Peter Hutchinson running for governor

Peter Hutchinson, a former Minneapolis school superintendent and finance commissioner, is running for governor as the Independence Party candidate, the party that brought us Jesse Ventura and Tim Penny.

He says he is running because political discourse has become overrun with divisive social issues like abortion, gay marriage, and gun control, something I agree with. The policy positions in the article, such as opposing public money for stadiums, opposing a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, and an openness to a sales tax on clothing, all sound pretty good to me.

That doesn't mean I'll be voting for him, though. If the DFL candidate was a hack like Roger Moe, I would happily vote for Hutchinson. Fortunately, this is not happening. Anything can happen, though.

Republicans generally welcome his candidacy because they think he will pull votes from Democrats, which is probably true for the most part. However, if Pawlenty chooses to run a campaign based on hot-button social issues, this could change.