See No Evil, Hear No Evil

The Minnesota caucuses underline contrariness of both GOP and Democratic flavors

The near-consensus across social media and public radio in Minnesota the morning after the caucuses took a self-congratulatory angle on the Sanders-Rubio victories here. The working-class spine of the state historically sees through much of the big-ticket nonsense and blatant public relations. We even vote for reasonable Republicans, and are even willing to pretend there is such a thing in this election season.

The Sanders victory fits the mold of MN as one of the socialist bastions of a country apparently hellbent on turning itself into a Darwinian hellscape. It’s a point of pride here still to be the only state that rejected Reagan in a 49–1 drubbing (it also nestles neatly within our sports tradition of extravagant let-downs amid grinding failures while still playing in the very big leagues).

Rubio’s single statewide victory so far is more perplexing, but only just so. He was, after all, 1–10 on the day and unlikely to advance in this reality show unless he significantly sharpens his newfound penchant for insult comedy. MN voters were never going to stand for Trump’s New Yawk bombast anyway, not in a state where standing too close in line at the Walgreens check-out is tantamount to a home invasion. It may well be that opting for the blow-dried Floridian was simply reaching for the lesser of several bad choices (let’s not forget Bob Dole’s quip when watching Carter, Ford, and Nixon standing alongside one another: See no evil, hear no evil, and evil.).

In a week when Rubio emerged from the pack on the strength of denigrating his opponent’s penis size, it may just be hard to say. Minnesota’s contrarian track record emerges more or less unscathed, along with the sinking sense that our embrace of progressive policies over time will remain an anomaly, a relic, something downright cute while we hope for a future in which the rug isn’t pulled out from under us with undue violence.