how does Michele Bachmann keep winning renomination?

[freepcrusher]

It seems like she's done just about everything you're not supposed to do as a jr member of congress and someone the MNGOP would want to primary. It surprises me, given the overall makeup of the district, that she even won the primary initially. Isn't her district, SES-wise similar to the Ramstad district?

[freepcrusher]

It seems like she's done just about everything you're not supposed to do as a jr member of congress and someone the MNGOP would want to primary. It surprises me, given the overall makeup of the district, that she even won the primary initially. Isn't her district, SES-wise similar to the Ramstad district?

MN-06 is mostly working class exurbs.

I thought that most exurbs are wealthy. I think of a place like Frisco, TX as an example.

[freepcrusher]

These are the type of places in her district that vote for her:

http://www.city-data.com/city/Oak-Grove-Minnesota.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Elk-River-Minnesota.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Buffalo-Minnesota.html

Now I know they might look relatively high income, but consider that they have a much higher rate of married couples who are filing jointly. Note the education rates. It's not too surprising that someone with a college degree is much less likely to vote for someone like Michele Bachmann.

I lived in Central Iowa until jr high. Would an area like Waukee, Grimes or Norwalk (sort of semi-rural, semi-suburban towns on the outskirts of the Des Moines area) be similar to the towns you mentioned above?

[freepcrusher]

FWIW, the policy described in the article has now been repealed, and was almost unanimously. And Anoka County normally wouldn't elect people like Bachmann, but the district lacks the appendage that runs down to Minneapolis (which is quite Democratic) and the town of Coon Rapids (a swing area that wouldn't vote for her.) Bachmann's support mostly comes further out places like Tom Emmer's home county of Wright, and Sherburne which famously used to elect a State Rep who compared Democrats blocking the gay marriage amendment to communist persecution of Christians, and was primaried after being arrested and convicted for beating his wife with the Bible (like literally. He'd strike and toss Bibles at her.) Sherburne County is also home to a car dealership know for its sign which frequently changes to random Bible verses, and Wright County is formerly home to this bank which was later shut down by state regulators in 2009.

I'm surprised of the whole fundie influence in that neck of the woods. According to this link, it doesn't seem that there aren't too many of them.
http://kindredblood.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/bible_belt_map_baptist.gif

I'm sure if you lived in Tom Price or John Culberson's district you wouldn't think Bachmann's district was that bad a place.