I had an interesting week.  My sainted mother was out of town to visit my sisters which left my brother and I on duty for our 95-year-old grandmother, Fran.  I've blogged about grandma before...she's a lifelong hardline Democrat who cancelled out my grandfather's vote for fifty-five years.  She still drinks Manhattans and has a wonderfully witty sense of humor.  Her favorite shows are "Monty Python" and "Seinfeld" re-runs.  She also doesn't look a day over 85 and still puts herself together quite well.  Perfect pink lipstick , classic jewelry, and Estee Lauder "White Linen"....class all the way.

I dutifully visited grandma and chatted for a few hours...only to spend six more hours in the ER with her after a fall a few days later.  She was fine, but don't get me started on the mess that is assisted care living and C.Y.A. legal practices and the cost of health care.....I'll save it for another blog post. 

Back to granny...I try to stay away from politics (which is always a challenge for me,) and I'll only go on the defense with her when necessary.  She doesn't like that I'm such a staunch conservative, nevermind the fact that it was her brother Bill who reinforced these values in me as a kid. 

So when I went to her pad I was ready for some small talk.  Instead, she almost immediately asked:   "What do you think of this Tom Emmer?"

I replied, "Well, Grandma, I like him.  I like him a lot.  What do you think?"

"Well his mother used to be a good pal of old Mary Melby's and Tom Melby and one of the Emmer boys when to Notre Dame together, so I guess he may be okay."  (This is a woman who has called me- on more than one occasion- a "Dirty Republican", this is a woman who has never in her LIFE voted for the GOP....and she thinks Tom Emmer might be okay.) I say nothing.  I won't be tricked by this wiley old woman. 

"But, I think I'm going to vote for Tom Horner." 

My eyes light up. 

My grandparents, Fran and Jack, were lifelong pals with Tom's parents, Sal and Jack Horner, whom they knew through Visitation parish in South Minneapolis.  She shares a couple quick stories about the family....and then I carefully ask,  "So, you're not going to vote for the Democrat?" 

"No, I'll vote for Tom."

I don't dare ask which Tom, but I think I know which Tom.

When I did some limited calling for the Emmer campaign, people would continually say things like, "Oh, my sister babysat for Tom." or  "We know the family very well." or "I know his brother."  These personal connections may very well dull the edge of the character attacks lobbed against him by the left.  Minnesotans like my grandmother don't like it very much when you attack a hometown boy.

Don't ever underestimate the power of these connections, Minneapolis is one big small town.  Margaret Anderson Kelliher doesn't have this advantage (she may represent Minneapolis, but she's not FROM Minneapolis and there's a difference.)  Tom Horner does...and my bet is (as others have also bet,) that it's the DFL votes that will be going to Horner.

So on this political question, I'm with Grandma Fran, I'm glad he's in the race.