Capitol View

Minnesota vs. Indiana

Posted at 1:55 PM on September 23, 2008 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

The Washington Post's Dan Balz wonders what in the heck is going on in Minnesota and Indiana. In other words, Minnesota is tight despite voting for every Democratic presidential candidate since 1972 and Indiana is tight despite voting for Republicans since 1964:

Watching these state polls is great sport and sometimes instructive. But it's helpful to recall how these states have performed in past elections and where they fit into national patterns. If Indiana and Minnesota are still both competitive a month from now, then we'll really be looking at something unusual.

Question of the Day: What is going on in Minnesota and Indiana?


Comments (2)

Nothing is going on. Both will revert comfortably to blue and red respectively.

Posted by Gary M. Miller | September 23, 2008 2:33 PM


Obama is benefiting from Illinois bordering Indiana. Also, Indiana is surprisingly similar to Ohio, except Democrats have never invested in the state.

McCain is still getting a bump from Tim Pawlenty's Mr Runner-Up title. Also, McCain is spending money here which has made him competitive. If McCain pulled ads from MN tomorrow, the state would trend back to Obama.

Obama is making a huge gamble by investing in Indiana and hoping MN continues its trend to vote Dem.

Posted by MNDem | September 23, 2008 7:48 PM


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About Poligraph

The feature examines statements made by Minnesota politicians and checks them for accuracy. Based on data analysis, document reviews and interviews with non-partisan analysts, statements are rated either true, false or inconclusive. PoliGraph is a collaboration between Minnesota Public Radio News and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. More

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