<text>  CNNI am a friendly, hard-working Ohio native. Its how a lot of my friends in New York describe Midwesterners. Its as if were assembled at The Flyover Wonder Bread Factory, devoid of color or depth. We supposedly represent all that is wholesome in America. That may be true, but friendly and hard-working is so ... bland. If you think Im being a tad harsh, ask anyone who isnt from the Midwest to describe someone born and raised in Americas Heartland. My favorite definition came from a colleague raised in Florida. She struggled to describe us at first, then said, Simple. Um, like the Amish? No, she said, flustered. Even my fellow Midwesterners have a hard time coming up with interesting descriptors. CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos is a proud native of North Muskegon, Michigan. First thing out of his mouth, Friendliness! After that, he struggled, too. Boy, let me see...um...not easily agitated? I rolled my eyes. That is so bland, Danny. He paused, then said, Ill take bland over the rap Florida gets any day. Even my new friend, Jared Zak, from Wisconsin struggled. The best he could come up with was hearty. I asked these questions after interviewing Eric Dayton, who wants his native Minnesota to divorce itself from the Midwest. Were Midwest if youre looking at it from New York City or from anywhere on the East Coast, Dayton told me. But then again, thats someone elses definition. I think its time for us to claim our own. Dayton and his brother, Andrew, whose father is the states governor, are Minneapolis businessmen whose clothing store and restaurant have a decidedly local flavor. Eric Dayton, after touring Scandinavia many Minnesotans are of Norwegian descent, became enthralled by the regions strong identity. It proudly embraced its chilly weather, its food, its culture, its... Northiness. So why, he questioned, didnt Minnesota? When Dayton got home he hired a Minnesota company to make stocking hats for his clothing boutique that said, North. They sold out and Daytons idea headed, well, north. Minnesotans just got it, he said. I admit, I didnt get it, until I thought more about it. Minnesota -- or should I say Minneapolis -- is criticized, by some of my compatriots, for being Minnesota nice, the sort of nice fake that isnt remotely the kind of nice sincere for which Midwesterners are renowned. But, hey, I have an open mind. You could argue that Minnesota, along with North Dakota, parts of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan, are in the Northern region of the United States. And, you could argue Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are Eastern states. The only truly Midwestern states are Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. Go ahead, argue among yourselves, but know that Mr. Dayton isnt talking only about geography when it comes to labeling Minnesota -- The North. Hes talking about image and, although he wont say it, branding. The New York Times had done an article highlighting different Thanksgiving side dishes, Dayton told me. For Minnesota, they named grape salad as our signature side dish. And no one in Minnesota had ever heard of grape salad... it was kind of a harmless example, but if we dont tell the rest of the country who we are, we end up with grape salad. That story got under my skin, especially when I looked up the NYT idea of Ohios signature side dish: English pea and onion salad. It gets worse. The Times extolled the salads deliciousness by saying it calls to mind the processed-food delights that, for decades, characterized the cooking of the Midwest. Seriously? The New York Times isnt solely to blame for the Midwests image problem. Politicians are, too. Andrew Cayton is a distinguished professor of history at Miami University in Ohio. He wrote a book called The Identity of the American Midwest: Essays on Regional History. The Midwest, he told me, has always been a dynamic and diverse place, but that image doesnt fit with what people want to believe. And, by people, Cayton means politicians who routinely use the Midwest as code for a place in time that never actually existed: crime-free and populated with hard-working people who all look and worship the same. Arguing about the Midwest, Cayton says, has become arguing about America as a whole. So, listen up, campaigning politicians! Stop trying to bond with the Midwest with your bowling prowess or lack thereof and for goodness sake, stop eating corn dogs at state fairs. And while Im at it, political reporters, please stop interviewing voters in diners! Im not maligning bowling my dad, Tony, is in the Amateur Bowling Hall of Fame or corn dogs, but those things dont represent the modern Midwest. It is so much more dynamic and, yes, diverse. Chicago is not like Detroit. St. Louis is not like Pittsburgh. Indianapolis is not like Columbus, or Dayton or Cleveland or Cincinnati. And, Minneapolis is not like any of them, either. Minnesota boasts 10,000 lakes and a corresponding love of cold-weather sports, such as pond hockey. Yet, Im from Canton, Ohio, and I have never touched a hockey stick although those other Northern states certainly have excellent puck-handling abilities. Minneapolis also has a thriving cultural community, is home to 19 Fortune 500 companies and has a cuisine all its own that is not based on processed foods. And, at the moment -- it has what many polite Midwesterners cant abide by -- attitude. You know, Minnesota nice. Definition? As my pal from Wisconsin puts it, sarcastic, pretentious and exclusionary. I know. Arrogant Minnesota, Dayton joked. Thats what everyone thinks of when they think of Minnesota. Right? No, again, this isnt about being better. Its not a relative thing. Its just I think there are a lot of great things happening in Minnesota. Its not being recognized. I think its important for the reasons weve discussed that there is recognition of what we have to offer. And so its just putting forth our story. Its not trying to make it look better than it is. Its not comparing ourselves to anyone else. I dont know if Dayton will be successful, but I do understand why he wants Minnesota to define Minnesota. You dont attract the best and the brightest with friendly. There is a competition for talent, Dayton said. And its a national competition, even an international competition. Maybe Ohio should join the rebranding club and become The East. Cause you know what? I may be friendly and hard-working, but Im not simple. So stop asking me if Ive ever gone cow tipping. Or I just might go all Minnesota on you. 