Minnesota by the numbers: A purple poll

This is odd. According to the latest Survey USA round-up, George Bush has a higher approval rating in Minnesota than in any other "blue" state. In other words, the president is more highly regarded in Minnesota than in any of the 17 other states that voted Kerry in 2004. Of course, that's not saying much.

As of February 13, according to the poll, just 40 percent of Minnesotans approved of the job W is doing, 56 percent disapproved, and four percent remained "undecided" (translation: four percent of Minnesotans don't even pretend to give a crap about world affairs).

Bush's Minnesota numbers are almost identical to his national numbers (40 percent approval, 57 percent disapproval, 3 percent undecided). Curiously, his positive rating in Minnesota is actually higher than it is in four states which Bush won in 2004--Missouri, Colorado, Iowa and Ohio. But for the president's supporters, the most alarming aspect of the survey must be this one: he broke the 50 percent approval mark in just six states.