim Walz’s pick-up of the Gopher State’s 1st Congressional District in 2006 buoyed hopes for the DFL of a decisive bluish trend among voters for its U.S. House candidates in the coming years. Walz’s victory surprised many pundits, even in... Eric Ostermeier
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How Blue Is Minnesota? Not 7 U.S. House Seats Blue

Wed, 2008-07-23 12:00
Tim Walz’s pick-up of the Gopher State’s 1st Congressional District in 2006 buoyed hopes for the DFL of a decisive bluish trend among voters for its U.S. House candidates in the coming years. Walz’s victory surprised many pundits, even in... Eric Ostermeier
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18 is Enough: South Dakota Democratic Senators and the Third Term Curse

Tue, 2008-07-22 10:00
South Dakota Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Johnson was once thought to be one of the few potential targets for a GOP pick-up in the 2008 election. Johnson had won his first two elections to the Senate by a total of... Eric Ostermeier
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US House Snapshot: Republicans Brace for More Losses

Mon, 2008-07-21 10:00
Media coverage of the 2008 election is rightly centered at the moment on the fascinating 2008 presidential race; any remaining coverage seems to be focused on the U.S. Senate – and whether or not the Democrats can turn in a... Eric Ostermeier
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Smart Politics Study: Independence Party Need Make No Apologies to the DFL

Fri, 2008-07-18 10:30
The DFL has pointed to the Independence Party gubernatorial candidacies of Peter Hutchinson (2006) and Tim Penny (2002) as part of the reason for Republican Tim Pawlenty’s two plurality wins in the Gopher State. The fear, among the DFL,... Eric Ostermeier
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Will 2008 Be the Year of the Libertarian?

Thu, 2008-07-17 11:15
Although the impact of the Libertarian Party in presidential elections has been muted since first appearing on the ballot in 1972, the expectations for the Party are high in 2008. This election cycle, the LP has nominated its most... Eric Ostermeier
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MN State House: Independence Party Stops the Bleeding

Wed, 2008-07-16 10:01
The Independence Party has stopped the bleeding. After leaving a major footprint on Minnesota State House races in the 2000, 2002, and 2004 elections, the number of IP candidates on the ballot greatly declined in 2006 to just nine districts.... Eric Ostermeier
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MN Senate: Ventura Out, Barkley In, Coleman & Franken Split in Two New Polls

Tue, 2008-07-15 10:15
As Jesse Ventura announced he would not challenge Norm Coleman in the 2008 Minnesota U.S. Senate race, two new polls were released revealing vastly different results. Ventura, before Larry King’s national audience on CNN, stated he would not seek... Eric Ostermeier
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Rasmussen Poll: Obama Up Big in MN, IA, Competitive in the Dakotas

Mon, 2008-07-14 18:01
Barack Obama is looking to become the first Democratic candidate to sweep the Upper Midwest since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. New polling by Rasmussen indicates Obama is currently competitive enough in the Dakotas to have a chance at doing... Eric Ostermeier
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Wisconsin Assembly Poised to Flip to Democratic Control

Sun, 2008-07-13 22:15
The filing deadline for candidacy papers closed last week in Madison and Democrats, who took control of the state Senate in 2006, appear poised to do the same in the Assembly in 2008. Republicans will face an uphill battle holding... Eric Ostermeier
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Obama Maintains Double-Digit Lead in Wisconsin

Fri, 2008-07-11 12:00
A new Rasmussen survey of 500 likely voters in Wisconsin finds Barack Obama maintaining a substantial lead over John McCain. The Rasmussen poll measures Obama’s advantage over McCain at 11 points – 50 to 39 percent. These results are in... Eric Ostermeier
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Ralph Nader and The Matrix Trilogy

Thu, 2008-07-10 11:30
When I was on Sirius Satellite Radio’s “The Blog Bunker” yesterday I was asked how the Democratic-led U.S. Senate approval of the latest FISA legislation would have on the presidential election – and whether the left wing of the... Eric Ostermeier
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Smart Politics On "The Blog Bunker" Today

Wed, 2008-07-09 08:30
Smart Politics' Eric Ostermeier will be a guest on Sirius Satellite Radio's "The Blog Bunker" program this afternoon. The lively political talk program, hosted by Joe Salzone, broadcasts from 4pm - 5pm CST on Indie Talk 110.... Eric Ostermeier
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Obama Making Inroads in Deep Red States, Lagging in Reddish-Purple States

Tue, 2008-07-08 08:30
In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush won 31 states while John Kerry won 19 plus the District of Columbia. According to the most recent public opinion polls, Barack Obama is currently in a strong position to win all... Eric Ostermeier
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CSPG Report: The Third Party Impact in 2008

Mon, 2008-07-07 08:45
The Center for the Study of Politics and Governance has released a report studying the potential impact third parties may have on the 2008 presidential race. From the report: "Third parties may determine the outcome of the 2008 presidential contest... Eric Ostermeier
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Democrats in Best Position to Take Control of SD Senate Since 1992

Thu, 2008-07-03 11:00
While Democrats have been able to win statewide elections in South Dakota in recent years (Tim Johnson, Tom Daschle, Stephanie Herseth), Republicans have thoroughly dominated district races for the state legislature. Since 1960, Democrats have only eked out a tie... Eric Ostermeier
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Battleground States Through the Lens of the U.S. Senate

Wed, 2008-07-02 08:45
What makes a battleground state a battleground state? For one, obviously, presidential races decided by narrow victory margins. But another way is to examine how a state has voted in other statewide elections. Does a state tend to only elect... Eric Ostermeier
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The Upper Midwestern Voting Bloc in Presidential Elections

Mon, 2008-06-30 09:45
Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have been (correctly) labeled as key battleground states in recent presidential elections. With the exception of George W. Bush’s narrow victory in the Hawkeye State in 2004, the three states have voted as a bloc dating... Eric Ostermeier
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Presidential Politics in Wisconsin: A Historical Overview

Fri, 2008-06-27 09:45
Since Wisconsinites cast their first presidential ballots in 1848, approximately 900,000 more votes have been cast for Republican presidential nominees than Democrats, out of more than 43.2 million votes cast across 40 presidential elections. Wisconsin has been on the winning... Eric Ostermeier
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