An Encouraging Afternoon at the Fair

Today, I spent the afternoon at the Minnesota State Fair. I was on the radio for 2 1/2 hours with my friends Ed Morrissey and Lee Michaels of AM 1280 the Patriot. Minnesota’s State Fair is one of the world’s great events. Even the New York Times, which is rarely right about anything, has acknowledged as much.

If you have never been to the Minnesota State Fair, photos accompany the Times story. Like this, for example:

Which gives you some idea. Today I was probably the only Fairgoer dressed in a coat and tie and carrying a briefcase. What can I say? I was coming from my office and was on company time.

All Minnesota politicians work the Fair. (It was at the Fair that Al Franken encountered one or more of his #MeToo women.) It is a unique opportunity to talk with a broad cross-section of Minnesotans–Americans, that is–and learn what is on their minds. Today at the Patriot booth, we interviewed my Congressman, Jason Lewis, who is running for re-election in a bellwether swing district; Doug Wardlow, the Republican who is running against Keith Ellison for Attorney General; and Karin Housley, the Senate candidate who I think may score a major win for the GOP.

These candidates’ comments on their State Fair experiences were strikingly similar. They all noted the yawning chasm between the “news” as reported on cable TV stations and in the liberal media, and the concerns expressed by State Fairgoers. No one cares about Paul Manafort. No one cares about Amaroso, or whatever her name is. Everyone knows taxes have been cut, and everyone knows the economy has taken off. There is massive support for continuing the policies of the Trump administration. Impeachment? No one is talking about it, but the last thing voters want is to derail the successes of the last year and a half.

In my opinion, Minnesota State Fairgoers are as good a cross-section of American voters as you can find. And, despite the old-time roots music at the Farmers Union booth–the Farmers Union still exists, apparently–and a pretty darn good 60s band at the AFL-CIO booth, it doesn’t appear that many Minnesotans are buying what the far Left is selling. That is probably a pretty good microcosm of American voters.

I am very much tuned into this, since I have been invited to testify before the Joint Economic Committee of Congress next Thursday, a week from tomorrow, on the effects of the Trump tax cuts on Minnesota’s economy. Those effects have been positive, to say the least. I think voters across America, not just in Minnesota, have noticed. I will have more to say about my Joint Economic Committee appearance in due course.

To wrap up, here is a photo of me with Karin Housley following our interview. I told her I would only post it on my family’s chat line. Sorry, Karin, I changed my mind:

Karin Housley is one of the nicest and most hard-working people I have met in politics, and she is a solid conservative. You can help her by going here to donate. She represents a real opportunity for a Senate pickup. Trust me on this one.

Similarly, my friend Jason Lewis is in a tight re-election race in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District. He won in 2016 by 1.7%, and the Democrats are running the same candidate, lesbian activist Angie Craig, this time. If Republicans carry districts like Minnesota’s 2nd, we will hold the House. If not, we won’t. Jason is a long-time talk radio host and both a principled and a practical conservative–the sort of person we need more of in Washington. You can contribute to his campaign here. Again, I vouch for Jason as a worthy conservative candidate who won’t go swamp on us, and whose seat is vital to maintaining control of the House.

Finally, if you don’t want a Nation of Islam has-been; an abolish-ICE, sanctuary state, no-borders leftist; a multiple domestic abuser; and a life-long advocate for cop-killers elected Attorney General of Minnesota, where his entire agenda will be bedeviling the Trump administration, not enforcing the laws–many of which he is opposed to and has pledged to disregard–go here to contribute to Doug Wardlow’s campaign. Doug is a good guy and the alternative to a truly dark future for Minnesota law enforcement.

When I watch cable news, I get depressed. When I spend an afternoon at the State Fair, I think there is still hope. Let’s make it happen!

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