Some regional talent made GQ Magazine's list of the least influential people of 2011.
Deemed the least influential person on the planet was former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. I'm not sure how influential he was, but I've been in his company enough times to realize he has the charisma of a dust bunny.
Most high-ranking politicians' charisma can command a room. His couldn't command a dust closet. He didn't come to this part of the state often, but when he did, he appeared disinterested. Other than playing hockey in middle age, he didn't seem to have passion for anything.
Pawlenty's bid for the Republican nomination for president didn't make it past the first test in Iowa, where he lost to Michele Bachmann, who now has zero campaign money and poll numbers that almost match.
GQ put it this way: "The $1 million he spent to lose the Iowa straw poll might as well have been burned in front of a group of orphans."
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That's mean. Accurate, but mean.
The magazine was equally mean when describing the former Mouth of the Red River Valley, Ed Schultz. The former sportscaster and radio talker from Fargo finished at No. 3. He now appears on MSNBC, the liberal equivalent of Fox News Channel in the truth distortion business.
"The only reason people watch the Ed Show is they're working out in a hotel gym and they can't find a staff member to change the channel to ESPN," GQ said.
That's not true. The only reason to watch Ed is that he will eventually blow his top. If he doesn't "bop that bozo," he will at least scream at the bozo.
That's how he reacted to his No. 3 ranking for irrelevance. "Kiss my ass, GQ," he responded, in his usual understated manner.
The irony is that making a least influential list requires being in a position of clout. Joe the Mechanic from in Dearborn, Mich., isn't going to make the list even though his realm of influence is smaller than T-Paw's or Mad Dog's.
However, the biggest insult to our guys is that they were bookends to the No. 2 least influential person. No. 2 is Princess Beatrice.
Whoever she is.
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Reach Bakken at (701) 780-1125; (800) 477-6572, ext. 125; or send e-mail to rbakken@gfherald.com .
