Do Republicans stand a chance against Senator Tina Smith?

[Former Kentuckian]

Honesty I think anything less than Safe D is mistaken. Even if Smith dies, Klobuchar will drag her corpse across the finish line.

Agreed. Klobuchar has consistently been one of the most popular members of Congress since election. This year alone, her approval ratings have ranged from 59% to 72%:

https://morningconsult.com/2017/10/31/americas-most-and-least-popular-senators-october-2017/

startribune.com/klobuchar-franken-both-get-high-marks-from-minnesotans/420822683/

And Smith herself is no slouch: https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2016/05/why-there-has-never-been-lieutenant-governor-tina-smith

Smith's own appeal combined with riding Klobuchar's coat-tails, she should be fine.

[Former Kentuckian]

Depends on who runs. I don't want to discount Pawlenty's chances, the guy won in 2006 on the same day that Klobuchar won her first term by 20%.

Pawlenty barely won reelection (by less than one point) because of a popular third party candidate and because the Democratic nominee was stupid enough to argue with and lash out at reporters (he called one reporter a "Republican whore"). Pawlenty got lucky.

[Former Kentuckian]

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MINNESOTA: Ex-Cong Michelle Bachmann (R) said she is thinking of running for Franken's US Sen seat this year, in interview with evangelist Jim Bakker.

Can’t wait for this nut-job to be beaten into a pulp by the ex-Vice president of Planned Parenthood!

Bachmann is just the amount of crazy we've been missing but have come to expect in the Trump era. I hope she wins the primary because Sen. Smith would eat her alive. I can't wait.