BigBallinStalin wrote:How has Minnesota weathered the depression since 2008?
better than most, and for many reasons. Our real estate got crushed, of course not as bad as California or Florida, but our unemployment rate has never been above 8% (I think) and we currently boast a budget surplus. Many large Corporations are headquartered out of Minnesota. 3M, Medtronic, St Jude, General Mills, Best Buy, Target, United Health Group, Supervalu, Hormel, Polaris, Buffalo Wild Wings, Caribou Coffee, US Bank Corp, Xcel Energy, Fastenal, Valspar, TCF, Famous Daves, Toro, Ecolab, just to name a few.....
Plymouth, Minnesota, rated best city to live in all across America
We have always been a blue state (the only one to go for Mondale in 84) but in my lifetime I have considered it purple. Jesse Ventura got elected here, Michelle Bachmann will retire here, and Tim Pawlenty was re-elected here, but of course Al Franken (media matters/moveon.org) and Amy Klobochar (Soros) more than erase that.
I should note that, on a state level, the Tea Party dominated the Congressional elections in 2010, controlling super majorities. In fact the Tea Party Republican candidate Tom Emmer only lost by 6,000 votes to Mark Dayton (Soros), of the Billion dollar Dayton retail dynasty. We are getting everything from our platform that we wanted that we can do without the governor, and that includes constitutional amendments. This fall we are voting on Voter-ID, currently polling around 80% support, as well as expanding conceal carry laws and other things like tort reform and some kind of blockages of Obamacare.
The Ron Paul/Libertarian wing recently gained control of the state party here, and we have a Senate candidate running who Ron Paul has officially endorsed named Kurt Bills. We have a real chance to join Wisconsin and make Minnesota a red state this November, and I think it's because our policies are working pretty good on a state level, and our recent governor may very well be the next Vice President.
Thanks for asking. I love my state and love talking about it!