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photo by jddroske

With 2008 dead and gone, it's important to remember it fondly. Just a few short days ago we took a long hard look at the political moments in which Minnesota failed to cover itself in glory. Now it's time to salute the year that was with more than one finger and recognize that it wasn't all a slow slide into the depths of the Abyss.

So, putting rancor and bile aside for one brief shiny moment - we give you the top five moments in 2008 Minnesota politics.

5) National Attention - Minnesota rarely gets the validation it did this year. Between the bizarre assertion that a state that has only voted Republican in a presidential election three times since 1932 qualifies as a battleground state and the natural publicity associated with hosting the RNC, Minnesota transcended its reputation as flyover country for at least 15 minutes. And while even some of our own congressional representatives are confused by Minneapolis and Saint Paul actually being separate cities, Ye Olde Midweste amply showcased its sophisticated political scene, tolerated anchors and VP candidates doing their best "Fargo" accents, and demonstrated an ability to kick protestor ass that rivals any of its east coast counterparts. And the national spotlight stayed on Minnesota right up until the last few days leading up to the election, when the McCain campaign finally figured out their man was monumentally screwed in the great white north.

4) The 35W Bridge Opens Early - Between acrimony at the Capitol, budget battles, and the vomitous sewage that passed for campaign rhetoric between most of the major candidates, there weren't many reasons for the average Minnesotan to have hope that there would ever be cooperation and harmony enough for our government to function in a way that might hold some benefit to their lives. But watching the heavy machinery operating day and night to get the new 35W bridge open was testimony to our government's ability to occasionally put aside partisan politics to address the interests of the populace, even if it does result in a structure that gives off an unholy eldritch glow from its underbelly.

3) Citizen Journalism - Giving lie to all the rumors that all internet innovations come from porn, 2008 was the year of the citizen reporter. The usual suspects like Powerline, MNpublius and Minnesota Democrats Exposed were joined by a profusion of upstarts like The Uptake and other blogs and groups interested in providing transparency and accountability. And while The Uptake didn't get its start in 2008, it certainly came to prominence during the past year - providing footage to CNN and offering a viewpoint and perspective sorely lacking in network news. Even more importantly, the citizen reporters from the organization, and others like it, are forcing campaigns to reevaluate how they communicate their messages to the masses. Plus, they're providing endless entertainment by forcing the Coleman campaign to perform semantic gymnastics in justifying the exclusion of an increasingly public and credible, albeit liberal, news organization from its press conferences.

2) Minnesota voter turnout leads the nation again - For the seventh election cycle in a row, Minnesotans led the nation in voter turnout. 77.8 percent of eligible voters turned out to vote, second only to the 2004 election, when Sen. John Kerry inspired hordes of screaming fans to flock to the polls, salivating and hungry for milquetoast leadership. While it may have something to do with the fact that, by November, frigid white blankets the lakeside trails and bike paths of our fair city in a frosty embrace and voting seems an appealing alternative to fighting the abominable snow creatures populating our parks and trails, it's still a fact to be proud of. We'll just try to ignore the fact that the 22.2 percent of folks who stayed home are probably getting it on (kinda NSFW) instead of braving the freezing drizzle as they wait in line to vote for the Lizard People.

1) The Override Six - The treatment of the six Republicans from the Minnesota legislature who decided to cross the aisle and vote to override Gov. Pawlenty's veto of the gas tax hike was shameful, but their actions were one of the year's high points. After more than a decade of political stalemates, partisanship and bull-headed ideological infantilism from both ends of the political spectrum, it was inspiring to see a group of politicians vote their consciences rather than their party. Too bad it was the last vote several of them will be taking in the legislature. And with one of the most important sessions in the last two decades coming up, it's probably far too much to hope that more than a few of the men and women left standing in the hallowed halls of the Minnesota legislature remember their example.