I can’t put this any better than Joe Bodell at MN Progressive Project:

It’s a pretty good example of the Chewbacca Defense, really: throw as much disjointed, irrelevant information at the wall and hope the jury is so confused that they don’t notice you’re an idiot, and thus elect your guy who still thinks the waitstaff at your restaurant are overpaid.

He’s talking about the MNGOP’s new campaign strategy. They’re going negative big time; they’ve already tried out a few attacks, and there are more coming. Why are they already getting so nasty? Well, that’s easy:

• It’s almost September, and Emmer still doesn’t have a budget plan.
• Not only is there no budget plan, Emmer’s public statements have underestimated the deficit by over $2 billion.
• Emmer believes servers make too much money, and believes the minimum wage is socialism.
• Emmer believes you “can’t be a Democrat and be a freedom-loving American.”

With a candidate like that, I might go negative, too!

The GOP has seen what happens when they let Tom Emmer speak, especially about the issues: People realize how extreme he is, and it’s a disaster. So they’ve decided on a new strategy: They’re going to throw mud at Dayton until something — anything — sticks.

I don’t think it can work for them this time, though, for a variety of reasons. This year, the issues are just too important. Also, after 2008, I think Minnesotans are sick of hearing the same old nastiness from the GOP.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I think what people want first and foremost this year is a candidate who will balance the budget.