I spent eighteen hours at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Friday night/Saturday morning to ensure that the Republicans have a candidate for governor of Minnesota with a decent shot to get elected. The convention started at 9:00am on Friday morning and I was there by 8:30am. It concluded at around 3:30am Saturday morning shortly after the twelfth ballot when Brian Sullivan finally conceded the endorsement to Tim Pawlenty.
Being a firm Pawlenty supporter from the get go I was both happy and relieved at the outcome. Personally I found a lot to like with both candidates but I had nightmares of the Minneapolis Star Tribune attaching the pejorative "millionaire businessman" before Sullivan's name every time it appeared in print. There is a strong dose of populist wealth envy here in Minnesota that likely would have doomed Sullivan's chances to win. For some reason it is okay to be a millionaire politician if you're a DFLer like Mark Dayton (who unlike Sullivan did nothing to earn his bankroll) but if you're a Republican it can be the kiss of death. Besides Pawlenty plays hockey and is "one of us". I'll have a more detailed report on the goings on including photos shortly.
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