Editorial: Considering the Palin factor

• Sarah Palin

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin greets the crowd at the Independent Group Home Living gala in St. James, N.Y., Sunday June 7, 2009.

Talk about it

The most surprising aspect of the Minnesota GOP Convention last week was how quickly Tom Emmer’s endorsement came.

Emmer, a state representative from Delano, had been seen as running neck-and-neck with Rep. Marty Seifert of Marshall for the gubernatorial nod — though Emmer was typically viewed to have more momentum than Seifert going into the start of the convention Thursday. Then came the Facebook post that may — or may not — have made a difference.

In throwing her support behind Emmer, Sarah Palin hailed her preferred candidate as a “hockey dad” who would “provide bold, principled leadership that will leave Minnesota fiscally stronger for the next generation.” Emmer himself hailed Palin’s endorsement as “significant,” though others interviewed by Forum Communications Co. and other media outlets downplayed the weight of Palin’s post.

Emmer, to be sure, is a strong and passionate conservative, as he demonstrated during his acceptance speech Friday night. We expect the Democrats to cast Emmer as a fiery, loose-cannoned personality while linking him as close to Palin as possible. But while connecting Palin and the Tea Party movement in general with Emmer will likely help rally DFLers, it should also fuel a Republican party that already has the advantage of being behind one candidate. And right now, the GOP — like Emmer late last week — looks to have more momentum.

Tags: tom emmer, sarah palin, opinion, editorials, minnesota, gop, republicans, emmer, palin, gubernatorial, endorsement