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Hendriks tells Star Tribune to hold off on 'battleground' label

By Kari VanDerVeen
November 1, 2012

St. Olaf College Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science Henriët Hendriks tells the Star Tribune that a last-minute burst of attention by the two presidential campaigns doesn't mean Minnesota's 10 electoral votes are up for grabs.

"I don't think it means Minnesota is a battleground state," says Hendriks, who studies campaign tactics in safe vs. swing states. "There's not much chance that a few visits or a little bit of ads will really change anything."

What it can do, Hendriks notes in a story titled "Minnesota on the Last-Minute Campaign Radar," is energize the supporters of both candidates.

The story, which appeared on the front page of last Thursday's Star Tribune, talks to several of those supporters and notes that former President Bill Clinton and vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan both paid recent visits to Minnesota.

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.