I thought I moved North not South or Help I Now Live In a Red State

Those of you who are frequent readers know I’m a Daily Show viewer. Tonight my fellow Minnesotan Al Franken was the guest. I like Al. He’s funny...like me. He worked for the late great Paul Wellstone...like me. He’s a bleeding heart liberal with an overly sarcastic wit... like me. He’s Jewish...well not like me but people ask me if I am sometimes when my hair gets long.

I didn’t make it past the first 30 seconds of the interview though because Jon Stewart’s first question was about the 2008 Republican National Convention being held in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa? I knew MY Twin Cities were in the running for both parties conventions but come on we neither have the hotel space or adequate convention space to really lure these things, right? Immediately I paused the ol’ TiVo and went running to the news sites and sure enough we’re slated to be overrun by inbred wealthy rednecks in August 2008.

My first thought was shit, this fucking sucks.

My second thought was, have there been advancements in rubber bullet technology since the last time I protested.

This will obviously be a financial boon to my hometown but I could care less. It’s not like I’ll see any of it. Instead I’ll be forced out of my restaurants, bars, highways, and stores while all the fat honkeys from Alabama wander aimlessly around downtown.

But after a few minutes, I guess I’m beginning to see this as an opportunity, for me. Always thinking of myself, this could be something to get me off my ass. After the 2004 election I was full of piss and vinegar. I declared to anyone who would listen that my next job was going to be in the political/non profit arena and I was going to work to get America right or in my case left. Instead I spent the next 2 years prepping for a move to Minneapolis where I’m currently working for a temp agency. It’s not like the country has gotten better, in fact it’s gotten worse, it’s that like most people I tend to talk loud but act little.

Tonight I’m not saying I’m recommitting myself to my 2004 goal because honestly in a few days I’d probably be back to normal. No, tonight I can honestly say that I do plan on being an active dissenter when that week in August 2008 rolls around. Sure I may not accomplish much in the big picture but at the very least I can feel like I’m doing something (again, me=selfish). Perhaps it will be protesting at the protest zone the city will set up 30 miles away for the convention. Perhaps it will be not holding an elevator for a 90 year old delegate from Florida. Perhaps it will sneezing on the buffet table at our local casino as a line of high rollers from Texas line up behind me. Or maybe just maybe it will be finding a candidate for US Senate or President that I can actually believe in and going out everyday to make sure my once proud state doesn’t become synonymous with Utah, Indiana and Ohio. Maybe a candidate like Al Franken.