Blois Olson, founder of Fluence Media, spoke on Minnesotas political climate at TwinWest Chamber of Commerces monthly Legislative Breakfast Oct. 12.
Olson presented his theories on why elections in Minnesota, and the Midwest, have become so erratically polarized in the past two decades.
Basically, since 1990, weve been the most politically volatile state in the country, said Olson.
Olsons presentation suggested that a number of factors, primarily recent changes in media, have led to unpredictability and changes in the outcomes of state elections.
For example, voters access to media has been wildly redefined in the past decade. With social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, people can access much more political information. However, they can also filter the information they receive with more partisan bias than ever before.
If a Democrat sits at a computer to read about candidates, he or she will most likely be finding and receiving articles that spin to their particular bias. This also applies to Republican voters.
Its really unfathomable what happens [in Minnesota] elections, said Olson. We are also one typo, one Tweet, one Facebook post and one gaffe away from democracy becoming democrazy.
Olson was the latest speaker in the chambers Legislative Breakfast series, which is held at DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton Minneapolis Park Place in St. Louis Park.
Olson demonstrated through previous election outcomes that power in the house and senate has shifted back and forth from party to party dramatically over recent elections.
If you dont have whiplash, or feel like youre watching a tennis match, I dont know that youre living here in Minnesota, said Olson. And its because the voters brain has become split.
Olson pointed out how voters have been changing their minds on issues such as health care more frequently throughout the past decade. He said that voters are becoming exhausted in deciding on issues because they are so torn about them.
Three media factors were cited in causing the split nature of voters decisive process: insight versus incite, the democratization of media and trust in economics.
Cable news networks were given responsibility for much of the radical polarization of voters on issues. Olson said that as the popularity of these networks has grown, the partisanship has become more extreme as personalities are trying to go further left or right.
Olson also stated that the turmoil in todays voter climate has a lot to do with the decline of trust in banks, the economy and the media.
Its not a surprise when considering what were living through right now, he said. So who can we trust? We trust people we know, and we trust relationships.
As we come closer to election day, Olson asserted that it remains very difficult to predict how Minnesota will vote on Nov. 6. The volatility and the passive aggressive nature of our state continue to swing election outcomes to the point that even a seasoned political analyst like Olson has no way of predicting the results.
Honestly, anything can happen, he said.