It’s Two Parties, People

Dear fellow Minnesotans: Didn’t you learn a lesson from the last several elections? When a Republican, a Democrat, and a third party run, the third party will take votes from one contender, in most cases the Democrat. The result is that the Republican is elected, which can hardly be desired by those who are voting third party. This is how Pawlenty got elected the first time, and it’s how he got elected again. If you add the votes for the DFL candidate with the votes for the independent candidate, you get a number that would have defeated Pawlenty handily. And yet he’s still here. Not only because of those who voted for him, but because of those who voted against his most viable opponent, the DFL candidate. While we voted for instant runoff voting for municipal races, until instant runoff is implemented at all levels, the governor’s race might as well be a two party system. Anyone who votes otherwise is likely to elect their last choice.

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