Make room, Ohio. Colorado's electoral votes are hotly
contested and could be pivotal in this year's presidential election. As a
result, the candidates visit often. Disrupted traffic is a regular event as motorcades
transport President Obama to and from Air Force One which is usually parked out
at the local air force base.
The first debate between the President and that other guy
will be at the University of Denver this Wednesday. The national press will
descend upon the Mile High City like they haven't since the Democratic National
Convention in 2008, which nominated Mr. Obama for his first term.
When you watch the focus groups and pundits and analysts and
news anchors in Denver on October 3, just 10 minutes away from my home, don't
worry about me being stuck on I-25 - which will be closed in the middle of town
at rush hour.
I'm 900 miles away in Minnesota. Can I time my trips or
what?
I haven’t been here for several years, but Minneapolis is still
a progressive, beautiful, northern city. Is Michele Bachmann really from around
here? No, I am told. This is not her district.
Minnesota is a blue state, radical right-wing congresswomen
notwithstanding. It’s not a swing state so things are a little quieter here,
though a hotly contested anti-gay marriage amendment and an anti-immigrant
voter ID amendment are on the ballot. So I am reminded that you don’t have to
live in a swing state to have a contestable, divisive election.
I’ll be watching the debate on TV with Minnesota friends,
who like me, are cheering for the President and hoping the challenger will
really blow it. In addition to the usual comments and zingers from the candidates,
I’ll be listening closely to what the national media are saying about my home
town.
Meanwhile, though far from I-25, I suppose I could still get
caught in a Minneapolis-St. Paul traffic jam.
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