Newspaper says Minnesota’s Independence Party has chance to prove relevance

In an editorial this morning, the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes, “The Independence Party has only one big success to credit — the election 10 years ago of Gov. Jesse Ventura. To justify its continued existence, it is going to have to find a meaningful role in some winning campaigns — and if you can’t be a lead actor, a solid supporting role is the next best thing. The IP’s challenge in the Sixth District,” where it has endorsed Democrat Elwyn Tinklenberg for Congress, “will be to show that it can play that secondary role to winning effect. In 2006, the IP’s John Binkowski grabbed 7.8 percent of the north-suburban district’s vote. Combine his total with DFLer Patty Wetterling’s, and it’s only 547 votes shy of the total amassed by the incumbent, GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann. Tinklenberg will have to do at least that well for the IP to claim that its endorsement this year mattered.”