Another day, another controversial election in Minnesota. When the state's three gubernatorial wannabes descended on Duluth for a debate Tuesday, owners of a Norwegian cafe asked each for their favorite dessert so they could make them and conduct an unscientific if caloric straw poll of customers. DFLer Mark Dayton's two dozen M&M cookies eked out a narrow victory with 37.5 percent of the vote. Republican Tom Emmer's sugar cookies tied with Independence Party candidate Tom Horner's cream-cheese-filled brownies at 20 apiece for 31.25 percent. But campaign recount lawyers should wait by their phones.
"There was plenty of voting shenanigans," admitted Sandy Thompson, co-owner of Takk for Maten (that's "Thanks for Food," in Norewegian). First off, she said some voters favored the Horner brownies, but being good DFLers, asked the cashier to ring 'em up as M&M cookies. "And Tom Emmer and his wife stopped by after the cafe closed and ordered a dozen sugar cookies," she said.
Talk about stuffing the ballot box.
CURT BROWN
