The Independence Party is NOT a "sock puppet" for the Republicans. It is a ballot-qualified major party in Minnesota, directly descended from Ross Perot's "Reform Party" presidential campaign in 1992 . . . the campaign which took so many votes AWAY from George Bush Sr., that Bill Clinton won the election.

In 1998, Norm Coleman looked like a sure winner for the Governor of Minnesota office, when he was upset by Jesse Ventura, the Reform Party candidate. This threw a BIG wrench into Norm's vaunted ambitions---everyone who's ever met Norm knew he was ALWAYS aiming for the Presidency, much more obviously than most politicians.

Those two examples show this party as a wild card, not a sock puppet. They changed their name to Independence Party but it is the same outfit.

Other than Ventura, they have not won elections. They did get a State Senator to quit the Republicans and join their party, but she was defeated later, or quit, I can't recall. Other than Ventura, their most prominent leaders are Tim Penny, once a "Blue-Dog" DFL (Democratic-Farmer Labor) congressman but always a Republican at heart, and Dean Barkley, a somewhat Quixotic figure whose big coup was to persuade Jesse to run in '98. Also John Wodele, the husband of a DFL county attorney who herself is running for Governor in 2010 as a DFL-er. Wodele managed the campaign for Elwyn Tinklenberg against Michele Bachmann. Tink incidentally was endorsed by the Independence Party along with the DFL, which would have helped a lot in Bachmann's district--except Minnesota law doesn't allow candidates on more than one ballot line (unlike say, New York state.) So an unknown named Bob Anderson paid the fee and got listed on the ballot for the IP. ANY Bob Anderson in Minnesota is an electoral threat, and Bob's 10% of the vote probably did throw that race to Bachmann---but don't blame the IP, which endorsed Tinklenberg. So---maybe an unwitting accomplice in some races, like when Pawlenty was re-elected in 2006, but not a sock puppet.

Minnesota has a tradition of third parties. They serve a purpose . . . although admittedly, the IP's purpose is more murky than most. I would analyze it as mostly an ego-outlet for its hard-core members (there are few) and a catch-all protest party for those who choose to vote for its candidates.

The outcome of this election is, so far, disappointing. If Coleman squeaks back in, the nation is wounded. But Minnesota's elections are as clean as any and better than many! I love Al Franken, but his candidacy was always problematic. I estimated that he would have needed an 80% turnout to win . . . and we only reached 77%. Actually less than four years ago. EVERY VOTE MATTERS!

I actually don't dispute your points. Maybe they throw it to the legislature to decide. It all seems so screwed up at this point and this is not meant to be a dig at minnesota by any means.

Also, the king was never legitimate in my book either. But for 9/11, that he rode all the way to the bank, he would have been gone in 06, big time.