Says Allison Sherry about the latest Star Tribune poll: “Statewide, 47 percent of those polled think Trump was wrong to question the legitimacy of the U.S. election system and 43 percent think his criticism is on target. … The divide on the question widened by geography: 59 percent of those in Minnesota’s most populous counties of Hennepin and Ramsey said they consider Trump’s ongoing comments about the possible illegitimacy of the looming vote off base. But more than half — 52 percent — in outstate Minnesota said they think he is right to raise such concerns.” Therein is the audience for Trump TV.
Speaking of rigging, for The West Central Tribune Gretchen Brown reports, ‘Described at the time as believing the city had ‘a conspiracy going against him,’ the former mayor of Watson pleaded guilty earlier this month to breaking into the current mayor’s home in March. Joseph Mark Rongstad, 34, will be sentenced Dec. 13 on a felony charge of third-degree burglary. … Rongstad was also facing charges from February for allegedly firing a rifle through the sunroof of his truck, saying, according to court documents, that he was ‘trying to get away from the corpses that were after him.’” Personally, I’m stunned to learn that Watson even has a mayor.
North Dakota is a long way for a loan out. Says Tim Nelson for MPR, “Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Minneapolis Tuesday afternoon, calling for Minnesota authorities to withdraw law enforcement help for police forces at the Dakota Access Pipeline protest. The gathering came after protesters spotted equipment with Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office markings headed for a protest by pipeline opponents in North Dakota.”
Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight says the Wolves will make the playoffs. With a 46-36 record. And a 2 percent chance of winning it all.
Holding your breath for a really long time isn’t that healthy of a thing to do. For the PiPress, Rachel Stassen-Berger writes, “Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday sent a letter to legislative leaders asking them to come up with a plan to help those facing double-digit health insurance price increases. … As of Monday, Rep. Nick Zerwas, a Republican health care expert from Elk River, said he had not been involved in any discussions in response to the governor’s Friday request for a quick solution.”
Found. Says Nick Ferraro for the PiPress, “A Lakeville family of four missing since Friday was found safe in a car in Minneapolis on Tuesday morning — and the parents were later booked into jail, Lakeville police said. A Minneapolis resident spotted the parents and their two children, ages 4 and 7, behind a building and called police, Lakeville police said in a news release.” How do some kids survive childhood?
A Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel story says, “Less than a week ago, prosecutors charged a University of Wisconsin-Madison student from the Twin Cities with raping another student for more than two hours in his apartment, ignoring her pleas for him to stop and, at one point, choking her. Since then, at least six other students have come forward to city or university police to accuse 20-year-old Alec R. Cook, of Edina, of sexually assaulting or inappropriately touching them over the past year or so.”
It took 12 years, but we’re back. Says Adam Belz in the Strib, “Minnesota has crept back into the top ten of a national ranking of states by tech and science business prowess after a 12-year absence. The Milken Institute ranked Minnesota seventh in its State Technology and Science Index 2016, released Tuesday, thanks to the state’s strong tech workforce and strong investment in human capital.” I like to think my mastery of a new cell phone counted for something.
In a commentary for his old paper, retired Strib newsman Gregor Pinney has this to say about the Jamar Clark case: “The fact is the officers took a calm situation and recklessly turned it into combat. Otherwise, the shooting would not have occurred. And by not imposing discipline explicitly for that half, Chief Janeé Harteau could be assumed to approve.”
Wells Fargo Watch. Ladies and gentlemen, the bank is very sorry for the recent unpleasantness. How do we know? Because they’ve made a commercial. At Dealbreaker, Thornton McEnery says, “New CEO Tim Sloan has taken on the role of apologizer-in-chief despite being more closely linked to the scandal than Stumpf, and has been relentlessly ‘on message’ about Wells being full of ‘good people’ ready to make things right. And in the clearest sign yet that Wells Fargo is looking to show America that it’s sorry but also still awesome, it just did a major TV ad buy.” So let’s just move on now, can we?
Speaking of TV ads, Stribber Kavita Kumar says, “Target Corp. is hoping that a combination of simple, compelling deals and a bigger TV ad campaign — with some Hamilton-esque theatrics — will help resuscitate its slumping sales heading into the holidays. The Minneapolis-based retailer is boosting its holiday broadcast spending by 21 percent and will focus on highlighting discounts such as the popular 10 days of deals program it is bringing back this year around Black Friday.” Nothing says Christmas like an ad blitz.
But before we get to Jolly Old Bullseye, there’s Halloween to get through. List factory WalletHub.com says we’re No. 12! “What’s scarier than the 2016 election? For more than 171 million Americans, the answer is Halloween spending — a real American Horror Story. According to the National Retail Federation, those celebrating Halloween plan to blow a record $8.4 billion, or an average of $82.93 per person, on the holiday this year. For context, that’s $1.5 billion more than in 2015. Yikes!”
On the validity of the election
I can’t speak for the entire nation, but Minnesotans should feel confident about the honesty of elections here.
I invite doubters to do what I did — train to become an election judge and work the polls themselves. They will see for themselves that the risk of “fraud” here is very, very small.
Ad blitz by Target
Unfortunately an ad blitz will do nothing to solve their supply chain problems which are still extensive. What an ad blitz can do, however, is create even more disappointed shoppers. You can’t sell what you don’t have. Last week I thought I could quickly run into Target (I was on its side of the street) and pick up a phone charger and my shampoo. I was faced with empty spaces where the phone chargers and my shampoo were supposed to be.
And then . . . .
And then when I headed to checkout with the items I COULD find, there were two long lines of people waiting, store clerks wandering around talking to one another, and no new registers opening.
Might be that they’re trying to force people into the self-serve lanes, but I have philosophical objections to using those (although now that I think about it, why should I be so worried about protecting the job security of employees who couldn’t be bothered to open more registers to take care of waiting customers?).
Trump Legacy
The idea that the divisiveness, hatefulness, and the spectrum of other personality disorders of Trump (yeah I mean that Trump, Donald J.) should live on are disturbing to contemplate. The fellow has given more than ample evidence that he cannot be believed; cannot be trusted; should not be given a forum to propagate his destructiveness.
The idea of staying at a Trump property, of eating at a Trump restaurant, wearing a Trump Tie, or anything else Trump connected is repugnant to me. The oaf is not an acceptable American. He puts love of self way before love of country.
Knowing that my comments will made insignificant difference in how Trump supporters feel its something I can accept. But I encourage all to assess what kind of good American you would lend your support to. To form a conclusion based you your love of country. On your preparedness to participate in effecting the changes you feel are important.
Some reasonable certainty exists that Trump will not be elected. It is my hope that Trump, as a consequence of the damage he has done to America, fades from the public eye. That his properties become to reflect the worthlessness of his positions. And like a bad headache, just goes away