Conservative on a stick: Quist to attend Fair tonight, be on Late Debate. Bailing on Romney?

We all know how traffic is during the State Fair. Add fifteen minutes or more to travel time as traffic backs up on Snelling Avenue and other arteries, then clogs the freeways.

Allen Quist will brave the traffic today. Yesterday on his campaign Facebook page, the CD1 Republican nominee posted:

I will be at the GOP booth for opening day of the State Fair tomorrow at around 7 pm. Then I'm on the Late Debate radio show at the fair at 9 pm. Newstalk 1130 AM, or listen online at bit.ly/KxvrbC.

I'm unable to make the CD1 Fair Day on Sunday, the 26th.

It's curious that Quist isn't coming for the tradition of the district day at the GOP booth. He's also coming up to the Cities on the day of two fat cat fundraisers for Romney. The very day in which a Ron Paul darling, Kurt Bills, allowed the MNGOP to circulate a statement in his name endorsing Romney in a call for unity, followed by a press conference.

Quist beat back the prospect of a Parry endorsement at deadlocked congressional district convention in April with the support of Ron Paul supporters in the First, then went on to handily win the primary.  In the GOP ballot in Southern Minnesota, endorsed candidate  Bills narrowly lost to Un-Paul protest candidate David Carlson.

However if Quist plans to show some GOP unity and go to the Romney receptions (more pricey photo op at 6 p.m.; general reception at 6:30 p.m.) Bluestem hopes he and Julie rent a helicopter. It's a 36 minute drive under the best of conditions plus parking time, so he'd better leave early or fly if he plans to mingle with the state GOP deep pockets who might help fund his own campaign and get to the Fair "at around 7 p.m."

Or will Farmer Quist give Romney a tour of the sheep barns, given the speculation that Romney might make a surprise visit to the fairgrounds?

Update 8/26/2012 Quist tweeted the next morning that he attended the fundraiser, which started late. Bluestem's sources confirm this. He did make it to the State Fair in time for the Late Debate.

Here's the invite to the Romney fundraiser, courtesy of Star Tribune political reporter Rachel Stassen-Berger writing for the Morning Hot Dish email newsletter:

Romney Victory Event Invite - Minneapolis MN 8 23 12 Copy (2)

Image: Allen Quist, Cartoon by Ken Avidor.

Comments

[Phoenix Woman]

Wow -- Minnetonka Beach and Shorewood, the West Metro stomping grounds of much if not most of Minnesota's One Percenters. The money just rolls off that invitation.

Will Quist, who if I'm not mistaken is allied with the Ron Paulites, truly do what even Paulite Kurt Bills won't do and spurn Mitt Romney?

[T Pa or Coffee]

I wonder if Marti's friend Sid Hartman will be at the fund raiser with his $50,000?