Minnesota as Culturally Different from Rest of Midwest

[hopper]

I would disagree. The left-wing culture in the state, I would argue, is more divided. Minnesota's Democratic stronghold has always been the eastern and especially northeastern portion of the state. This is a blue-collar, union-strong, socially conservative region. This is separate from the Twin Cities, which features a more affluent, educated, socially progressive region. The population former is a prime demographic for those who are dropping from the Democratic ranks.

Indeed, this is happening. Minnesota has been trending R in Presidential elections, against the trend of its neighbors in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. 2014 aside.

Just population growth in Minneapolis and St Paul is keeping Minnesota Dem I think.

For the time being though Obama managed to win Minnesota twice by a fairly comfortable margin because a lot of those blue collar voters are ancestral Democrats and he had them plus the twin cities area vote.

I don't think that Minnesota is that different from a lot of the midwest. If you look at midwestern politics, there are a lot of solidly left-liberal progressives on one side and hardcore sometimes evangelical cons on the other. There's a solid mix of red and blue.