Cheese curds and politics

I love the Minnesota State Fair. It's a great place for people watching, goat petting, concerts, delicious food (on a stick) and politics.

Last Sunday, Tom & I went to see The Suicide Commandos in the Grandstand. Most of our friends were there, and we saw people we hadn't seen in years. It was like an old punk rockers reunion. We may be a little older & grayer now, but we can still rock with the best of 'em.





I paid a special visit to the Republican booth. It was uneventful.

I went back to the Fair today with my sister, niece, and a friend. Again, I couldn't resist the Republican booth, but this time was different. While my sister & I were having a civil conversation with a young woman there, an older guy in a wheelchair rolled up and started some shit with us. It got a little ugly. He had his talking points, but when confronted with the facts, it only made him angrier. It ended with a shouting match about Iran. He's all gung ho about invading them next. When I asked him who we had left to fight the next war, he had nothing to say. Pure chickenhawk bullshit. You know the story.

Of course I also visited the DFL and Green Party booths. I had a lengthy conversation with Ken Pentel of the Green Party and came away thinking I should join them. They truly represent everything I want in a political party, so it's something I'm going to really consider.

The day ended in the best possible way. I met our next Senator, Al Franken. He had a ton of people around him, but he took a moment to have a conversation with me, as well as anyone else that wanted his time. I told him that I was from St. Louis Park (his home town.) When he asked me where in SLP, and I told him, he said he knew where that was. He was super-nice and had an aura of kindness about him, just like the late Paul Wellstone.

I may go back to the Fair one more time before they close up on Labor Day. Good times.