I used to be pretty involved in local Republican politics back in Baja Manitoba, and even made the mistake of running for the State House of Representatives. Twice. Why mistake? Well, I used to live in what's considered a safe district by the Democratic Farmer-Labor party, and with good reason...my 34% showing was the best ever by a Republican candidate since the Minnesota Legislature stopped being "nonpartisan" back in the 1970s. That 34% cost me a lot of time in 1988, it (indirectly) cost me my job with Xerox, and damn near cost me my marriage. It didn't cure me of the political bug, though; that took a Senate District convention a few years later, when I found myself standing back to back (literally) with the state chairman of the Log Cabin Republicans, arguing vehemently with a roomful of delegates (all Assembly of God members, BTW) against a school prayer resolution. They just couldn't understand why two Catholics (I Latin Rite, the LCR chair Maronite) were against school prayer. Some folks have no sense of history.

Well, talk about slow learners (grin). I didn't go to the 2000 caucuses but I did go in 2002 since I had gotten the urge to give the election process one more try. This time I got the endorsement to run against DFL incumbent Karen Clark, raised over $1500 in contributions, and with all the Latino families that had moved into the district, thought I actually had a chance at getting Ms. Clark back into the workforce.
No such luck.
Thanks to those of you who sent money, if not lawyers and guns. :)

If you want another conservative take on Minnesota and the loony stuff that goes on there, take a look at Mitch Berg's Shot in the Dark weblog.
Well worth reading.

On the other hand, you may want to take a look at my personal political philosophy of Libertarian Falangism.