There are many primaries scheduled during August.

[MineralMan]

http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/2018-state-primary-election-dates.aspx

A very few are later than that. What it means is that we will know who almost all of the General Election candidates are pretty soon. Once the primaries are over, it will be time to stop arguing about who is running as a Democrat and start working our butts off to elect every possible Democrat in November.

We have no other options. If we cannot regain Democratic control of the House of Representatives in November, along with electing as many Democrats as possible to state legislatures and other offices, we may have lost our last chance to recover from what happened in 2016.

If that sounds overstated, I assure you that it is not. If Republicans continue to dominate, we will soon lose our chance to win in future elections. With control of legislatures and Congress, it would be easy for them to eliminate all fairness in elections.

Don't like some Democrat who is on the General Election ballot for the House? Suck it up. Work just as hard for that candidate as you would for one you would have preferred. The future depends on it.

GOTV 2018!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. If they have a pulse and a D after their name they have my vote.

As to the primaries, I'll vote for the D candidate who seems to be most likely to beat the GOPer even if I might actually like another one more.

By the way, which of the candidates for MN governor do you like? I haven't made up my mind yet but we need someone who can win statewide. We do not need a reprise of Timmy the Tool.

[MineralMan]

2. The Governor's race in MN is a tough one.

I'm afraid that the Nolan thing is going to hurt in the General Election. While I like Swanson, I'm concerned about that. I haven't quite decided on my primary vote. Of course, I'll be voting for the Democratic GE candidate, but I'm torn in the Primary. There's still a bit of time left to decide.

I do not like Thin Polenta!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I like Swanson, too, not sure if the Nolan controversy will be a big issue.

I think she and Walz are most likely to do well statewide because they are well-known. In my district (5th) it's between Ilhan Omar and Margaret Anderson Kelliher, who has been deluging my mailbox with ads. I'll probably go with Omar.

[MineralMan]

4. Well, Swanson's current TV ads do not mention Nolan at all.

That's a signal, I think. I'm sure she recognizes that there's an issue there, especially with women voters. I like Walz, too. I have a suspicion that he might end up as the GE candidate. Still, I don't know. It's a dilemma.

Pawlenty is a threat, despite his obsequiousness. No question about it. We need a strong push for the Democratic candidate, whoever it ends up being. I'm worried about that race.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. There's already been an anti-Pawlenty ad on the telly

and it hits his fake "nice guy" image pretty effectively - something about how nice guys don't take health care away from sick children. About time Dems figured out how to use an apparent advantage against an adversary.

[MineralMan]

7. Yes. That's a good ad. Walz is using an anti-Trump approach

in his ads, as well.

[Hortensis]

6. Yes! And 2020 CENSUS results are being created NOW.

The 2010 midterms and census were critical in stacking both elections and districts in favor of Republicans for the next decade.

The results of this November's midterms are beyond critical for the future of our nation.

Btw, yesterday a federal judge allowed that suit brought by 18 states to block the question about citizenship being added to the census. If included, it would of course force an undercount of non-citizens, benefiting the white nationalist party.